Northern Powerhouse blueprint for the next 35 years launched

A blueprint that maps out how to develop a Great North Plan to create a Northern Powerhouse in the next 35 years has been launched, jointly by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and IPPR North.

The blueprint was launched at KMPG’s Leeds office with support from Business North and UKTI, both of whom endorsed the need for the Great North Plan.

Businesses and local authorities were invited to make a “Powerhouse Pledge” to say how they can take the Plan forward. Key northern assets – economy, energy, transport, people - are mapped in the blueprint, highlighting the building blocks of an economic strategy for the North.

The RTPI first began working with IPPR North in 2015, to ask the question, “Do we need a Great North Plan?”

After collecting views and opinions from a wide range of people, 11 roundtable discussions in six northern cities and a Northern Summit in January this year, 93% said “yes” to the question.

Phil Crabtree, chair of RTPI Yorkshire, who represented the RTPI at the launch, said: “The Great North Plan blueprint document shows how planning can play a vital role in fostering the vision, collaboration and flexibility necessary to deliver the economic, social, technological and environmental benefits across the whole of the North of England.

“Planning professionals have a key role in supporting this process. This is what we do. The RTPI calls on local authorities, government and businesses to make full use of the region’s planners and plan making process.

“Local authorities in particular need to use their combined local planning, economic development and regeneration powers to guide private sector investment and to lead the process of change.”

Ed Cox, director of IPPR North, added: “As our blueprint shows, we have some real competitive advantages in the North: in areas like advanced manufacturing, the digital economy and energy supply, not to mention quality of life. But we need a business-led plan from the North, for the North, to tie these together.

“It is the kind of strategy that they have in London and in the most successful regions in Europe and the USA and now is the time for business leaders to have a bigger role in making the Northern Powerhouse a reality.”

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