Powerhouse Perspective: Interview with Mitchell Walsh - Insider Media

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In the latest instalment of Insider's Q&A series on the Northern Powerhouse, Mitchell Walsh, chief executive and managing director of Liverpool's Integrity Property Group, discusses what the initiative means to him, the need to create planning frameworks that encourage development, and the importance of transport, economic and institutional connectivity between cities.

Name: Mitchell Walsh
Position: Chief executive and managing director
Company: Integrity Property Group

What does the Northern Powerhouse mean to you?
To us, the Northern Powerhouse represents the idea that the North can operate as a connected economic ecosystem rather than a collection of competing cities. From Liverpool, that means recognising our role as both a historic trading city and a modern gateway, while actively collaborating with Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, and the wider North West. It is about shared growth, shared infrastructure, and shared ambition, with each place playing to its strengths within a broader Northern economy.

Eleven years have passed since the phrase "Northern Powerhouse" was first coined. Has enough happened since then?

‍Progress has honestly been uneven. There have been meaningful advances, particularly in devolution, transport planning, and regional visibility, but delivery has not always matched the scale of the original ambition. Too often the Northern Powerhouse has been treated as a slogan rather than a long-term programme. The foundations are there, but the next phase needs consistency, sustained funding, and clearer accountability.

Read more here.