At a time when local government is facing unprecedented pressure on its finances, and a growing and ageing population is putting the UK’s existing infrastructure under increasing strain; public-private partnerships are ever more crucial in delivering on the Government’s agenda for homes, jobs and economic growth.

Whilst we look to the private sector to shoulder the risk and in some cases front-load the finance needed to deliver development; it’s also important that we recognise the vital role the public sector, working together, has to play in the regeneration story and this year’s HS2 Economic Growth Conference will be fundamental in bringing those together to drive that future vision through collaboration.

A step change in rail connectivity is taking place in the form of major investment in infrastructure. HS2 will provide a high-speed rail link from London to Birmingham (Phase 1 by 2026) and to Manchester and Leeds (Phase 2 by 2033). Together with HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), will transform rail travel across the North by connecting its seven main cities – Hull, Leeds, Bradford, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield, and other economic centres such as Warrington and Manchester Airport.

These Government-sponsored transport initiatives are not only improving rail connectivity across the UK, they are opening up opportunities for a wide range of places in the form of regeneration in and around existing and proposed stations. Furthermore, devolution of greater powers over funding regeneration is giving local authorities and transport agencies more control over rail-led development, whilst being able to borrow against future business rate generation. This is good news, given that the UK will need to be ready to accommodate the growth expected from this significant investment in rail.

In true collaborative spirit, the public sector is seizing these opportunities and maximising the benefits of HS2 and NPR’s arrival. Local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and transport agencies have come together under the umbrella of ‘combined authorities’ such as in the West Midlands, to establish various models or special purpose vehicles to plan for future development and regeneration. These include Urban Growth Companies such as the one set up by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council to promote development around the HS2 station, the existing Birmingham International Station, the NEC and Birmingham Airport; and Joint Station Boards such as at Leeds – bringing together partners to realise the full economic potential of the area.

LCR is working with local authorities to develop growth strategies and to identify opportunities to unlock regeneration in and around station sites. These growth strategies set out how regions will work with the Government, partners and communities to maximise the benefits of HS2 and other projects – responding to the priorities set out in the Government’s Industrial Strategy to ‘build a Britain fit for the future’. LCR is exploiting our position on the cusp of the public-private sectors, and our embedded commercial and development experience, to provide practical support to local authorities to put this concept of growth into action.

Leeds is a perfect example of this collaboration in action. More than 100,000 passengers a day pass through Leeds Station, making it the busiest in the North. By 2035, passenger numbers are expected to increase by 134%, with a significant factor for this rise the incoming rail-infrastructure in the form of HS2, NPR and other projects. Large cities will need to future-proof to accommodate this growth and Leeds is one of those leading the way. The City Council, working with LCR and other partners, has developed a masterplan for Leeds Station to be delivered by 2050. The masterplan integrates HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail, the Trans-Pennine Route Upgrade and Northern Rail into a distinctive modern destination and national transport hub.

The station is also at the heart of the South Bank, one of the largest city centre regeneration sites in Europe, with the potential to create around 35,000 jobs and deliver 8,000 homes. With the station acting as a catalyst, the South Bank could double the size of Leeds city centre – creating a world class destination for investing, living, learning and leisure – with the potential for the joint Leeds and Bradford economy to become the second largest in the UK. A strategic outline business case for the integrated station proposals is now being presented to government and the next stage will be to promote and secure best value for the comprehensive redevelopment.

This positive process is being replicated elsewhere. Sheffield City Council is developing an investable and deliverable regeneration framework for Sheffield Midland Station and the surrounding areas. This work is a key strand of the City Region’s Growth Strategy, which aims to maximise growth in terms of jobs, homes and the economy. As in Leeds, LCR is commissioning a masterplan for Sheffield which is due to be completed in spring 2019.

LCR is also developing strategic relationships with a host of other local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) to identify development opportunities associated with major infrastructure projects. These include the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Nottinghamshire County Council, Lancashire County Council, the D2N2 LEP, Cheshire East Council, Stafford County Council, Stoke City Council and Dacorum, Wigan, Bolton, and Warrington Borough Councils.

At the same time, transport agencies are exploring partnership working to maximise the value of regeneration in around their assets, namely conventional stations on the existing rail network. Key relationships are being built with agencies such as Transport for the North and Transport for Greater Manchester, to seize on these opportunities. Homes England (the former Homes and Communities Agency), Network Rail and LCR are supporting this by looking at sites that could be delivered quickly, and conversely, sites that are complex to unlock whether through operational constraint or otherwise, and therefore require specialist intervention to be able to redevelop.

The HS2 Economic Growth Conference will hear about how these initiatives, alongside investment from the private sector, are essential to the UK not only because they will support the much-needed additional capacity and increased connectivity that HS2 and NPR will deliver, but as they will play a vital in boosting jobs, skills, growth, and regeneration – enabling the regional economies to grow.