Useless lifeboats in The Orient at the Trafford Centre. Image: Steve Hanson. All rights reserved.
If anyone apart from George Osborne understands what the phrase “northern powerhouse” actually means, it must be John Whittaker, founder of Peel Group. Described by the Daily Telegraph in 2010 as a “publicity shy billionaire”, Whittaker, along with Peel’s ultimate controlling company, Tokenhouse Ltd, is based on the north west’s nearest tax haven, the Isle of Man.
But Whittaker’s interest has always been focused on the mainland, or, to be precise, its waterways. You may remember the idea put forward by architect Will Alsop, in 2004, in his book and Channel 4 TV series, Supercity. He imagined something capable of rivalling London, in the form of an elongated conurbation linking all the cities along the M62 from Liverpool to Hull.
