Declares that Carnforth would be an ideal location for the new headquarters of Great British Railways; further that the creation of the headquarters would bring additional jobs to the community, as well as encourage new investment; further that Lancashire County Council should note the importance of this proposal; and further that an initial petition organised by Lancaster Civic Vision gained 220 signatories from the whole community.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to note the nomination of Carnforth to house the new headquarters of Great British Railways.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by David Morris, Official Report, 1 March 2022; Vol. 709, c. 1011.]
[P002714]
Observations from The Minister of State, Department for Transport (Wendy Morton):
A competition to select a national headquarters for Great British Railways (GBR), to be based outside of London, ensuring skilled jobs, investment and economic benefits are focused nationwide, was launched on 5 February 2022.
The GBR Transition Team is welcoming submissions from towns and cities from across Great Britain. The application itself will need to be made by a local authority which represents the town or city, in the form of a short expression of interest. Eligible local authorities include district, borough and city councils, unitary authorities, metropolitan borough, county councils and combined authorities.
Applicants will need to demonstrate they meet the competition’s six selection criteria which are aligned with railway priorities, value for money and broader governmental policies. These will be:
1. Alignment to Levelling Up objectives
2. Connected and easy to get to
3. Opportunities for GBR
4. Railway heritage and links to the network
5. Value for money
6. Public support
More details on each of the criteria are given within the “Guidance to Applicants” section on the GBR Transition Team website available at www.gbrtt.co.uk/hq.
Applications for the competition close on Wednesday 16 March 2022. The GBR Transition Team will then create a shortlist of the most suitable locations which will go forward to the public consultation vote. Ministers will then make a final decision on the headquarters locations based on all information gathered.