North of England: Infrastructure Spending

Sara Britcliffe Excerpts

Wednesday 25th November 2020 Westminster Hall

[Sara Britcliffe (Hyndburn) (Con)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Gray. The Government’s big promises to level up the north and build back better have been warmly welcomed by my constituents. It is not surprising that the north has been widely ignored over the past decades; the Government have the opportunity to bring towns and cities in the north of England into the future, and to develop our hospitals, schools, railways and much more.

In my maiden speech, I promised that places such as Hyndburn and Haslingden would not be forgotten anymore. We have the amazing towns of Haslingden, Huncoat, Great Harwood and Rishton, and villages such as Belthorn, and they have been forgotten. My constituency is at the heart of Lancashire—on the right side of the Pennines, if I do say so myself—but we need investment, which is why I too look forward to listening to the Chancellor today.

Alongside my hon. Friend the Member for Burnley (Antony Higginbotham), I support a new swathe of enterprise zones across the country, especially in east Lancashire. They would be places where businesses could invest in new machinery to help them diversify, while receiving capital relief; where the Government supported the infrastructure that was needed; and where job creation was clearly incentivised.

Since becoming an MP, I have fought to reopen the Skipton to Colne railway line. We need the Government’s support to make that a reality. I am pleased to work with the local group, the Skipton-East Lancashire Rail Action Partnership, which has worked tirelessly and invested thousands to prove the viability of the redevelopment of the railway line, but we need to move forward with the engineering study. That railway line would connect east Lancashire to West Yorkshire in a new way, giving my constituents quick access to Leeds and other cities across the north, and opening up new job opportunities across the region. I want to highlight the economic advantages that would be gained by investing in that railway line, alongside the proposal for a freight terminal in Huncoat, which would support businesses and attract new ones to my constituency. That builds on what my right hon. Friend the Member for Elmet and Rothwell (Alec Shelbrooke) said.

I graduated from university only last year, and I used to have to travel to Manchester. What should have been a 23-mile journey, taking about 40 minutes, used to take me two hours every morning and evening. To level up the north, we really need to improve our roads and railways.

My time is short, and I want to finish by talking about town centres. I was elected on the promise that I would push for investment in town centres such as Haslingden and Accrington, which were once a hub for my community but are a shadow of their former selves. Town centres are vital. There is not the same lure for businesses to set up in the town centre, but I believe that with strategic investment, we can make town centres such as mine a centrepiece of business and social life.

I ask that the Government continue to take the pledges to level up the north seriously by making large investments in towns such as mine. That would create a legacy for Hyndburn and Haslingden, and it would truly make sure that the forgotten towns in the north were forgotten no more.

[James Daly (Bury North) (Con)]

When I saw this debate scheduled, I looked at the dictionary definition of “infrastructure”, and it said:

“The basic physical and organisational structure and facilities needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.”

Infrastructure therefore goes beyond roads, and this or that bypass; it is a much wider concept, as my hon. Friends have said. When it comes to investing in facilities in individual constituencies, I agree completely with my hon. Friend the Member for Sedgefield (Paul Howell) that the role and input of MPs can be crucial and can have a huge impact on local communities.

People who have listened to my various contributions in the House will know that I try to mention Bury football club in every speech I give, no matter what it is about—even if it is on foreign policy. The point about the demise of that club is that its site, Gigg Lane in my constituency, is hugely important and strategic, but it has lain untouched for 12 months. Jobs and economic activity have been lost. So much could be done with a site like that. After my election, I managed to persuade Bury Council to look at investing in it, with a vision of creating jobs and enterprise, which is what is needed from infrastructure. Those positive steps would transform my community, as I think my hon. Friend the Member for Bury South (Christian Wakeford) would completely agree, and the passion of people in the town. That is what I think infrastructure is about. My town does not need a bypass; any bypass would have to go up in the air. We are not connected to any rail; we are on the tram system. If I were to talk about transport infrastructure, it would have to be about buses.

Let us take a creative view of infrastructure. Let us invest in those facilities, and in local politicians’ vision for transforming their areas through the creation of jobs and enterprise, which will basically improve the lot of thousands of their citizens.

[Sara Britcliffe]

On buses, we had a great campaign to save a vital bus service that ran through my constituency and that of my hon. Friend the Member for Bury North (James Daly). Does he agree that services such as the X41 are vital to our communities, and that it was a great effort to save that bus route ?

[James Daly]

I do. The campaign’s success was completely down to my hon. Friend, so I am glad to be able to acknowledge her input. I benefited by associating myself with her efforts.

The simple point I wish to make in conclusion is this: infrastructure is facilities. It is the way to improve people’s lives. Let us take a creative view of investing in local areas in the north.

--- Later in debate ---

[Abena Oppong-Asare]

I am afraid that I will not, as time is short. I ask the Minister to tell me when the northern regional economy will be taken more seriously. When will the Government deliver investment in projects in line with other regions of the UK?

When it comes to delivering projects, the Prime Minister’s portfolio is one of failure. The failed London garden bridge project cost the taxpayer £53 million. The Olympic orbit tower, which was forecast to make a profit of £1.2 million in its business plan, has produced a debt of £13 million, which grows by £700,000 every year. We have seen a theme of failed projects played out in the regions of the UK. In the west midlands, people are still waiting for the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital, which will eventually open four years too late and cost taxpayers £700 million. The Royal Liverpool Hospital is more than five years late and projected costs are now expected to reach £1.063 billion after the collapse of outsourcing giant Carillion, and the taxpayer is still on the hook for £739 million of the overall figure.

I sincerely hope that, for people living in the north of England, the Government’s pledge to level up is successful, but I believe it would be much more fruitful to focus on ongoing projects, a point that has been made by other hon. Members in this debate. That would enable the Government to draw on the great research and infrastructure that is already available in the north and to consult with people living in the region on what they need to see from the Government, rather than announcing a new shopping list of proposals that are unlikely to come to fruition and that will not benefit those who are most in need.

[Sara Britcliffe]

Will the hon. Lady give way?

[Abena Oppong-Asare]

I am afraid that I am unable to.

We know that people living in the north of England have suffered the worst impact on their mental wellbeing, are more likely to have lost their jobs due to covid and have had much higher rates of covid-19 fatalities. The north needs social, economic and health recovery from covid-19 that will address the immediate issues. Labour has consistently called for support for mental wellbeing, including a schools recovery curriculum. We have called for investment in local authorities so that they can provide services that locals are proud of. We need to see the return of youth clubs, libraries open seven days a week, access to leisure facilities and community hubs.

With regard to creating sustainable, high-quality jobs, we have already done the work for the Government and set out to create 400,000 clean, green jobs across the country over the next 18 months. The plan requires three simple steps. If the Government knuckle down and agree to work with MPs across the House, businesses big and small and members of the public, we will be able to create not only a sustainable economy, but a sustainable future for our planet.

We need to recover jobs, with investment and co-ordination to secure up to 400,000 additional good green jobs. We need to retrain workers—something I think we all agree on—and equip them with the skills needed to deploy the green technologies of the future. We also need to rebuild businesses, with a stronger social contract between Government and businesses to tackle the climate crisis and ecological deterioration, while promoting prosperity and employment. I urge the Minister to recommend this plan to the Chancellor and to ensure that yet more money is not thrown at projects that are unlikely ever to be completed.