A YouGov poll of over 2,000 people commissioned by leading law firm Bircham Dyson Bell shows that commuters prioritise good transport links. 55% of commuters would consider moving further away from their place of work if transport links were better. In stark contrast – and contrary to popular perception – just 3% cited increasing property value as the most important reason to move to an area.

The YouGov poll is part of a wider piece of research by Bircham Dyson Bell – Laying the Tracks: How transport infrastructure provides the foundation for property development. The report shows that improved transport links and the development or redevelopment of stations and transport hubs has a galvanising effect on surrounding areas. This acts as a catalyst for property development which would otherwise be undeliverable and that development in turn provides some of the essential funding these transport projects require.

With more than £70bn committed by the Government to improving transport infrastructure, the number of transport projects in progress or planned in the UK today is beyond anything we have seen since the Victorian era. At the heart of any significant transport project is the huge funding required to deliver it. Laying the Tracks assesses the economic benefits of past transport projects – from the creation of the Docklands Enterprise Zone to the recently reopened Birmingham New Street Station – and assesses the future potential of major new transport schemes such as HS2 and Crossrail 2. And – in a YouGov poll of over 2,000 adults – it shows the influence transport links have on where people decide to live.

Key findings of the research are:

• Demand and use of trains is increasing significantly – in 2014/15 footfall at key stations* was up 17 percent on average since 2011/12.
• New transport developments will lead to significant reductions in journey times:
  • The average time from London to Birmingham will be slashed to 49 minutes
  • Travelling to Manchester from the Capital will be achieved in just over one hour
  • Leeds to Manchester will take 30 minutes
• The £30bn High Speed 1 has led to the creation of 156,140 properties and over 1,300 properties are being built along the route of the £50.1bn High Speed 2.
• The new Birmingham New Street station was a £750m project that led to the building of 2,000 extra homes and 14,000 additional jobs being created. Crucially it also opens up the area known as Southside, which is already acting as a catalyst for further schemes to regenerate the area.
• The new HS2 terminus at Curzon St is a £30m planned project and proposes 4,000 homes and 36,000 estimated jobs, a significant amount that cannot fail, but have an impact on the development of the City.

The YouGov poll of over 2,000 adults found:

• Over half (55%) of commuters would consider moving further away from their place of work if transport links were better.
• When asked about the most important factors for choosing where to live 38% said quality of life, 19% said proximity to family and friends, and just 3% cited increasing property value in the area.

One of the highest profile focuses for transport infrastructure development has been the much touted Northern Powerhouse. The government body Transport for the North has been set up to transform connectivity across the north of England and in the July 2015 Budget, the Chancellor pledged £30 million in funding over the next three years.