The Department for Transport (DfT), in partnership with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Cabinet Office, has announced a new Transport and Infrastructure Campus that is planned for the West Midlands.
As the latest in a line of ‘thematic campuses', following the recently launched Digital and AI Innovation Campus in Manchester and the Energy Campus in Aberdeen, this new centre is intended to bring together transport, property and housing infrastructure expertise from departments across the region.
Cabinet Office minister Anna Turley said: ‘The West Midlands is Britain's transport heartland, and this new campus will harness that regional strength to accelerate the infrastructure projects that communities need.
‘I am a firm believer that the best ideas often come from those on the frontline. By moving decision-making out of Whitehall and into the West Midlands, we are ensuring decisions are informed by local expertise and deliver real, tangible benefits for every part of the UK.'
Development for the campus is being led by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA), which will appoint a senior civil servant based in Birmingham as the project director.
Secretary of state for transport, Heidi Alexander, said: ‘The West Midlands is a fantastic home for this new Transport and Infrastructure Campus, with a real strength in delivering major projects like the Midland Metro, the expanding SPRINT bus network, and the opening of five new rail stations later this year.'
Housing secretary Steve Reed said: ‘We've promised to build 1.5 million homes this Parliament, and that means doing things differently. This campus brings together the people and expertise we need to cut through the barriers and help us get Britain building.
‘Local knowledge, local talent. That's what I mean when I said build, baby, build.'
This announcement has been welcomed by the Road Haulage Association (RHA), wihch stated that it has ‘long advocated on behalf of its members in the West Midlands', but added that ‘action must now follow' this announcement.
David Boot, RHA UK director of public affairs and policy, said: ‘We've long called for infrastructure investment to support housing developments and to support firms in road freight and logistics that are key to meeting house building targets.
‘We welcome this announcement as a positive step in recognising the West Midlands as a key transport hub, and we want to see meaningful delivery as soon as possible to further support sectors like ours that are crucial to connecting communities and to driving economic growth across the country.'
