TOWARDS A GREAT NORTH PLANEmerging concepts from regional roundtables and call for

evidence

Ed CoxDirector, IPPR North

BACKGROUND• Northern Prosperity is National Prosperity 2012• Framing the Future debates 2014• Great North Plan competitions 2014• Partnership with RTPI

• DO WE NEED A GREAT NORTH PLAN?• 11 roundtables• Call for evidence• Northern Summit

• The Northern Powerhouse and Northern Transport Strategy

.

WHAT DID YOU TELL US?

YES!WE NEED A GREAT NORTH

PLAN… but what should it look

like?

SOME KEY PRINCIPLES• Any plan must be high-level, strategic and brief• It needs to set an ambitious, long-term vision but be

supported by clear actions in the short-medium term• It must be evolutionary, adding value to existing plans

and responsive to on-going changes• It will be collaborative but must act as a framework

and reference point for other more detailed plans• It must be inclusive, speaking to all places across the

North but ‘asymmetrical’ in its treatment of different themes

• It must NOT be: statutory, comprehensive, local, vanilla, name-checking exercise

.

WHO BY? WHO WITH? WHO FOR?• The Great North Plan will be developed ‘bottom-up’ –

by the North and for the North – as a voluntary, strategic collaboration including:• Local and combined authority leaders, members of

parliament• Businesses and business groups including LEPs• Universities and other public bodies• The general public and civil society organisations

• It must also speak to wider audiences not least investors such as:• Central government• Corporate finance and foreign investors• The EU and other international institutions

• This can only be achieved through repurposing the plan in a variety of ways …

THE ‘PURPOSES’ OF AGREAT NORTH PLAN

Establishing a vision

Attracting investment

Enhancing collaboration

Galvanising action

The plan needs to set out a clear vision statement for the North of England – based on a small number of cross-cutting themes. These need to be readily understood by everybody.

The plan needs to act as a ‘prospectus’ identifying real economic, social and environmental opportunities to potential investors.

The plan must encourage vertical and horizontal co-ordination around a series of key drivers of sustainable development for national and local policy-makers, delivery agencies and businesses

The plan must be supported by a clear action plan involving multiple stakeholders, designated resources, and with clear accountability mechanisms

… a suite of interlinked documents

DISCUSSION GROUPS – ROUND 1

a) Do you agree with the principles and purposes of the Great North Plan set out here?

b) If not, how would you like to see them changed?

c) Which of the purposes should have the highest priority in terms of time and resource?

VISION STATEMENT• Suggested to 2050

• Three possible / example themes:• ECONOMY – changing the historical conception of

the role of the north in the national and global economy

• SUSTAINABILITY & RESILIENCE – founded on principles of ‘good growth’ and environmental sustainability

• PLACE – every place understanding its economic, social and environmental purpose and playing its part

• Reviewed every 10 years

A NORTHERN ‘PROSPECTUS’• ‘Glossy’ representation of vision and key

elements of development drivers (see above)

• Includes visual ‘masterplan’ – a Map for the North

• Reviewed and refreshed every 2-3 years

• Developed by marketing / inward investment people

ENHANCING COLLABORATION• Building on the current plans of the TfN Northern Transport

Strategy• Series of plans and layered maps of high-level drivers of

development:• Connectivity & transport – passenger, freight, digital

(NTS)• Economic growth opportunities – innovation hubs,

sector strengths, supply chains, infrastructure sites (NIER)

• Green infrastructure – energy, water, waste• Population change – growth hubs, coldspots, scenarios

and implications for housing & communities• Recreational assets – tourism, culture, quality of life

• Could include scenario-planning and indicative costs and benefits

• Could be expressed as a Northern Infrastructure Plan updated annually with clear projects and priorities

• NB. To exclude detailed land use planning, housing, public services – it can’t include everything!

DISCUSSION GROUPS – ROUND 2

a) How would you cast a vision for the North for 2050?

b) After transport, what are the greatest priorities for pan-northern collaboration?

c) Which issues should NOT be addressed in a Great North Plan?

ACTION – DELIVERY - GOVERNANCE• Three-year rolling action plan setting out key

actions for a wide range of stakeholders

• Baseline / milestones for development

• Overseen by strategic planning group – perhaps with some element of democratic accountability / visibility cf. Transport for the North

• Annual ‘Northern Summit’ to evaluate progress

TAKING THE GREAT NORTH PLAN FORWARD

• Needs to be developed with some speed and momentum (by April 2017)

• Needs to draw upon good examples: China, Netherlands, Scotland

• Options for development:• Vision: a competition – broad parameters set at

Northern Summit• Collaborative plan options:

o Technical group – planners, universities, key stakeholders, local and central government

o A dedicated ‘commission’ led by an influential northerner

• Key issue: development costs / funding

• NEXT MILESTONE: Blueprint for a Great North Plan – Spring

DISCUSSION GROUPS – ROUND 3

a) Should we take forward the development of a Great North Plan? If so, then how?

b) How fast should we move forward with this initiative?

c) What resources could your organisation commit to its development?