Guest presentation by alumnus Ben Still, Managing Director of West Yorkshire Combined Authority www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/transport

1. City Regions, Transport and Devolution
BEN STILL, MANAGING DIRECTOR
WEST YORKSHIRE COMBINED AUTHORITY
Image: Leeds City Council

2. • Combined Authorities
• Devolution
• City Region transport strategies
• Northern Powerhouse
• Transport for the North
TOPICS

3. THE COMBINED AUTHORITY / LEP
• The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (CA) is a
collaboration between the West Yorkshire
authorities.
• It is the place where work that cuts across the whole
of West Yorkshire and City Region is undertaken.
• The CA is a governing board of nine political leaders,
plus the chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise
Partnership (LEP).
• The CA and the LEP are supported by an officer
organisation that undertakes their Boards’ policies
and actions.
• The LEP and CA have a joint vision for economic growth in the City Region.
• As part of this vision, the officer body’s mission is, to be the driving force for delivering an outstanding
economy with better connectivity and services for businesses, people and places, on behalf of CA.

4. CITY REGION GEOGRAPHY

5. CITY REGION ECONOMY

6. CA DEMOCRATIC STRUCTURE
GOVERNANCE
COMMITTEE
SCRUTINY
COMMITTEE
SINGLE APPRAISAL
FRAMEWORK
BUSINESS
COMMUNICATIONS
GROUP
TRANSPORT
COMMITTEE
INVESTMENT
COMMITTEE
INVESTMENT
PANEL
GREEN
ECONOMY
PANEL
BUSINESS
INNOVATION
AND GROWTH
PANEL
EMPLOYMENT
AND SKILLS
PANEL

7. FUNDING

8. OUR PARTNERSHIPS

9. Why is devolution important?
• UK over centralized by international standards (Travers)
• Decisions made closer to the people affected
• Better understanding of local issues and priorities
• Long term and stable funding
• Promise of better outcomes, better integration of decisions, better value for money

10. What has devolution achieved so far?
In West Yorkshire:
• Creation of the Combined Authority;
• £900m Transport Fund over 10 years;
• Influence over skills funding – adult skills
budget;
• Creation of city region Business Growth
Hubs;
• Funding for capital projects:
regeneration/housing/environmental.
In places with Mayoral deals:
• Single pot;
• Influence over health budget allocation;
• Full control of adult skills budgets;
• Bus franchising.

11. What will mayors do?
For sure:
• Can introduce bus franchising (if powers exist)
• Need to introduce a budget and set a strategy
BUT
• Who knows what Mayors will seek to do?
• Aren’t taking away any powers from a CA
• Relations with CA and LA’s more strategic role is very unclear
Expected to be a figurehead and leader. But future to play for..

12. Linking Transport and the Economy:
The Importance of a Single Plan
• Vision for transformational change across Leeds City Region.
• In achieving this transformational vision, the city region will unlock its full economic potential and
cement its place as an engine for growth in the north and for the nation as a whole.
• Radical improvements, focused on public transport solutions,
e.g. rail station gateways, parking, bus packages.
• Ring Road improvements.
• Transformation of key development
areas.
• Improved motorway access,
• Improvements between major center's.

13. “City Regions” and their Transport Systems
We want a transport system that will be easy and reliable, using a modern, well
connected transport network that enhances business success and people’s lives.

14. • Delivering the Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) 2016-2036
• Vision for ‘good growth’
• Improve access to employment/economic
labour markets
• Improve social inclusion, health, leisure and
access to education
• Improve the environment
• Leeds City Region population will grow
from 3 million to 3.4 million from
2015 to 2035
• 115,000 jobs expected to be created by 2036
• 10,000 to 13,000 new houses per year across the
Leeds City Region
“City Regions” and their Transport Systems

15. “City Regions” and their Transport Systems

16. Northern Powerhouse
Pan-Northern Objectives
Transform economic performance
Improve connectivity for businesses to the labour market and supply chain
Enhance the role of Freight in the Northern Economy
Enhance National and International Connectivity
Align with local growth plans and the Government’s Industrial Strategy
Increase innovation, reliability and resilience on the transport network
Increased business efficiency and reduced costs
Greater confidence in the transport network
Planning for the future
Promote and support the built and natural environment
Enhance quality of place and encourage good growth
Improve impacts of the environment
Improve the equality of opportunities across the North
Improve access to jobs, education and training, and services for people and communities
Better integration of the strategic and local transport networks

17. A ‘transformation’ growth scenario by 2050 could generate:
• £97 billion GVA increase to the Northern economy;
• 850,000 more jobs than ‘business as usual’.
Northern Powerhouse

18. Transport for the North
• 11 Local Enterprise Partners
• 4 Development partners
• 19 Local Government partners
• Cross boundary work with Scotland, Wales and
the Midlands
• TfN will become the first sub-national statutory
transport body in England in 2017
• Greater role in developing the case for
investment
• Making the right transport decisions for the North
• Closer collaboration and intelligence sharing with
businesses, through LEPs and Business North

19. Northern Powerhouse Rail
• New and radically upgraded infrastructure and services
• Improved frequencies and journey times

20. TfN Shared Vision for Roads
• A core free-flow network with ‘mile a minute’ journeys
• Improved east-west major road links with reliable journey times
• Expanded capacity on north-south major road links
• Effective road connections to major ports in the North
• A future-proofed Northern road network which supports low emission vehicles
• Better planning of future roads investment

21. TfN Freight and Logistics
• The development of 50 hectares of rail/water connected
Multimodal Distribution Parks per year, at the edge of urban centres
• Rail network upgrades for longer and more freight trains
• Promotion of short-sea shipping direct to Northern ports
• Land-side access improvements to ports
to reduce local road congestion

22. Northern Powerhouse
Rail Ambition – Yorkshire Hub
• HS2 – Introduction of HS2 line and services
• The Gateway of national significance
• 114% growth by 2043
• 60 million passenger pa
• Spreading the benefits of HS2 and NPR
• Leeds South Bank regeneration
• Leeds City Square, traffic removal

23. Thank you for listening. Any questions?
BEN STILL, MANAGING DIRECTOR,
WEST YORKSHIRE COMBINED AUTHORITY
Image: Leeds City Council