The Lancashire Strategic Transport Prospectus PAGE 3
Lancashire As part of an interconnected and productive Northern Powerhouse THE LANCASHIRE STRATEGIC TheTRANSPOR LancashireT P StrategicROSPECT TransportUS Prospectus January 2016 PAGE 2 FOREWORD Lancashire’s economic strengths, and more importantly its economic potential over the next two decades, are arguably one of the least understood dimensions of the emerging Northern Powerhouse vision. With an economy of over £25bn, Lancashire is home to over 40,000 businesses. We are the UK’s leading region for aerospace manufacture and related industries, and have rapidly growing clusters across energy, advanced manufacturing, chemicals and automotive sectors. We also have a strong visitor economy, boast three world-class universities and some of the country’s most outstanding rural and coastal beauty. But Lancashire also faces a huge challenge – how do we not only maintain the considerable competitive advantages and unique assets we already have but also grasp the opportunity offered by initiatives like the Northern Powerhouse? The answer from my point of view is clear – the integration of key strategic investments, clearly aligned to complementary economic strategies, and the robust physical connectivity to join all of these together in order that our residents and businesses, and those we need to attract in order to grow, can take full advantage of all we have to offer. Further, this connectivity needs to reach beyond the borders of Lancashire itself - improving local transport networks is a key priority of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership and its partners – but it is our connection with the rest of the North, the rest of the United Kingdom, and the rest of the world which will largely determine the pace and level of our success going forward.
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