Manchester And Liverpool: Best Of Frenemies

The north’s two big Metro mayors Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram are great mates and love their footy but who is scoring when it comes to redevelopment?

Manchester’s Burnham was thrilled to see cash is going to be poured in regenerating the area around Old Trafford but over in Merseyside Rotherham wants a similar deal for the district encompassing Goodison Park and Anfield.

He made a big effort to press the scheme before the government’s Spending Review but was left disappointed by Rachel Reeves.

And although Merseyside got a mention in the Review – a possible redevelopment of Southport’s rotting pier and new transport links – the big one seems to have got away.

The plan is to regenerate a huge area of north Liverpool and Sefton which will include 10,000 new homes and a £20m revamp for Bootle’s Strand shopping centre.

Mayor Rotheram urged Labour ministers to include the scheme in the Spending Review but had no luck. He said “Liverpool North is one of the biggest regeneration opportunities in the country right now – bigger even than Old Trafford – and its potential to transform lives is enormous. We’re talking about 10,000 new homes, thousands of jobs, and a chance to turn round the fortunes of communities that have been held back for far too long. New Town status would be a real catalyst to kickstart that transformation.”

The plan continues to be considered by the New Towns Taskforce, an independent expert advisory panel which will support the government in the delivery of the next generation of new towns.

In a game of two halves Mayor Rotheram was more positive about a new fast rail link with Manchester: “We got some really positive signals from the Chancellor that show our calls for serious investment in the North’s railways are finally being heard. We’ll be eagerly awaiting the detail in the forthcoming infrastructure strategy.

“Our proposals for the Liverpool-Manchester Railway are about far more than just laying some railway tracks; it’s about better connecting people to jobs and opportunities; supporting growth across the North, and unlocking thousands of new homes. A modern rail link befitting two of the UK’s great cities could help spark £90bn of economic growth across the North.

“Two centuries ago, the Liverpool-Manchester Railway helped power an industrial revolution. With the right backing, we have the chance to lead a new one, delivering growth and prosperity for generations to come.”

And on other transport funding, Mayor Rotheram said:

“With £1.6bn coming our way, we can crack on with building the kind of transport network people here deserve: new train stations, a rapid transit system, and a bus service run for people, not profit.”

Chancellor Rachel reeves announced that Southport would be in the running for a chunk of cash from the Growth Mission Fund but no further details were given.

Harry Turnbull is an experienced journalist based in the north who has held a variety of reporting and editing roles in the media.He also writes a reviews column for the UK’s biggest archive of BBC radio dramas.