Transport Insights

The saga of West Yorkshire Mass Transit plans rumbles on with new prime minister Andy Burnham perhaps backing the region’s plan for trams – or perhaps not – and another key figure from the combined authority jumping ship.

The BBC reports Burnham’s answer during a visit to Bradford to the question: Do you support West Yorkshire’s tram plans?

“I supported her [Tracy Brabin] in my former role, I won’t be changing my tune now,” he said.

“West Yorkshire needs a mass transit system like Greater Manchester, like the West Midlands and and that is what it will get.”

He said the proposed scheme would involve extending the tram south of Leeds, connecting areas where a lot of new housing is planned, particularly around South Bank, and potentially continuing towards a redeveloped Elland Road.

Unfortunately the bit where he actually mentioned a tram is reported rather than direct speech and any reference to “extending the tram south of Leeds” is meaningless as there is currently no tram to extent.

The plan may have Burnham’s backing but a key supporter, former chancellor and Leeds MP Rachel Reeves, is no longer in a position of influence.

Meanwhile, the Yorkshire Post (paywall) reports:

Another top transport official in charge of the West Yorkshire mass transit scheme has left the combined authority, the third in the last six months.
…
current head of mass transit place and consents, Stacey White, has left to join Sheffield City Council, after four years on the project.

As the paper points out, she follows Mike Birch and Simon Warburton out the door.

A West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) spokesperson pointed out that it is normal to see senior staff move elsewhere to progress their careers during such a lengthy project but it does seem that senior staff are moving elsewhere more quickly than the project is moving forward.

As head of mass transit place and consents, there might not have been much for White to do on the consenting front, given that the plan is no longer to run the project development and planning in parallel, following the NISTA report.

The WYCA has just launched a Regulation 19 (second) consultation on the draft West Yorkshire Mass Transit: Spatial Development Framework joint Development Plan, which looks like part of the spatial planning process.

 Picture by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street