On Monday the Government announced the funding that Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) will receive to boost economic growth across the UK. The Sheffield City Region LEP (SCR) will be given a boost of £320 million with the overall aim of creating 28,000 jobs and allow 40,000 more to enter into training and apprenticeships.
The deal is apparently the fifth biggest of the 39 LEP areas, meaning Sheffield has done pretty well out of the whole process. Slowly and steadily the ability to be able to take more decisions to be taken at a local level is happening. It’s a huge boost for the local economy and it’s people, you may think.
Although, I can’t shake the feeling that this is a still a huge opportunity missed to invest in a more sustainable, more low carbon economy. By my calculations upwards of £275m will be spent on transport infrastructure programmes, which are almost exclusively based around laying more and more tarmac across the region.
It feels as if the SCR rather than putting together proposals that will assist in improving accessibility, air quality, the health of residents and move away from fossil fuel dependence have pulled infrastructure projects off a dusty shelf that they have kept for a rainy day. For example, could no finding be found for a much needed expansion to the SuperTram network to link up some of the busiest areas of congestion? Or to create a first class cycle route network not just in Sheffield but in its surrounding areas? Improvements that would bring very real economic, social and environmental benefits to all.
Yes, it is known there has been an embarrassing underinvestment in areas of the north in terms of transport infrastructure compared to the South East. Whilst I don’t blame SCR for throwing funding at it whilst it is available. However, I believe there are better ways to do things. There are plenty of academic studies and case studies that show the induced demand from building new roads simply leads to a worsening problem and creates more traffic. Let alone more congestion, more CO2 emissions and continually worsening air quality around our streets.
Infrastructure is about so much more than simply building roads, and whilst some are undoubtedly needed this feels like a tremendous missed opportunity.
underonesky 