Agenda item

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 22 June 2023 (including updates on agreed matters as appropriate) and to consider the Quarterly Monitoring Report.

Lead: Chair

3.1          The minutes of the meeting of the Transport for the North Board held on 22 June 2023 were considered.

3.2          Members received at the same time the written update on matters arising (Including a copy of the quarterly Operating Report) from the Chief Executive who suggested that the Board might wish to discuss the uncertainties associated with the future of the HS2 project.

3.3          The Chair thanked the Mayor of London for finding time to join the meeting. In introducing the Mayor the Chair highlighted the positive impact that the opening of the Elizabeth Line is having on London and the wider South East.

Mayor Khan commented that it was not sensible for the North to be reliant on what was essentially 19th Century rail infrastructure in the 21st Century.  He set out his full support of TfN in championing the need for HS2 and NPR ‘in full’.  He then shared his frustrations at the impact that the uncertainty associated with HS2 was having on London.   He set out the upheaval that has been caused in and around Euston where HS2 was due to terminate and explained that homes had been demolished and businesses destroyed by the works to date.  And yet now the rumour was that the project would terminate six miles west of central London at Old Oak Common. Additionally, he noted that if the HS2 project was scaled back it would result in trains taking longer to get to Birmingham than on the current West Coast Main Line.  He continued by highlighting the impact on London if latter phases of HS2 were to be curtailed.  He set out that London would no longer reap the benefits of greater connectivity and capacity between the North and the South.   

He informed Board that he has been inundated with calls from concerned businesses as a result of the uncertainties with the HS2 project and argued that this was a massive failure of public policy and squandering of taxpayers money if the rumours were proved to be true.  He emphasised that the success of North is crucial to London’s success and stated that he stood alongside the North’s Political leaders to form one voice in support of HS2.

3.4          Cllr Gittins presented her motion to the Board and in doing so she highlighted that the greatest strength of Board is that it speaks with one voice for the North, its residents and businesses.  She argued that for the North to benefit from the investment being made it was essential that Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) and HS2 ‘in full’ were delivered together.  To illustrate the importance of both she highlighted the benefits of HS2 for Cheshire and Warrington alone, which was expected to realise an additional £2 billion GVA per annum, create 27,000 new job and enable delivery of 6 million square feet of new commercial floor space and 25,000 new homes in just this one area. She emphasised the importance of the leaders of the North all standing together, even those not directly unaffected by the potential cancellation of HS2 to the North.

Cllr Gittins moved the motion that “Transport for the North reaffirms its unanimous position as set out in our statutory advice to government; that we must transform the North by building both HS2 and NPR in full.”

In seconding the motion Cllr Swarbrick stated that Lancashire’s position is one of solidarity. He emphasised the importance of the projects for multiple generations ahead. 

3.5          Mayor Driscoll moved an amendment to the motion: proposing that it should be explicit in identifying investment in NPR as the priority.  He explained that there is currently only one (twin-track) corridor serving the North-East which is 166 years old.  He suggested that should Leaders be successful in persuading the Government to continue building of HS2 to Manchester, it was still unknown when that work would be completed.  He argued that this would mean no increase in capacity on the East Coast Main Line until the later 2040s or 2050s. It was on this basis that he stated that HS2 gives no benefits to the North-East without NPR being built.   

The amendment to the motion was seconded by Cllr Duncan.

3.6          The Board debated the motion and amendment. Members consistently highlighted the impact that the cancellation of HS2 would have on investor confidence as well as the much wider impact on the North’s economy. Cllr Browne highlighted that the continued speculation and delay is eroding public confidence.  He, together with Mayor Rotheram and Mr Rawstron all highlighted that HS2 is not about an increase in speed but about freeing up capacity to enable economic growth. Mr Rawstron emphasised the need for the Board to be more vocal concerning the importance of increased capacity when discussing and supporting HS2.

Mayor Rotheram and Cllr Ieronimo highlighted the importance of building both HS2 and NPR for the ports of Liverpool and Hull and specifically the role that increased capacity would play in moving freight off the roads and on to rail.  

3.7          Whilst understanding the reasons behind Mayor Driscoll’s proposed amendment, speakers consistently set out their concerns that by stating a priority for NPR (over HS2) may weaken the position of the North.  In particular there was a concern it would suggest that the North accepted that it was possible make choice between the two projects.  Mayor Burnham expressed concerns that there is not yet an agreement between Board and Whitehall as to what NPR will look like, noting that the Integrated Rail Plan did not include NPR ‘in full’ as recommended by the Board.  In this context he believed stating NPR as a priority may result in the Board being forced to make choices.

3.8          In support of the amendment, Cllr Ducan stated that the amendment was looking to provide a compromise and not looking to force a choice between NPR and HS2.  He emphasised that the amendment was merely asking for the delivery of NPR to be prioritised and stated that he believed that this would be a means to secure HS2.

3.9          Mayor Driscoll stated that the motion with or without the amendment shows a commitment to both HS2 and NPR, but that without the amendment there would be no development taking place for the northern part of the NPR network for decades. This he believes will have a negative impact on the future of the North-East as businesses would look to prioritise investment in areas with greater connectivity.   

3.10       In supporting the original motion, Cllr Gittins reiterated that the Board has always been unanimous and that she has always stood with colleagues on issues that haven’t benefited Cheshire West and Chester to ensure that the Board is speaking with one voice for the North.  She reiterated the position that the Board has always held that HS2 and NPR need to be delivered in full.

3.11       The Chair in seeking a show of hands concluded that it was clear that if a weighted vote was held, the amended motion would not be carried.  He therefore determined that a formal weighted vote was not necessary, and the Chair concluded that the amended recommendation would fall.

On a further show of hands, Members supported the motion as originally moved, without any vote to the contrary.

3.12       On summarising the debate the Chair stated that the Board’s position would form the basis of on-going conversations with Government.  He emphasised the importance of restating that HS2 is not about speed but about capacity and freeing up the system to allow development in the region to come forward to the benefit of the UK as a whole.

 

Resolved:

1)   That the minutes of the Transport for the North Board held 22 June 2023 be approved as a correct record.

2)   That the written Matters Arising update and the Quarterly Operating Report, be noted.

3)   That Transport for the North reaffirms its unanimous position as set out in our statutory advice to government; that we must transform the North by building both HS2 and NPR in full.

Taken together, these projects are critical to unlocking the North’s economic potential by addressing the poor connectivity that holds the region back. It is the communities and businesses across the North of England who are suffering most by any delay or inaction in delivering these schemes.

Delaying delivery of infrastructure investment ultimately adds cost to the public purse, and delays the benefits of that investment to those communities and businesses.