FIGURE 2: KEY ASSETS MAP LEICESTER LEICESTER AIRPORT Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal iCon BUNTINGTHORPE AIRFIELD & PROVING GROUND M1 M6 COVENTRY COVENTRY AIRPORT M45 DAVENTRY 4 M1 NORTHAMPTON 11 Silverstone Daventry SEMLEP Area M40 Local Authorities SOUTH NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Towns within SEMLEP Towcester Towns and Cities outside SEMLEP Main Rail Routes 10 Motorways Banbury Major A Roads Waterways Brackley 2 Buckingham Bicester ecotown I N K S T L W E Airports S T E A Hospitals Bicester AYLESBURY VALE Colleges Science/Technology/Business Hubs CHERWELL Northampton Enterprise Zone 7 Silverstone Aylesbur y Priors Hall Park Corby LONDON OXFORD AIRPORT Millbrook Proving Ground Arla Dairy Universities / University Technical Colleges (UTC) OXFORD 1 University of Bedfordshire 2 University of Buckingham 3 Cran�eld University 4 University of Northampton 5 Open University 6 University Campus Milton Keynes 7 Bucks New University at Aylesbury 8 Central Bedfordshire UTC 9 Buckinghamshire UTC 10 Silverstone UTC 11 Daventry UTC 8 SECTION 1 \\ OVERVIEW SEMLEP \\ STRATEGIC ECONOMIC PLAN 2015-2020 Priors Hall Park Corby Northampton Waterside Enterprise Zone PETERBOROUGH Colworth Science Park CORBY KETTERING Kettering Bedford i-Lab E A S T W E S T L I N K CAMBRIDGE BEDFORD 1 Sandy Cran�eld Technology Park MILTON KEYNES 3 Biggleswade 6 5 CENTRAL Stotfold BEDFORDSHIRE Millbrook Proving Ground 8 1 LUTON LONDON LUTON AIRPORT 9 LONDON STANSTED 7 AIRPORT y M1 Butter�eld Enterprise Hub A1(M) M40 London Luton Airport HEATHROW AIRPORT CITY AIRPORT LONDON Arla Dairy SEMLEP \\ STRATEGIC ECONOMIC PLAN 2015-2020 SECTION 1 \\ OVERVIEW 9 1.4 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES 1.4.1. The strategic direction for SEMLEP is a focus on supporting business investment and private sector jobs growth to drive economic success, including the acceleration of housing growth and employment through investment in the enabling infrastructure. 1.4.2. SEMLEP has eight strategic objectives designed to improve business productivity, market penetration, workforce skills development and infrastructure investment. These are: BUSINESS PRODUCTIVITY SKILLS Objective 1: Stimulating enterprise Objective 5: Developing a and enhancing the skilled and adaptable workforce. competitiveness of SMEs. Objective 6: Addressing barriers Objective 2: Strengthening and to the labour market for exploiting our innovation disadvantaged groups. and knowledge assets. To reinforce and develop the South East Midlands as one of the most innovative, successful and high performing economies in England by 2020. Objective 7: Delivering infrastructure Objective 3: Supporting new and (transport, utilities and broadband) to existing businesses to export their accelerate sustainable growth in jobs, goods and services. housing and investment in town centres. Objective 4: Attracting domestic Objective 8: Securing long-term and and international investments. on-going funding to deliver the infrastructure plan. MARKETS INFRASTRUCTURE 10 SECTION 1 \\ OVERVIEW SEMLEP \\ STRATEGIC ECONOMIC PLAN 2015-2020 DELIVERING GROWTH IN THE SOUTH EAST MIDLANDS Section 2 SECTION 2 DELIVERING GROWTH IN THE SOUTH EAST MIDLANDS 2.1 INTRODUCTION 2.2 TRANSPORT 2.1.1 In order to deliver the aspirations for growth set 2.2.1 The South East Midlands benefits from transport out above, we have considered the underpinning links running broadly from north to south. In statistics for the area and identified the principal particular the M1, which links Luton to Milton opportunities for interventions to deliver growth. Keynes, Northampton and beyond and the West In this Section of the Plan, we address each of Coast Mainline linking London Euston to Milton the four key areas: Transport, Housing, Jobs and Keynes and Northampton with the Midland Mainline Skills. For each area the Key Issues, Challenges and linking London St Pancras to Luton, Bedford, Opportunities are spelt out. The intervention logic Kettering and Corby. In addition, the M40 runs then leads on to identify where there are market through Cherwell to Birmingham, the A1(M) and the failures and the types of interventions needed to East Coast Mainline run north through Biggleswade address these. and Sandy. 2.1.2 Our Implementation Plan is in Section 3 where these general types of interventions are matched to Key Issue specific projects for which funding is required. 2.2.2 The South East Midlands is well connected to 2.1.3 Four particular showcase sectors have the capability, London, the rest of the Midlands and the north the major assets and the greatest potential to rapidly of England. However, there are major obstacles grow. These are High Performance Technology, that are an impediment to freight and trade which Logistics, Manufacturing and Advanced constrain competitiveness and economic growth, Technology (including Food and Drink) and the in particular east west connectivity. Cultural and Creative Sectors (including the visitor economy and sport). More details on these Challenge sectors are provided in the Jobs Growth section. 