What The Great North means for talent and the built environment

First came the Northern Powerhouse, then the Levelling Up agenda – and now we have The Great North. Political branding may shift, but the aspiration remains: unlocking the full potential of the North of England.

For the Labour Government, this isn’t a new pledge – it's one that’s been consistent from manifesto to victory speech and echoed across the past year in Parliament, conferences, and policy papers. What’s crucial now is delivery – and that begins with connectivity.

While HS2 may have failed to deliver beyond Crewe, the real opportunity lies ahead: connecting the North to itself. Because if we get the East–West connections right – linking Manchester to Leeds, Liverpool to Sheffield, and beyond – the North doesn’t just benefit, it leads.

 

What's in 'The Great North' Plan?

At UKREiiF 2025, and at the launch of ‘The Great North’ plan the night before, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner reaffirmed Labour’s commitment to investing in the North, emphasising infrastructure improvements, planning reform, and accelerating development as central pillars of the Government’s regeneration strategy to “unlock the potential in the North”.

This marks a turning point. If the 2010s were full of false starts and rhetoric, the 2020s could be the decade that finally unlocks the North’s talent and property potential.

 

Unlocking the Talent in the North: Why Infrastructure is Everything

The commercial real estate market doesn’t thrive in isolation. It grows where people can move easily – to jobs, sites, clients, and communities. Right now, the M62 corridor is overburdened, and rail connections between Leeds and Manchester – two of our most vibrant city economies – are unreliable at best.

If we want the North to become a true economic engine, people need to be able to commute across the region, not just down to London.

Better transport = wider talent pools.

Wider talent pools = more competitive hiring.

More competitive hiring = stronger project delivery and economic output.

It’s that simple.

 

What Does This Mean for Talent in the North?

Over the past 12 months, we’ve seen a marked increase in demand for key roles across the built environment sector – particularly in:

• Development management
• Strategic land & planning
• Cost & project management
• Asset management

We discuss the skills in the greatest demand across these areas in this piece from our observations at UKREiiF and beyond.

With planning reform unlocking long-held sites and infrastructure spend forecast to increase, we anticipate further uplift across the region. In certain cities, salaries are also beginning to shift – signalling a more competitive and confident hiring market in the North.

 

Building the North: A Talent Perspective

We don’t need another slogan. What we need is follow-through.

If The Great North becomes more than just a rebrand – if it delivers the infrastructure, policy and confidence to transform connectivity – then the next decade could be a golden age for the built environment in the North.

At Cobalt, we’re proud to be playing a role in that transformation. From our offices in London and Manchester, we recruit across the full property lifecycle – planning, development, construction, and management – helping our clients attract the best talent in the places where it’s needed most.

We’re ready to support the next chapter of the North’s growth – and the teams who will build it. Let us know your challenge here, and one of our specialist team will be in touch.