Member Article

Fletchers Solicitors pledges support to save Southport’s transport links

Fletchers Solicitors, the UK’s leading medical negligence and serious injury firm, is supporting a campaign led by Southport MP, Damien Moore, to challenge the proposed changes to the Southport rail service.

After hearing that Arriva Rail North (Northern) has announced it will be reducing the rail service it runs to Manchester from Southport from May 18 2018, CEO Ed Fletcher has written to the Minister for the Northern Powerhouse, Jake Berry MP, the Rail Minister, Jo Johnson MP, and the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling urging them to support the campaign to maintain the service.

Just three months ago, Chris Grayling vowed to improve rail connectivity in Southport and its neighbouring regions, as part of the Conservative’s Northern Powerhouse commitment.

While visiting several key businesses in Southport on Thursday 25th January, Grayling focused on the motorway links between Manchester and Liverpool, and on improving the rail timetable and line services between Southport and Manchester Piccadilly to increase connectivity with the rest of the North West.

Fletchers Solicitors, which employs over 400 team members, has a head office based in Southport, alongside an additional office in Manchester.

Ed Fletcher, CEO of Fletchers Solicitors, said in his letter: “For businesses like ours in Southport, it is vital that we have great connections with cities like Manchester to attract talent and business opportunities, as well as boost collaboration. It’s also important for our team members who rely on the rail service for their regular commute.

“At the moment there is not enough collaboration and talent transfer between Northern towns and cities because of a lack of transport routes and sadly it is the smaller towns, like Southport, that really lose out here. Businesses with high growth plans are being forced to move to larger cities because their previous environment did not provide the tools they need.

“Therefore, in order to maintain Southport’s economy, we need to continue investing in these links with major cities and towns so we can work together more effectively and connect better physically – not the opposite.”

For more information, please visit www.fletcherssolicitors.co.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Dylan .