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A West Midlands-based Transport and Infrastructure Campus being established by the government is set to bring together expertise in multiple sectors and deliver regional economic growth.
The hub will reportedly support the government’s commitment to invest at least £725bn in public infrastructure over the next decade under the National Infrastructure Strategy, while harnessing local expertise.
The move is said to bring senior decision-making closer to local communities, creating advanced career pathways for the 35,000 civil servants employed in the West Midlands.
This follows the pattern of thematic campuses previously established by the government such as the Darlington Economic Campus, the Digital and AI Innovation Campus in Manchester, and the Energy Campus in Aberdeen.
Cabinet office minister Anna Turley announced the campus during a keynote speech at the launch of non-profit initiative The Forward Institute in Birmingham today.
Turley said: “The West Midlands is Britain’s transport heartland, and this new campus will harness that regional strength to accelerate the infrastructure projects that communities need.
“By moving decision-making out of Whitehall and into the West Midlands, we are ensuring decisions are informed by local expertise and deliver real, tangible benefits for every part of the UK”.
Secretary of state for transport Heidi Alexander added: “The West Midlands is a fantastic home for this new Transport and Infrastructure Campus, with a real strength in delivering major projects like the Midland Metro, the expanding SPRINT bus network, and the opening of five new rail stations later this year.”
The campus will bring together expertise from across the region from the Department for Transport, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and Cabinet Office to accelerate infrastructure projects.
The National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) will lead the development of the campus and intends to appoint a senior Birmingham-based civil servant as project director.
The campus is also expected to support the building of 1.5 million new homes while fast-tracking 150 major infrastructure projects.
The West Midlands Transport and Infrastructure Campus is part of the Government’s Places for Growth programme and broader public service reform agenda.
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