Central Bedfordshire leader Richard Wenham has been elected as the new chair of England’s Economic Heartland (EEH) sub-national transport body.
And the leader of Oxfordshire County Council, Cllr Liz Leffman, was elected vice-chair.
Picture: Cllr Wenham and below Cllr Leffman
EEH is one of seven sub-national transport bodies covering the entirety of England outside of London though only Transport for the North has statutory status.
Jointly funded by its local transport authority members and the Department for Transport, EEH covers an area ranging from Oxfordshire and Swindon across to Cambridgeshire, and Northamptonshire down to Hertfordshire.
The election of Cllr Wenham and Cllr Leffman followed the strengthening of EEH’s governance structure, which saw the previous two political-level meetings – the Strategic Transport Forum and EEH Leaders Group – consolidated into the single Board meeting.
Cllr Wenham paid tribute to the achievements of his predecessors in spearheading EEH’s development: chair of the EEH Leaders’ group, Cllr Martin Tett, who is leader of Buckinghamshire Council, and chair of EEH's strategic transport forum mayor Dave Hodgson of Bedford Borough Council.
Cllr Wenham said: 'Cllr Tett and Mayor Dave have laid excellent foundations for what is an exciting future for England’s Economic Heartland. We are now turning the policies in our transport strategy into actions that will unlock opportunities for our residents and businesses while decarbonising the transport system.
'Our region is home to world-leading innovation in science and technology, and a unique natural and historic environment. However, issues with our transport system – which cut across council boundaries – are holding it back. That’s why EEH is so important: by collaborating on issues of common interest and speaking with one voice on the region’s priorities, we can secure the transport infrastructure required to enable significant levels of planned economic and housing growth.'
EEH helps advise government on the investment and projects required to deliver strategic transport infrastructure priorities that can support economic growth in the region.
It submitted its regional transport strategy to the transport secretary in February 2021.
Cllr Wenham said: 'The prominence of sub-national transport bodies is increasing across the country. We have a key role to play in shaping the work of both National Highways and Network Rail. While we are a standalone body, we work closely with partnerships across the region, including the Oxford-Cambridge Arc.'
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