5.2 Economy and Regeneration
5.2.1 The overall context for the plan is 'Sharing the Vision - a strategy for Greater Manchester'. This strategy pursues a range of themes to promote the growth of the sub-region and its well-being, in which connectivity plays a major part.
5.2.2 The City Region Development Programme (CRDP) aims to bridge the productivity gap between the Greater Manchester City Region and the rest of the UK by 2021, through accelerated growth. The programme's report in 2006 identified an efficient and accessible transport system as a characteristic of better-performing economies, and cited the need to complete an integrated urban transport system in the City Region. Key geographic locations being supported as meeting this demand were the Regional Centre, town centres, Manchester Airport and the M6/M60/M62 corridors. These correlate with priority areas for housing investment and have a strong policy linkage with transport priorities. The CRDP has continued to support improvements to the Manchester Rail Hub, the TIF package, better Trans-Pennine connectivity, surface transport improvements to the Airport, including the SEMMMS highway proposals, more rail capacity and the Manchester Oxford Road corridor 'Arc of Opportunity'.
5.2.3 Efficient and effective transport networks are essential if we are to maintain growth and continue to create new jobs. They affect both the supply and movement of labour and the cost of moving goods. As a result of recent economic growth, parts of the road, rail and Metrolink networks are at, or over, capacity during peak periods.
5.2.4 An efficient transport network within the conurbation is important in maintaining the connectivity of the labour market. If journey times increase, either because of congestion or because of a lack of capacity on public transport, then the catchment area from which businesses draw their workforce will shrink. Conversely improvements in the network will increase the range of people who are prepared to apply for jobs. Our focus on improving links within and between the main centres and improving access to employment areas therefore makes an important contribution to improving connectivity.
5.2.5 The key town centres and particularly the Regional centre are the focus for economic development, and transport has an important role to play, not only in ensuring good access but in promoting a positive image and a high quality environment. Our work to reduce congestion and improve public transport are described in Chapters 5 and 6, while the District Appendices describe the many local improvements such as pedestrianisation schemes, improved lighting and car parking.
5.2.6 Connectivity between Greater Manchester and other regions is also most important. The Northern Way Growth initiative aims to raise productivity and skills across the north of the country, and it has continued to improve the evidence base for transport interventions. Particular transport concerns relate to: connectivity within the North, with the aim of reducing congestion on the interurban strategic road network to below the national average; an M62 route action plan; and achievement of an integrated public transport system. The case for investment in the Trans-Pennine rail and road routes was given additional prominence in the January 2008 study of connectivity between the North's towns and cities. This particularly found poor east-west links relative to geography and topography. Another report of the same date set out projections of movement of deep sea and maritime containers between the northern regional ports and centres of intermodal activity to inform the case for railway gauge enhancement across the Pennines. A study of the problems of the Manchester Hub were announced by DfT in October 2007. So far, work is progressing to identify the economic outputs desired from rail service improvements and to collect data so that service specifications can be developed..
5.2.7 By December 2008 the current capital investment packages for the West Coast Route Modernisation programme should be complete, along with the third platform at Manchester Airport station and this will enable enhancements to services from Manchester/Wigan to Birmingham, Glasgow and London. However although Birmingham services will be faster, improving inter-regional connectivity, only alternate trains will call at Stockport, which will reduce the extent to which the rail service offers an alternative to car travel within Greater Manchester. The WCML service expansion also has wider implications for Northern and Cross-Country rail service development, in terms of available capacity.
5.2.8 We recognise that in the longer term our current transport policies will not be sufficient to manage congestion and maintain access in order to support continued economic growth. Our bid to the Transport Innovation Fund (see ‘Greater Manchester Transport Innovation Fund Bid’) is aimed at supporting economic development and regeneration in that longer term, by providing major investment in public transport alternatives to car travel, coupled with limited, peak time congestion charging.