Leeds is an example of how productivity and transport connectivity are interlinked - Sir John Armitt

Leeds is attracting record private investment, building more homes and retaining more graduates. It could become an engine of economic growth for the whole region if it had a public transport system that matched its potential.

So, in our National Infrastructure Assessment – which we published this week – we’ve recommended Leeds should, along with Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol, benefit from the lion’s share of £22bn in funding for major public transport schemes.

Fewer than four in ten Leeds residents can reach the city centre by public transport within 30 minutes on a good day. And the pressure on the existing network is only set to increase with a growing population and expanding businesses.

Without a step change in the capacity of the city’s transport networks, at least 7,000 additional commuters a day by 2055 face being unable to get into the city during peak hours.

Plans are advancing for the West Yorkshire mass transit scheme, and our recommended funding would build upon the government's recent recommitment to the project. But we know that no single scheme can serve everyone. Our view is that creating faster connections into and out of Leeds is key to the wider region’s prosperity, but that’s not to say links into and between other cities like Bradford and Wakefield aren’t important too.

We think local leaders need to be given the ability to plan long term transport strategies for their regions to help create such connections.

To do this, combined authorities like West Yorkshire should receive flexible, five-year funding deals for transport on a permanent basis and the era of competitive funding pots should come to an end.

And, following the government’s decision on HS2 earlier this month, we’re calling on the government to set out a clear strategy to ensure the reallocated funds deliver positive change for the North and Midlands sooner rather than later.

That means getting on with the mass transit system for West Yorkshire as soon as possible.

But it also means ensuring that rail capacity and connectivity is improved, both for east-west and north-south journeys. There is not a choice between improving local transport and improving inter-city transport – we must do both together if we want to attract more business investment and jobs.

Better transport is essential to Yorkshire’s long term growth, but the region also needs to see improvements in its water, energy and digital infrastructure.

We've set out a bold plan to help create a low carbon, resilient economy that supports prosperity without undermining our natural environment.

Decarbonising the whole UK economy by 2050 – moving away from oil and gas to power our transport and heat our homes and businesses – is a key component of that, but it’s not going to be easy. A low carbon economy requires significant investment in electricity networks that can provide the reliable supply we need every day.

We’ve set out a plan to scale up the national grid and reform the planning system to ensure what gets built gets built where and when it’s needed.

For heavy industry in the wider region – particularly on Humberside – decarbonisation will mean switching to hydrogen or gas power CO2 capture to power their processes. Here, we have a plan for the new networks we’ll need to store and transport these new technologies.

The toughest challenge is heating our homes. We’re clear in our report that we don’t think hydrogen’s the way forward – the technology’s not ready and it’s less efficient than electric heating. Instead, we think in 30 years’ time, the vast majority of homes will use a heat pump or heat network to stay warm.

But for many families, such a change is a big ask. That’s why the Assessment recommends lower income households shouldn’t have to pay the upfront costs of making this switch; and there should be a £7,000 subsidy and interest free finance available to others to help with the cost. And with the River Aire floods and last year’s drought still fresh in the mind, our Assessment sets out recommendations for improving flood and drought resilience, and ensuring all our critical infrastructure can stand up to the more extreme weather we’re experiencing with greater frequency.

Renewing the country’s infrastructure will take time and money. The UK will need to attract more private investment by setting out clear policy and, crucially, sticking to it.

Sir John Armitt is chair of the National Infrastructure Commission.