The 12 months ahead have the potential to be pivotal for urban policy and economic growth. This year has to be one of delivery for the Government, elected on a platform of change that has put growth at the heart of its agenda.

The English Devolution Bill will set the tone. Recent announcements have set out plans to give more metro mayors control over single multi-year spending pots and expanded spatial planning powers. The challenge for the Government will be to not let the desire to widen devolution take up bandwidth in Whitehall at the expense of giving the existing metro mayors in big cities – the engines of the national economy – the powers and resources to deliver on the growth mission.