Strategic Infrastructure

Strategic infrastructure enables prosperity, social inclusion and ensures that Greater Manchester is resilient to potential shocks and stresses. Greater Manchester has seen major changes and this is only expected to continue, if not accelerate further in the future.

Greater Manchester has many great infrastructure attributes, however future challenges facing the region will mean that further collaboration and strengthening of governance and accountability will be required to achieve our vision for world-class infrastructure.

We have worked with infrastructure providers to produce an Infrastructure Framework 2040. This framework covers the following physical infrastructure elements broadly in line with the remit of the National Infrastructure Commission and identifies 11 infrastructure challenges that Greater Manchester needs to address, these are:

1. Zero carbon heat
2. Reduction in heat demand
3. Accommodate changing electricity demand
4. Improve transport capacity and connectivity
5. Support low emission vehicles
6. Managing flood risk
7. Maximise the value of green and blue infrastructure
8. Implementation of the GM Digital Strategy
9. Collaborative and coordinated approach
10. Funding models
11. Resilient to shocks and stresses

The Infrastructure Framework ‘frames’ the key issues and priorities which the Infrastructure Strategy should seek to address and sets out:

• The key trends affecting Greater Manchester’s infrastructure to 2040
• How those trends will affect each infrastructure network
• The eleven challenges that will have to be overcome through a series of ‘responses’

Delivery of action against the challenges requires a systems based and collaboration approach, which includes the commitment from partners. This is why we have established a Strategic Infrastructure Board that is represented by:

• United Utilities
• Electricity North West
• Cadent
• Environment Agency
• Natural England
• Transport for Greater Manchester
• The Greater Manchester Chief Resilience Officer
• The Greater Manchester Combined Authority

Read the GM Strategic Infrastructure Board Terms of Reference