2.2.3 The challenge is to deliver sustainable transport between our key towns so that we do not contribute to congestion on the key arterial routes, such as the M1, that are vital for the economy of the country. Congestion is detrimental to local economic growth as peak journey times become increasingly erratic, as well as imposing an economic burden on the rest of the country to the north of this area. 2.2.4 Additionally the many planned housing and commercial development sites require necessary infrastructure to open up these sites. Funding this infrastructure is a particular challenge. Some funding will be available through S106 agreements with developers. However, viability issues mean that this is not always feasible, especially for large housing developments where the infrastructure requirements are greatest. 2.2.5 In some cases, pump-priming grant funding is required. The projects identified as priorities for the area in Section 3 demonstrate how such enabling infrastructure can be funded through a combination of private sector and public sector contributions. 12 SECTION 2 \\ DELIVERING GROWTH SEMLEP \\ STRATEGIC ECONOMIC PLAN 2015-2020 2.2.6 We have a detailed and robust Transport Strategy Opportunity developed in partnership with the surrounding county council areas. This fully reviewed previous strategies, 2.2.10 The South East Midlands strengths lie in its strategic looked at planned development sites and assessed their location across the Midlands and South East of likely impact to increase stress on the overall road network. England, with the advantages of more affordable land and premises, proximity to London, the Thames 2.2.7 The strategic goals of SEMLEP and the constituent Valley, Oxford and Cambridge; and the network local transport and planning authorities were of towns, including Milton Keynes, Northampton, combined to provide the following objectives Daventry, Kettering, Bicester, Banbury, Aylesbury, against which potential schemes were assessed: Luton and Bedford as well as a range of important market towns. • Protect and enhance the built and natural environment; 2.2.11 Real competitive advantages are offered in relation to transport connectivity, which combined with the • Provide high quality, safe access to services and availability of a rapidly growing and well qualified opportunity; labour force and low property costs, means that • Maintain and enhance the area’s links with the the South East Midlands is a perfect location for wider economy; communities and businesses to grow and flourish • Build capacity to enable growth and economic compared to London and much of the South East. development. Rail journeys to London take around 20 minutes from Luton and 30 minutes from Milton Keynes providing easy access to European high-speed rail routes from 2.2.8 A high level review of existing levels of congestion St. Pancras. This excellent location is particularly has also been completed which identified the main exploited by one of our key sectors – Logistics. locations in the current network as showing areas of greatest stress: 2.2.12 The airports and the close proximity to London give the South East Midlands a global facing business • The whole length of the M1 within the study area and research environment and the opportunity to is experiencing link stress. support wider innovation and knowledge transfer, • To the north of the study area, the A43 between particularly in export markets. Northampton and Kettering is shown as subject to congestion, as are sections of the A45 east of What are the market failures? Northampton. 2.2.13 The SEMLEP Transport Strategy identified that the • To the east of the study area, the A6 between following parts of the network will be subject to Luton and Bedford is shown as congested, as are stress by 2026. sections of the A505. • To the south, the A413 approaching Aylesbury • The entire length of the M1 corridor; is congested, whilst to the south-west the M40 • The A6 between Luton and Bedford (specifically and sections of the A41 passing Bicester are also the sections of single carriageway on the route); shown as being subject to link stress. • Sections of the A5 between Dunstable and Milton Keynes and between Milton Keynes and Towcester; 2.2.9 In terms of the impact of growth on the network, whilst demand for travel is spread across the • The A421 (single carriageway section between SEMLEP area, there are specific routes where higher Milton Keynes and J13); levels of travel demand are predicted as a result of • The A45 (from Daventry to J16 M1); significant clusters of development. In particular: • The A45 (east of Northampton to Wellingborough); • Sections of the M1, in particular between J13 and J14; • The A43 (Northampton to Kettering); • The A421 between Milton Keynes and Bedford and • The A505 between Luton and Dunstable; beyond to Cambridge; • The A418 and A413 through Aylesbury (and • The A5 and the M1 to the north of Luton/ Dunstable; onwards to Leighton Buzzard); • The A505 between Luton and Dunstable; • The A34, A41 and M40 passing Bicester; and • The A5 through Milton Keynes; • The A1 to the east through Biggleswade and • The A41 south of Bicester; Sandy where there are four roundabouts.