Oxford-Milton Keynes-Cambridge Corridor All-Party Parliamentary Group launched
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Oxford-Milton Keynes-Cambridge Corridor launched yesterday (Wednesday, January 31) in Westminster.
Chaired by Iain Stewart MP, the corridor's official champion, it builds on the East West Rail APPG with a wider remit that reflects the challenges and opportunities of the region, which has the potential to become the UK's answer to Silicon Valley.
The APPG will promote the corridor on a cross-party basis, working …
East West Rail should benefit all points on the compass
East West Rail’s full potential to enhance north-south connectivity across the Oxford-Milton Keynes-Cambridge growth arc depends on harnessing additional capacity on the West Coast Mainline which HS2 will create, according to England’s Economic Heartland’s Strategic Transport Forum.
Its Strategic Rail Investment Priorities, published this month, highlights the opportunity East West Rail provides to improve north-south connectivity between Northampton, Milton Keynes, Aylesbury and Old Oak Common, linking up a number of …Budget 2017: England’s Economic Heartland commissioned to undertake expressway connectivity study
During the Budget, the Chancellor committed to the delivery of East West Rail and the Oxford to Cambridge expressway.
The Treasury’s position paper added that the’ Government will commission England’s Economic Heartland to study how communities not on the Expressway itself can still benefit from it’ through a connectivity study.
Chairman of England’s Economic Heartland Strategic Alliance, Councillor Martin Tett, said:
“We welcome the Chancellor’s recognition of the importance of …
'Much to welcome' in National Infrastructure Commission report
Our reaction to the National Infrastructure Commission's final report into the Oxford-Milton Keynes-Cambridge growth corridor.
England's Economic Heartland Strategic Alliance Chairman, Cllr Martin Tett, said: "There is much to welcome in this report.
"We have long argued that the Heartland area stretching from Oxfordshire through to Cambridgeshire offers the opportunity to be a 'Silicon Valley' for the UK with the growth of major new technologies and industries.
"With economic growth …
Heartland to work with award-winning intelligent infrastructure projects
England’s Economic Heartland is to explore how two award-winning intelligent infrastructure projects could be implemented in the region.
Elgin/ Tom Tom won the regional intelligent infrastructure challenge at the Highways UK Conference with their real-time congestion monitor, while Valerann won the overall competition with its intelligent road studs.
Both had entered the regional challenge set by England’s Economic Heartland and Transport for the North, inviting solutions that will improve real-time …
'Unacceptable' rail franchise plans need rethink
Plans to reduce rail services in Bedford, Luton and Wellingborough are 'utterly at odds' with the region being a focus for long term growth, according to England's Economic Heartland's Strategic Transport Forum.
Councillor Heather Smith, the forum's chairman, said she was 'deeply concerned' by the proposals outlined in the East Midlands Rail Franchise consultation, which sets out the Department for Transport's aims ahead of it selecting an operator to run …
'Balance London’s interests with those of the surrounding area'
London's strategic infrastructure requirements must be balanced with that of the wider south-east, which is experiencing housing pressures on a similar scale to the capital and whose economy will continue to significantly contribute to UK Plc with the right investment.
That is the view of England's Economic Heartland's Strategic Transport Forum, in its response to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan's draft Transport Strategy consultation.
Cllr Heather Smith, chairman of the …
East West Rail consultation response
Strategic Transport Forum chairman, Councillor Heather Smith, has written to Network Rail to confirm the Heartland’s support for East West Rail.
Cllr Smith was responding to the consultation on phase two of the Western Section of the scheme, from Aylesbury to Milton Keynes, and Bicester to Bedford.
Delivery of the Western Section remains an immediate investment priority (one of five) for England’s Economic Heartland.
Cllr Smith’s response references the National …
Heartland welcomes Old Oak Common strategy for Chiltern line
England’s Economic Heartland Strategic Alliance has welcomed the publication of Network Rail’s West Midlands and Chilterns Route Study, which recommends connecting the Chiltern mainline to Old Oak Common.
The study sets out how demand on the Chiltern line has increased in the last decade, and will grow further with major housing development in Aylesbury, Bicester and Princes Risborough. However, the Chiltern Line’s London terminus at Marylebone is approaching its maximum …
Views sought on strategic transport body proposal
Initial views are being sought on an ambitious proposal to create a new strategic transport body which will enable local partners to set out a blueprint for major infrastructure schemes in the region.
The ‘Sub-national Transport Body’ could potentially cover an area from Oxfordshire in the west to Cambridgeshire in the east, a region identified by the National Infrastructure Commission as the UK’s answer to Silicon Valley.
The proposal is …
