Investment Zones NOT scrapped – But Areas Change from Big Sheds Up in Levelling Up Areas to ‘Knowledge Clusters’ – Like the Ox-Cam Arc

Autumn Budget green book (no longer Blue book like Truss)

Reassertion of the Hammond era treasury position

3.25 The government will refocus the Investment Zones programme. The government will
use this programme to catalyse a limited number of the highest potential knowledge-intensive
growth clusters, including through leveraging local research strengths. The Department for
Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will work closely with mayors, devolved administrations,
local authorities, businesses and other local partners to consider how best to identify and
support these clusters, driving growth while maintaining high environmental standards, with
the first clusters to be announced in the coming months. The existing expressions of interest will
therefore not be taken forward. The government is grateful to local authorities for their work to
develop proposals.

Note also East West Rail going ahead, and the ‘Core Northern Powerhouse Rail (i.e. 4 track existing lines, no dedicated route via Bradford – always a crazy idea in CBA terms) and HS2 to Manchester.

It would have been much better to kill them off and rebrand it – Innovation Clusters. The programme is inevitably tainted and toxic. Now know one will know the programme aims, mechanisms and delivery principles. Who will bid in areas ruled by no growth cllrs?