Adonis think tank pledges Northern plan by spring

The IPPR has promised a Blueprint for a Great North Plan based on the deliberations at a summit today which i says will be delivered by the spring. The IPPR is chaired by NIC chair Lord Andrew Adonis, the chair of the newly formed National Infrastructure Commission, which has improving connectivioty oin the North one of its key priorities

Speaking at an event in Leeds today, Ed Cox - director for the IPPR said there was a need to move swiftly and without delay.

Cox said there was a  need to take a much more holistic approach to special development, recognising the importance of cities but also the hinterlands that serve them. “We need a high level, strategic (but brief) plan with real ambition and grit that is also evolutionary which can be enhanced over time,” Cox said. The plan also needs to be truly “by the north, for the north” and should complement other plans in a spirit of collaboration,” he said.

At the summit, delegates were asked to prioritise what they thought the key principles of the plan should be and what should have the highest priority. They were also asked about their vision for the north, to identify those issues that should not be addressed in a Great North Plan and to say how quickly the initiative should move forward.

Also speaking at the event, Judith Barnes, local government partner at law firm Bevan Brittan said: “Today’s event has energised business leaders in the North and really cemented support for a Great North Plan.  Now that needs to be turned into a reality and hopefully will begin to properly take shape in the coming months.

“For the North to truly thrive, collaboration will be vital across key services and between both the public and private sectors.  International experience shows that you need to link up services such as housing, transport and land use.  We need to find ways to integrate, share and link up efforts across the region, said Barnes.