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 over the past decades 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, these are:

• Transport
• Energy
• Water and Waste Water
• Flood Risk Management
• Digital Communications
• Green and Blue

The progression of the Infrastructure Strategy will require a greater commitment from partners as we set out the strategic direction for the short, medium and long-term priorities for infrastructure across Greater Manchester up to 2040. This is why we have established a new Strategic Infrastructure Board that is represented by:

• United Utilities
• Electricity North West
• Cadent
• Environment Agency
• Transport for Greater Manchester
• The Greater Manchester Chief Resilience Officer
• The GMCA Executive Director for Policy and Strategy

The Infrastructure Framework is a precursor to the development of the Greater Manchester Infrastructure Strategy. It looks to frame 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’