LEADERS from across the North of England called on the Government to commit to a ‘Northern Budget’ in order to deliver a boost to the region’s economic fortunes.

The call, which is backed by members of Transport for the North’s Board including Blackburn with Darwen Council growth and regeneration boss, Cllr Phil Riley, asks the new Government to deliver on commitments previously promised as part of the Northern Powerhouse agenda.

Northern leaders are calling for a commitment to for the North of England to get the bare essential in better transport infrastructure.

It includes a commitment to a £7 billion Northern Infrastructure Pipeline, featuring road and rail projects which could commence in the next five years and have the potential to transform connectivity in the short-term.

It follows a pledge by the Prime Minister to turbo-charge infrastructure by delivering a new high-speed rail line between Manchester and Leeds, and his commitment on the campaign trail to be the leader of his party in July, where he said that Transport for the North were: “making a very, very good case here for £39 billion investment in east-west connections from Liverpool to Manchester, Bradford, Leeds.”

Barry White, chief executive of Transport for the North, said: “The North is now at the top of the national political agenda, with promises to balance out the UK’s economy and unleash our potential by better connecting our towns and cities.

"We now need a Northern Budget to make both the shovel-ready projects and the ambitious longer-term programmes like Northern Powerhouse Rail a reality.

But Northern Powerhouse Partnership director Henri Murison said TfN's calls did not go far enough.

He said: "It is not as far as the £120bn Northern Powerhouse MPs and Peers have called for by 2050.

"Improving transport across the North - including the new Northern Powerhouse Rail line between Leeds and Manchester through Bradford city centre and its wider network – is vitally important. However, as the National Infrastructure Assessment recommended, within the target of 1.2% of GDP spend on infrastructure the UK can also afford both HS2 and better transport within city regions like North East, Leeds and Bradford with their neighbouring towns. There seems to be little or no reference to this in TfN’s priorities.

“We need further Mayors elected and significant devolved budgets to city regions to pay for improvements as the Prime Minister, our Metro Mayors and others have argued for throughout the summer – as well as a proper solution at Manchester Piccadilly and at Stourton junction – to make Northern Powerhouse Rail the right scheme, not a result of Whitehall penny pinching. There is limited economic benefit in better transport across the North if within our cities people grind to a halt.”