Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg who chaired the Northern Futures Summit on Thursday is calling for investment now to improve transport in the region. He wants a fully upgraded and electrified network between Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield by 2025; Improved rolling stock on non-electrified commuter lines by 2025; The whole of the M62 to be converted to smart motorway using the hard shoulder for traffic; upgrading of the Woodhead Pass between Manchester and Sheffield. 

Greater Manchester is to have an elected mayor to preside over regional issues from 2017, George Osborne has announced.  The move, agreed with leaders of the region's 10 councils, will mean the mayor will oversee policies such as transport, social care and housing as well as police budgets. The announcement comes two years after people in Manchester voted against the idea of having a mayor.

Hinkley Point C, the Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy, HS2 and the rebuilding of 261 schools across the UK feature in KPMG International’s latest Infrastructure 100: World Markets Report. The report identifies 100 of the world’s most innovative and impactful infrastructure projects – as judged by a panel of global independent experts - and highlights key trends driving infrastructure investment.