State of the Nation 2014: North East

This report provides an overview of the condition and performance of the North East’s infrastructure networks.

The region enjoys some excellent strategic road and rail links to the south - but links to the north and west are not of a comparable standard and urgently require upgrading. Key intra-regional links also require investment.

Despite recent falls in passenger numbers, public transport patronage in the North East is amongst the highest in the country, and local transport networks are generally in fair condition.

The region has embraced the transition to decarbonised energy generation and is delivering a range of innovative low carbon developments.

In the North East, water scarcity is currently less of a concern than elsewhere, In future, however, other pressures will have to be factored into the approach to water resource management.

We must remain vigilant to the risks from flooding. In autumn 2012, heavy rainfall caused flooding which damaged property, disrupted the rail network and impacted on multiple communities. The interdependencies between flood management and transport networks should be at the forefront of resilience planning.

In 2012/13 the region recycled or composted 38% of its waste, compared with the English average of 42%. However, it has reduced landfilling to 31% – below the 34% English average.