Yesterday, it was revealed that London is set to receive almost three times more transport spending than the North. The research published by IPPR North highlights the huge difference in investment between the capital and other regional areas. The comparison with our region offers an even greater contrast as the transport investment for London is set to be seven times more per person than in Yorkshire.

Cllr Denise Lelliott, Labour’s Cabinet Member for Jobs and the Local Economy at Rotherham Council, responded to this research and has said:

“The IPPR North research is stark and it is deeply frustrating to see the huge imbalance in transport spending between London and the North. This growing gap between the employment sectors and housing markets will only be addressed if investment in infrastructure, specifically transport infrastructure, is rebalanced on a per capita basis.

“The Government must prioritise significant investment in the North to address this unjustified disparity in regional transport spending and to support our local economies.”

Labour’s Cllr Denise Lelliott has also said: “Despite this national divide, in Rotherham, we have a Labour Council that is working with our partners to deliver significant transport investment and improvement.

“Last year alone, we saw the launching of the new Tram-Train service and the £12 million refurbishment of Rotherham Interchange which is transforming our regional and local economy.

“The Council also plans to embark on the delivery of a £40m road improvement to the A630 Parkway and M1 J33. Business leaders have called for this scheme for a number of years to help continue to meet the ambitious growth aspirations of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District.”