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Five northern cities set to outline £15bn transport plan Five cities outline £15bn One North transport plan
(about 3 hours later)
Five cities in the North of England are to unveil a £15bn plan to improve road and rail connections in the region. Representatives from five cities in the North of England are calling for a £15bn 15-year plan to be adopted to improve transport.
The joint One North report will include plans for a new 125mph inter-city rail link, faster links and better access to ports and airports. The One North report says a 125mph trans-Pennine rail link, a faster link to Newcastle and better access to Manchester Airport are needed.
It has been developed by an alliance of five cities - Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield.It has been developed by an alliance of five cities - Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield.
It comes after George Osborne said faster links could create a "northern global powerhouse". George Osborne has pledged support to the "Crossrail of the North" plan.
The report will be presented to the chancellor in Manchester later. The plan, presented at a press conference at Manchester's Beetham Tower, was described as "affordable" by the chancellor.
In a speech in June the chancellor said the cities in the north of England were individually strong but were "collectively not strong enough". It comes after he called for a "northern global powerhouse" in a speech in June.
The chancellor previously said the cities in the north of England were individually strong but were "collectively not strong enough".
He said better road and rail links would allow cities across northern England to "take on the world", as London had done.He said better road and rail links would allow cities across northern England to "take on the world", as London had done.
Speaking earlier, Mr Osborne said: "We need to make sure we have got a northern powerhouse so that our economy in this country is not unbalanced - we are not wholly dependent on the success of the global city that is London. 'Autumn statement centrepiece'
"But we have across the North of England individual cities that are better connected, that have a better quality of life and that are able therefore to generate economic activity across our United Kingdom." The chancellor said: "Of course £15 billion is a lot of money - it's about the size of the Crossrail project in London. We have got £100 billion capital budget to the end of the decade.
"I think this kind of proposal is affordable."
He added the plans would be "a centrepiece" of his autumn statement and "part of our long-term economic plan for the country".
By 2030, the report proposes:
Shadow Treasury minister Shabana Mahmood said: "We welcome this report and the city regions of the North of England working together to strategically plan to deliver the growth and jobs we need.Shadow Treasury minister Shabana Mahmood said: "We welcome this report and the city regions of the North of England working together to strategically plan to deliver the growth and jobs we need.
"But only Labour will properly back our city and county regions with ambitious plans to devolve more funding and economic power to them.""But only Labour will properly back our city and county regions with ambitious plans to devolve more funding and economic power to them."
BBC Look North reporter Sarah Corker said the One North report would describe how faster links from east to west in northern England could provide a huge boost to the economy and create jobs. Sir Richard Leese, Labour leader of Manchester City Council, said: "The current constraints on our transport networks, the product of years of neglect and under-investment, affect the competitiveness of the North.
She said it was an "ambitious transport plan with the aim of transforming road and rail connections between the northern cities and unlocking the area's economic potential". "East-West journeys take almost twice as long as equivalent journeys in the south and our rail links are too slow and unco-uncoordinated."
She added that council leaders in northern cities had argued for years the transport links in the region have been far too slow and inferior compared to those in the south of England. Pat Richie, Newcastle City Council chief executive, said: "Ensuring that Newcastle and the North East are part of an integrated approach to transport is essential to delivering our vision for economic growth in the region."
'Better connectivity''Better connectivity'
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said the government could not forget the North if it was serious about rebalancing the economy.Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said the government could not forget the North if it was serious about rebalancing the economy.
He said: "When we talk about economic powerhouses, Manchester and Liverpool, if you just take those two cities in the North together, of course we are one economic powerhouse, it is just we haven't got the connectivity."He said: "When we talk about economic powerhouses, Manchester and Liverpool, if you just take those two cities in the North together, of course we are one economic powerhouse, it is just we haven't got the connectivity."
He said £350m was being invested in building a super-port which would allow freight from the east to come directly to the UK.He said £350m was being invested in building a super-port which would allow freight from the east to come directly to the UK.
Mr Anderson went on: "We want the capacity, the ability to ship that freight further north, east and across to Hull and the Humber. Mr Anderson said: "We want the capacity, the ability to ship that freight further north, east and across to Hull and the Humber."
"It's right that if we are seriously talking about rebalancing the economy, that we have to create better connectivity between our northern cities." Mick Cash, acting general secretary of the RMT union, said: "These plans are totally at odds with those outlined in the government's current consultation on Northern Rail and TransPennine Express which, far from recommending expansion, actually slash services to ribbons."
In June, the chancellor said a so-called HS3 should be considered as part of a review into the second phase of the HS2 high-speed rail project.In June, the chancellor said a so-called HS3 should be considered as part of a review into the second phase of the HS2 high-speed rail project.
He said HS3 could cut the journey time between Leeds and Manchester from about 50 minutes to 30 minutes, with trains travelling at up to 140mph, compared with the current maximum of 90mph.He said HS3 could cut the journey time between Leeds and Manchester from about 50 minutes to 30 minutes, with trains travelling at up to 140mph, compared with the current maximum of 90mph.
The plan for a high-speed rail link connecting the cities could cost up to £7bn - but could be cheaper if existing rail lines were updated, he added.The plan for a high-speed rail link connecting the cities could cost up to £7bn - but could be cheaper if existing rail lines were updated, he added.
Do you live in the affected cities? Email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk adding 'Northern cities' in the subject heading and including your contact details.Do you live in the affected cities? Email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk adding 'Northern cities' in the subject heading and including your contact details.