Local economies
Reshuffle puts Gove in the driving seat for next election
Last week’s reshuffle was, for local government, far more than a switch in the ministerial deckchairs. What started out as change in secretary of state has ended up as a wholesale shift in the emphasis of the beefed-up, rebranded department.
Commission calls for shift of focus in levelling up
The Commission into Prosperity and Community Placemaking has concluded investment should be made in local neighbourhoods rather than grand infrastructure projects.
Ministry in rebrand to put levelling up centre stage
New secretary of state Michael Gove will preside over a beefed up new department with a firm focus on levelling up, it has been revealed.
The art of preventing a brain drain
Paul Shevlin suggests arts and culture have a part to play in attracting young residents to come to rural areas
Councils call for more time to spend community renewal cash
Council chiefs have called for more time to spend cash from the community renewal fund (CRF) after the Government delayed announcing successful projects.
Why working with Irish businesses could fuel local economic growth
Laura Brocklebank reports on the success of an innovation and knowledge sharing event with London council leaders focused on greater trade collaboration between the UK and Ireland.
We need to move on
Baroness Claire Fox says vaccine passports for events would ‘cause immense harms, mainly to the fabric of society’ and it’s not clear if they would impact on virus spread.
Delivering public health post-pandemic
Dr Sakthi Karunanithi and Stephen Young look at what if anything the experience of dealing with the pandemic has taught us over the last 18 months and ponder the public health mission ahead .
Let LEPs get on with a job we’re doing well
As we build our recovery, it would be a travesty to lose the capability of LEPs just when local communities and businesses need it most, says Mark Bretton.
Getting bid quality right
Using Oldham’s regeneration strategy as an example, Stephen Cox presents his guide to the three key themes he says should form the backbone of high quality bids for levelling up cash.
Going for growth in Warwickshire
Warwickshire CC has approved a business case for a £300m economic recovery plan to drive regeneration and support its medium-term financial resilience. Rob Powell explains.
Delivering the prize
Nottinghamshire CC has been ‘beckoned through the door’ to express an interest in an early devo deal, says council leader and MP Ben Bradley. What does he hope could be achieved for the county and the wider regional economy? Ann McGauran reports.
Why we’re being levelled down
Levelling up should be about quality sustainable public services supporting those most in need, according to Sir Stephen Houghton. But, he points out, the deficit faced by SIGOMA member councils is more than £350m in this financial year.
A discussion not to be missed
Cratus has announced the third Chamberlain lecture, delivered by Bristol Mayor, Marvin Rees, in celebration of local government.
Third of most deprived areas will not benefit from Levelling Up Fund, research finds
More than a third of England’s most deprived areas will not benefit from the Government’s £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund, according to new Salvation Army research released today.
Let’s bring a bold policy moment to life
It’s time to seize the opportunity of the Spending Review to level up support for children and families, says chief executive of the Early Intervention Foundation, Dr Jo Casebourne.
The challenge of managing the return to the civic centre
By and large, civic centre workers made a successful transition to home working, says Michael Burton. But councils will equally want to ensure that reducing their office space does not further reduce footfall in their town centres, he adds.
Croydon returns to drawing board on regeneration plans
The council maintains delayed plans to develop a Westfield shopping centre are going ahead, despite planning permission for the development having expired.
Making high streets work for all
Councils and businesses should work with local disabled people to identify solutions to make our high streets work for everyone, argues Ben Cooper.
Cities can bring economic and policy substance to the levelling up agenda
A report from the OECD underlines that Core Cities still do not contribute their full potential to national prosperity, says Cllr Nick Forbes. But we can build on our experiences in handling the pandemic to create a platform for recovery, he adds.
