Private sector players have welcomed an initiative from Northern mayors aiming to unlock opportunities for the region and add £118bn to the wider UK economy over the next decade.
The Great North, which was launched at UKREiiF and endorsed by deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, forms a part of the government’s devolution strategy and Plan for Change initiative.
The initial partnership brings together eight mayors, including chair Kim McGuinness, mayor for the North East, who told Estates Gazette: “I spoke to many people in the business world at UKREiiF who said they are very excited about the potential that the Great North has.
“They recognise the benefit in placing more power in the hands of mayors because that means investors have more clarity and assurance that the people they are dealing with on a local level have the power and autonomy to effect real change.”
Estates Gazette spoke with private sector players on the ground, who have all recognised strong local leadership across the region, committed to doing things differently.
Andy Rainford, managing director at AEW Architects, said: “The single brand identity will hopefully give us a holistic banner under which we can come together and promote the Great North both nationally and internationally.
“It’s exactly what businesses need at what remains a challenging and uncertain time for the property industry and wider economy.”
Claire Fallows, partner at Charles Russell Speechlys, said: “The initiative should boost confidence and help facilitate private capital investment, particularly in areas such as infrastructure and clean energy.”
And end to uncertainty
According to Neil Walmsley, director for urban solutions at Hatch, the Great North initiative should bring an end to the uncertainty following the cancellation of HS2’s second leg, instilling confidence for businesses to invest across the supply chain. He said: “It’s vital that The Great North champions improvements in intra-city connectivity, particularly if we are to unlock transit-oriented land development opportunities.”
As part of the plan to deliver growth in the North, McGuinness is creating an integrated transport network across County Durham that has potential to unlock housing, jobs and access to services across the region. Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, and Steve Rotheram, mayor of Liverpool City Region, are building an economic corridor stretching from Merseyside to the Pennines. At the other end of the coast, Tracy Brabin, mayor of West Yorkshire, Oliver Coppard, mayor of South Yorkshire, and David Skaith, mayor of York and North Yorkshire, have teamed up to upgrade local bus services.
Stephen Cowperthwaite, managing director for UK regions at Avison Young, said: “The North doesn’t lack talent, ambition or opportunity. It has lacked adequate infrastructure and investment, which is why it is so encouraging to see the partnership’s ambition to focus on connectivity, collaboration and place-based growth.
“The government has made progress in some of its recent policies, such as establishing the New Towns Taskforce, but this policy must be matched with real investment in transport, including the Northern Arc, as well as digital infrastructure and placemaking.”
Cowperthwaite suggested Manchester, a region that has transformed itself as a blueprint for devolution, could serve as an example of collaboration between the public and private sector. Billions of pounds of investment flowed into the city since Sir Howard Bernstein took the helm in 1998. In an interview in 2022, Bernstein told Estates Gazette everything he did was based around building partnerships and trying to harness the very best of civic and place leadership alongside the energy and resources of the private sector.
Cowperthwaite said: “The city region’s strong leadership and clear ambitions have helped drive investor confidence, and now is the time to apply those same principles to other areas in the North.”
A whole greater than the sum
Mike Hood, chief operating officer at Landsec, added: “We believe trust, long-term partnership and patient capital are the foundations for inclusive growth.”
Tim Heatley, co-founder at Capital & Centric, echoed the view, saying he is seeing “first-hand” the impact Metro mayors can have when they’re empowered to shape the future of their areas. The developer has projects in Manchester, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Gateshead, Stock-on-Trent, Stockport and Sheffield to name a few.
Heatley added: “We’re already working in almost all of the city regions with the various combined authorities. The benefits are real, and they will only grow when those leaders speak with one voice for the North.
“What excites me most is the chance to build real momentum around regeneration. When you combine investment in homes, workspaces and public realm with better transport connectivity and digital infrastructure, you unlock agglomeration benefits that make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.”
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