As part of the work to refresh the country’s National Infrastructure Plan, Lord Deighton has been discussing in Manchester how regional infrastructure strategies can be integrated into the national plan.
The Commercial Secretary to the Treasury has also been hearing from business and local government leaders on their work to drive forward projects in the local area.
Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese and chief executive Sir Howard Bernstein, members of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce and the Local Enterprise Partnership, as well as a range of industry representatives, met Lord Deighton and a team from the Treasury’s Infrastructure UK.
Greater Manchester is a prime example of a region using innovative solutions to fund local infrastructure. The Greater Manchester ‘City Deal’, signed last year, will give them the ability to earn back a portion of their tax revenues to fund big projects.
Commercial Secretary to the Treasury, Lord Deighton said:
To develop the infrastructure this country needs to be globally competitive, we have to understand what local requirements are in each of our regions.
Manchester is at the forefront of innovative development, using private sector investment and new schemes such as earn back to deliver key infrastructure such as the expansion of the Metrolink.
I was pleased to hear from Manchester’s leaders on how we can share expertise and drive forward delivery on major growth boosting projects.
The refresh of the National Infrastructure Plan will be published later this autumn, and Lord Deighton will continue to engage with industry representatives to ensure that the plan can be a vital tool for both national and regional infrastructure projects.
Photo credit: Stacey Cavanagh, www.tecmark.co.uk. Used under Creative Commons.