In response to today’s launch of the UK2070 Commission report – ‘Fairer and Stronger: Rebalancing the UK Economy’ – Claire Kent of planning and design consultancy Barton Willmore shared her thoughts.

Barton Willmore is part of the UK2070 Commission and Claire facilitated the ‘Scope and Scale of Sub-national Planning’ workshop at today’s symposium in Leeds.

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Claire Kent, director at Barton Willmore, said: “This report is a watershed moment for the North, providing the hard data that strengthens the arguments that many people have already tried to advance.

“Rebalancing this country’s economy is a huge prize. We’ve had the Northern Powerhouse speeches; we’ve seen northern media titles campaign together and Government reviews have come and go – now it’s time to look at a proper spatial strategy to make progress.

“At today’s symposium the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said it was the report he’d waited for his whole political life, and I’m sure that feeling is shared by many across the North.

“As a planner I’ve played a part in many celebrated growth stories, and we’re rightly proud of our regions, but this is about looking at the bigger picture and speaking with a unified voice.

“I am proud to be involved in this important movement, which looks to deliver change on the scale required to tackle inequalities across the UK.”

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