London receives more spending per head on infrastructure than any other English region, according to a new report published today by the think tank IPPR North.
IPPR North analysis shows infrastructure spending, where public money is involved, is:
• £5,426 per head in London
• £1,248 per head in the North West
• £614 per head in the East of England
• £581 per head in Yorkshire & the Humber
• £502 per head in the South East
• £474 per head in the South West
• £438 per head in the East Midlands
• £389 per head in the West Midlands
• £223 per head in the North East
The report says that the regional imbalances in infrastructure spending are the result of London having big, high-value projects such as Crossrail, Thameslink. The average value of a project in London is over £1.2 billion compared to £83 million in the North East.
The report says that large-scale infrastructure projects can have a transformative effect on the local and national economy. It says that the North must come up with its own ideas for a range of major projects which could transform the northern economy.
IPPR North is currently running a competition to find new projects which address existing and future infrastructure needs of the North of England.  The Great North Plan competition is looking for ideas to rival major infrastructure schemes which currently exist in London and the South East.  The competition will be open to people aged 25 or under and there will be a £1000 prize for the winning entry.
Ed Cox, Director of IPPR North, said: “Effective infrastructure is the bedrock of an effective and efficient economy. Transport connections, flood defences and high-speed broadband networks all allow people and goods to move quickly from place to place and for business to flourish.  It is widely recognised that the North of England loses out as government spending on infrastructure is continuously skewed towards London. The One North plan published this week provides a vision for the North, and George Osborne’s promise of more resources in the Autumn Statement is also welcome. But more must be done in order to tackle imbalanced investment and deliver the rebalanced economy that the government wishes to see.
“If the North is to compete with Crossrail and the other major investments that are tilting the infrastructure balance firmly in London’s favour, then it must come up with a set of projects which show ambition. This is why IPPR North has launched the Great North Plan competition. Through the competition we hope to identify a small number of large-scale infrastructure projects that could have a transformative effect on the northern, and national, economy. Some ideas may initially seem unconventional and unrealistic, but given further thought and support, may hold real merit and provide infrastructure solutions for the future.”