Spending on public transport in London vastly outweighs investment in other parts of England, according to new think tank analysis.

The capital is set to receive almost three times as much money per head of population as the north of England from central Government under current plans, research by IPPR North suggests.

But the London Assembly says money spent in the city benefits the whole country, and should be viewed differently.

London will receive £3,636 per person to cover the cost of projects in the National Infrastructure and Construction Pipeline – an outline of upcoming government projects, updated annually.

The North of England will average just £1,247 per head of population.

The capital will receive more than double the national average spend – which is £1,564 for England as a whole.

And the gap between funding in London and the rest of the country is growing – per capita spending has increased 2.5 times more in London than the North in the last decade.

The analysis by IPPR North includes spending by Transport for London, which the Government does not include in its own analysis, because the transport body is under the devolved control of the Mayor.

But the think tank argues that special tax rules for London allow business rates that would normally go to central Government to stay in the city – providing a funding boost which they say should be taken into account.

Luke Raikes, senior researcher for IPPR North, said the Government needed to step up funding outside the capital.

He said: “The Northern Powerhouse agenda could benefit people across the whole country. Northern transport infrastructure is a national priority.”

But Florence Eshalomi, chair of the London Assembly’s Transport Committee, said funding for London “should not be pitched against the rest of the country”.

She said: “No-one will argue against more money going to the North to build and improve transport infrastructure – but not at the expense of London.

“The capital needs more money for its transport system now more than ever – especially when the population is expected to grow to 10.8 million by 2041.

“It is in the entire country’s benefit to make sure London’s transport system is adequate. Therefore, robbing Peter to pay Paul is not the answer.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: “We do not recognise these misleading figures – we’re spending more on transport per person in the North than anywhere else.”