City Regions, Transport and Devolution

BEN STILL, MANAGING DIRECTOR

WEST YORKSHIRE COMBINED AUTHORITY

Image: Leeds City Council

• Combined Authorities

• Devolution

• City Region transport strategies

• Northern Powerhouse

• Transport for the North

TOPICS

THE COMBINED AUTHORITY / LEP

• The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (CA) is a

collaboration between the West Yorkshire

authorities.

• It is the place where work that cuts across the whole

of West Yorkshire and City Region is undertaken.

• The CA is a governing board of nine political leaders,

plus the chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise

Partnership (LEP).

• The CA and the LEP are supported by an officer

organisation that undertakes their Boards’ policies

and actions.

• The LEP and CA have a joint vision for economic growth in the City Region.

• As part of this vision, the officer body’s mission is, to be the driving force for delivering an outstanding

economy with better connectivity and services for businesses, people and places, on behalf of CA.

CITY REGION GEOGRAPHY

CITY REGION ECONOMY

CA DEMOCRATIC STRUCTURE

GOVERNANCE

COMMITTEE

SCRUTINY

COMMITTEESINGLE APPRAISAL

FRAMEWORK

BUSINESS

COMMUNICATIONS

GROUP

TRANSPORT

COMMITTEE

INVESTMENT

COMMITTEE

INVESTMENT

PANEL

GREEN

ECONOMY

PANEL

BUSINESS

INNOVATION

AND GROWTH

PANEL

EMPLOYMENT

AND SKILLS

PANEL

FUNDING

OUR PARTNERSHIPS

Why is devolution important?• UK over centralized by international standards (Travers)

• Decisions made closer to the people affected

• Better understanding of local issues and priorities

• Long term and stable funding

• Promise of better outcomes, better integration of decisions, better value for money

What has devolution achieved so far?

In West Yorkshire:

• Creation of the Combined Authority;

• £900m Transport Fund over 10 years;

• Influence over skills funding – adult skills

budget;

• Creation of city region Business Growth

Hubs;

• Funding for capital projects:

regeneration/housing/environmental.

In places with Mayoral deals:

• Single pot;

• Influence over health budget allocation;

• Full control of adult skills budgets;

• Bus franchising.

What will mayors do?

For sure:

• Can introduce bus franchising (if powers exist)

• Need to introduce a budget and set a strategy

BUT

• Who knows what Mayors will seek to do?

• Aren’t taking away any powers from a CA

• Relations with CA and LA’s more strategic role is very unclear

Expected to be a figurehead and leader. But future to play for..

Linking Transport and the Economy:The Importance of a Single Plan

• Vision for transformational change across Leeds City Region.

• In achieving this transformational vision, the city region will unlock its full economic potential and

cement its place as an engine for growth in the north and for the nation as a whole.

• Radical improvements, focused on public transport solutions,

e.g. rail station gateways, parking, bus packages.

• Ring Road improvements.

• Transformation of key development

areas.

• Improved motorway access,

• Improvements between major center's.

“City Regions” and their Transport Systems

We want a transport system that will be easy and reliable, using a modern, well

connected transport network that enhances business success and people’s lives.

• Delivering the Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) 2016-2036

• Vision for ‘good growth’

• Improve access to employment/economic labour markets

• Improve social inclusion, health, leisure and access to education

• Improve the environment

• Leeds City Region population will grow from 3 million to 3.4 million from 2015 to 2035

• 115,000 jobs expected to be created by 2036

• 10,000 to 13,000 new houses per year across the Leeds City Region

“City Regions” and their Transport Systems

“City Regions” and their Transport Systems

Northern Powerhouse Pan-Northern Objectives

Transform economic performance

Improve connectivity for businesses to the labour market and supply chain

Enhance the role of Freight in the Northern Economy

Enhance National and International Connectivity

Align with local growth plans and the Government’s Industrial Strategy

Increase innovation, reliability and resilience on the transport network

Increased business efficiency and reduced costs

Greater confidence in the transport network

Planning for the future

Promote and support the built and natural environment

Enhance quality of place and encourage good growth

Improve impacts of the environment

Improve the equality of opportunities across the North

Improve access to jobs, education and training, and services for people and communities

Better integration of the strategic and local transport networks

A ‘transformation’ growth scenario by 2050 could generate:

• £97 billion GVA increase to the Northern economy;

• 850,000 more jobs than ‘business as usual’.

Northern Powerhouse

Transport for the North

• 11 Local Enterprise Partners

• 4 Development partners

• 19 Local Government partners

• Cross boundary work with Scotland, Wales and

the Midlands

• TfN will become the first sub-national statutory

transport body in England in 2017

• Greater role in developing the case for

investment

• Making the right transport decisions for the North

• Closer collaboration and intelligence sharing with

businesses, through LEPs and Business North

Northern Powerhouse Rail

• New and radically upgraded infrastructure and services

• Improved frequencies and journey times

TfN Shared Vision for Roads

• A core free-flow network with ‘mile a minute’ journeys

• Improved east-west major road links with reliable journey times

• Expanded capacity on north-south major road links

• Effective road connections to major ports in the North

• A future-proofed Northern road network which supports low emission vehicles

• Better planning of future roads investment

TfN Freight and Logistics

• The development of 50 hectares of rail/water connected

Multimodal Distribution Parks per year, at the edge of urban centres

• Rail network upgrades for longer and more freight trains

• Promotion of short-sea shipping direct to Northern ports

• Land-side access improvements to ports

to reduce local road congestion

Northern PowerhouseRail Ambition – Yorkshire Hub

• HS2 – Introduction of HS2 line and services

• The Gateway of national significance

• 114% growth by 2043

• 60 million passenger pa

• Spreading the benefits of HS2 and NPR

• Leeds South Bank regeneration

• Leeds City Square, traffic removal

Thank you for listening. Any questions?

BEN STILL, MANAGING DIRECTOR,

WEST YORKSHIRE COMBINED AUTHORITY

Image: Leeds City Council