Northern Powerhouse Partnership

Northern Powerhouse Partnership

The Northern Powerhouse Partnership is a business-led advisory body established to promote economic development across the North of England including Greater Manchester, Merseyside, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, Cheshire, Lancashire and Cumbria. It links senior figures from HSBC, Rolls-Royce Holdings, Siemens, BT Group, Jaguar Land Rover and Tesco with civic leaders from Manchester City Council, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Leeds City Council and Sheffield City Council to advise on infrastructure, skills and investment. The Partnership interacts with national institutions such as HM Treasury, Department for Transport, Department for Business and Trade and regional bodies including the Manchester Airports Group and Enterprise Zones.

History and Establishment

The Partnership was launched in 2014 after initiatives led by George Osborne while he served as Chancellor of the Exchequer and followed studies by Transport for the North and reports from Sir Howard Bernstein and Andy Burnham. Early meetings convened leaders from Institute for Fiscal Studies, Confederation of British Industry, Federation of Small Businesses and Local Enterprise Partnerships such as LEPs in Liverpool City Region, Greater Manchester LEP and York and North Yorkshire LEP. Founding activities referenced cross-city proposals like the HS2 route debates, the Northern Line Extension discussions and the One North strategic case promoted by Arup and KPMG affiliates. The Partnership’s inception coincided with high-profile visits from international delegations including representatives linked to European Investment Bank and World Bank projects.

Structure and Governance

Governance comprises a board of business chiefs and civic figures drawn from corporations such as BAE Systems, Balfour Beatty, Arup Group, National Grid plc and Virgin Atlantic alongside mayors from Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Liverpool City Region Mayor and Tees Valley Combined Authority. The secretariat operates from offices in Manchester and liaises with quangos including Transport for the North, Homes England, Arts Council England and Historic England. Advisory groups include specialists from University of Manchester, University of Leeds, Newcastle University, University of Sheffield, Durham University and think tanks such as Institute for Public Policy Research and Resolution Foundation. Funding has consisted of private subscriptions, corporate sponsorships and partnerships with institutions like Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group and PwC.

Objectives and Policy Initiatives

Stated objectives focus on improving productivity across older industrial centres such as Bradford, Hull, Stoke-on-Trent, Rotherham and Barnsley by targeting transport links like HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail, and the West Coast Main Line. Initiatives include skills partnerships with City & Guilds, Pearson plc, Institute of Directors and apprenticeship schemes aligned to employers including Rolls-Royce and Siemens. Urban regeneration projects referenced include corridors connecting Salford Quays, Liverpool Waters, MediaCityUK and Canning Dock and housing collaborations with Homes England and Peabody Trust. The Partnership has campaigned on devolution deals with ministers from Downing Street, submitting proposals to Cabinet Office officials and participating in consultations led by National Infrastructure Commission.

Major Projects and Economic Impact

The Partnership has promoted transport projects including proposals affecting Manchester Airport, Leeds Bradford Airport, Teesport, Liverpool John Lennon Airport and improvements on the M62 motorway and A1(M). It has supported industrial strategies for clusters in Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, Leeds City Region Enterprise Zone, Liverpool Innovation Park and Teesside Freeport to attract investment from firms such as Unilever, AstraZeneca, Amazon (company), Siemens Gamesa and BASF. Analyses produced with partners like Oxford Economics and Deloitte attribute employment gains in sectors including digital industry hubs around MediaCityUK and biomedical clusters near Manchester Science Park and Wellcome Trust-linked initiatives. The Partnership has engaged with international investors including delegations from China Investment Corporation, Korea Investment Corporation and sovereign wealth entities active in regeneration projects across Salford, Wirral, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics from organisations such as Trades Union Congress and Campaign for Better Transport have questioned the Partnership’s corporate-led model and its priorities relative to public sector planning by authorities like Local Government Association and National Audit Office. Debates have centred on perceived emphasis on flagship projects—examples invoked include HS2 Phase 2b and contested developments like Liverpool Waters—and alleged insufficient attention to community-led regeneration in towns such as Rochdale and Wakefield. Some commentators writing in outlets like The Guardian, Financial Times, The Times (London) and City AM have scrutinised funding transparency and the influence of sponsors including Barclays and PwC on policy recommendations. Legal and planning disputes involving developers such as Peel Group and authorities including Merseyside Police have also intersected with Partnership-backed initiatives.

Category:Organisations based in Manchester Category:Regional economic development