Prime Minister to meet mayors to discuss West Yorkshire mass transit

Sir Keir Starmer is set to meet England’s mayors today to discuss how to help speed up projects, including West Yorkshire’s long-awaited mass transit network.

The Prime Minister will chair the mayoral council, Downing Street said, which includes all four Yorkshire mayors.

He will unveil a new “right to request” process, which will allow mayors to propose new devolved powers to drive growth in their areas.

This will include handing over Transport and Works Act Orders, which will allow Mayor Tracy Brabin to approve the mass transit project herself, which could cut up to a year off the timetable.

Ms Brabin has been critical of the bureaucracy involved with the project, with it slated to be completed in the late 2030s.

She is required to produce business plans for both a bus network and a tram system, even though she and Chancellor Rachel Reeves both want the latter.

The West Yorkshire Mayor recently met with Sir Keir in Downing Street, where he agreed that the timetable was “ridiculous”.

Leeds United director Peter Lowy also said the project needed to speed up, explaining: “We can’t sit around until 2035 to start this. I’m not that patient.”

No10 said the mass transit network would be discussed at the mayoral council amongst other projects, including the Government’s backing for stadium expansions such as Elland Road.

The Prime Minister said: “For too long, Britain has been held back by a system that says no, delaying projects, blocking growth and leaving communities behind.

“We’re turning that on its head by backing our mayors to get Britain building again, with spades in the ground and more jobs across the country.

“There will always be the naysayers and the blockers, but we cannot afford to give into them - because it will be the next generation that suffers.

"This government is backing mayors with the biggest devolution drive in a generation, putting real power in the hands of local leaders, because those with skin in the game know best what their communities need. That is the right thing to do for communities, and it's the right thing to do for growth."

Ms Brabin added: “We have ambitious plans for our region and a mass transit network is a key part to unlocking our untapped potential which will boost growth and put more money in people's pockets.

“With backing from the Government and more powers devolved to Mayors who know their areas best, we will transform West Yorkshire.

“Building the mass transit system our region needs will benefit the economy, strengthen connections, and improve lives for generations to come.”