Head of West Yorkshire mass transit to stand down after year in post citing 'different leadership focus'

Mike Birch, the combined authority’s mass transit director, said he will stand down in April “seeking the next challenge”.

Mr Birch was brought in in March last year, to lead on Mayor Tracy Brabin’s pledge to bring trams back to the streets of Leeds and Bradford.

His resignation is the latest twist and turn in the £2.5bn project, with Ms Brabin pledging to get spades in the ground by 2028.

Alongside the mayor, Mr Birch fronted up in December to announce the completion date was being delayed until the late 2030s, and the project was changing approach.

Previously West Yorkshire Combined Authority was attempting to work on the business case and the planning process at the same time, to speed up the timeframe.

However, after a review by the Treasury’s National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority, it was advised to focus on the former first.

This report caused consternation amongst the public, after it emerged the contents would remain secret, with WYCA recently turning down a Freedom of Information request on it.

It said: “This is due to the real and significant likelihood that disclosure would prejudice WYCA’s ability to manage and develop a complex, high-value transport programme.”

At the time, Mr Birch said the review was “derisking our delivery of the overall programme”.

He referenced this in his LinkedIn post, which announced he was standing down, saying: “Since joining the programme early last year, the focus has shifted from an accelerated delivery programme, to one following a more traditional sequential approach.

“The next few years will now be spent delivering the business case, a very different leadership focus.

“I am proud to have led this incredible transformative programme, with an amazing dedicated team.”

The DfT is also requiring WYCA to put together a business case for a new bus network as well as a tram system, raising the prospect that Ms Brabin could be overruled by Whitehall.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has backed the mayor, telling The Yorkshire Post: “Mass transit does not mean a few better buses, mass transit means a tram network.”

A WYCA spokesperson said: “Following Mike’s decision to leave his role at the combined authority, we would like to thank him for the expertise and energy he brought to the role at an important time for the development of mass transit in West Yorkshire.

“Mike has helped the West Yorkshire mass transit project get into a strong position.

“We have a strengthened partnership with the Government, Lord Peter Hendy as the lead minister on the project, and a clear programme in development.

“Mike will remain in post for the coming months to lead the work for the submission of the strategic business case to the Government.”