In this issue of Super North we tackle head on some of the concerns being raised about the Northern powerhouse by its critics. The "pause" in electrification across the Pennines made headlines and was duly seized on by sceptics as a nail in the coffin of devolution to the North. Well, the people in the know have told Super North that this is not a derailment of the Northern powerhouse but really is a pause.
After all, electrification of railways in the North was planned well in advance of George Osborne coining the Northern powerhouse phrase. Since then, of course, we have seen the arrival of Transport for the North and the increased need for a pan-Northern approach which the original plan did not totally address.
Then there is the question of whether there has been too much focus on core cities at the expense of the rest of the North. James Wharton, minister for the Northern powerhouse, has laid that to rest. His door is open to everyone who wishes to make a case.
We also look at the issue of regeneration through the focal point of the Anfield Project, which is converting a downbeat area where people desperately wanted to leave into an upbeat one where they actually want to live.
All in all, then, an upbeat edition in terms of the infrastructure and regeneration needed to make the Northern powerhouse a reality.
To read this issue of Super North, please click here.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
