Leeds Beckett University’s newly refurbished city centre venue, Cloth Hall Court, is up and running and has been hosting leading politicians at a special Transport Summit, 23 August.
Managed by the University’s Well Met Conferencing arm, the venue staged the Summit following the announcement from Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling, scrapping the proposed plan for investment in Cross Rail North.
Over 150 delegates came from core northern cities and towns.
The Summit also attracted private sector partners from a range of business groups including Downtown in Business, the Northern Business Improvement Districts, Chambers of Commerce, the FSB, and the IoD.
There were panel sessions on the North’s transport infrastructure and views from speakers including Councillor Judith Blake, Leader Leeds City Council; Steve Rotheram MP, Mayor Liverpool City Region; Councillor Julie Dore, Leader Sheffield City Council and Councillor Nick Forbes, Leader Newcastle City Council.
Clare Vidler, conference manager at Well Met commented: “We are honoured to be the host venue for the Cross Rail North Summit. Working alongside Downtown in Business to bring this critical summit to Cloth Hall Court, we saw this as a fantastic opportunity to not only promote our facility but also highlight Leeds’ importance as part of the Northern Powerhouse and the necessity for improved transport links across the North.”
The dedicated think tank for the North of England, IPPR, has launched a petition on Cross Rail North to encourage the transport secretary to pledge his immediate backing for the Northern Powerhouse Rail programme.
