Northern Powerhouse at a turning point
The Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP), is an independent body launched in September 2016, and chaired by the Rt Hon George Osborne CH MP, to bring together the voice of business and civic leaders across the North. Today it has released its first report today (3 February) in Leeds.
Mace is one of the founding members of the NPP, and has contributed to the creation of this new report and the series of roundtable events which took place with over 200 civic and business leaders across the North last year.
This report creates the first comprehensive plan put together by the North, for the North. If the steps suggested are taken up by Government, then the Northern economy has the potential to benefit from an additional £100 billion gross value add over the next three decades, and in doing so an additional 850,000 jobs could be created.
The report recommends that urgent attention must be given to improving:
• the performance and aspiration of the North's schools
• the quality of adult skills
• the east-west transport infrastructure that connects key Northern cities
• fibre and broadband provision
• attractiveness to business investment
• and the overall level of ambition in its local decision making.
Mace has worked in the North of England for the past 20 years and employs nearly 200 staff across the Manchester, Leeds and cities in-between.
Over the past two decades Mace has worked on some of the North’s most important schemes including the refurbishment of Manchester Town Hall, Manchester Metrolink, the construction of the City of Manchester Stadium for the Commonwealth Games, Leeds Bradford Airport, John Lewis in Leeds, the relocation of Coronation Street and most recently being appointed to Transport for Greater Manchester’s professional services framework.
Lisa Bowden, Northern Strategic Pursuits Manager for Mace, said:
“It is widely accepted that investment in infrastructure boosts regional growth and opportunity. This new report rightly highlights the need to focus on east-west transport links across the North of England which should help our great northern cities compete on a global stage.”
