The planning and development consultancy Lichfields has created an index to help local authority areas capitalise on the levelling up agenda.
A new report from Lichfields, entitled Levelling up: the routes to growth, looks at how local areas can prosper by maximising the opportunities laid out by the Government since the Levelling Up White Paper and ahead of the upcoming Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.
The White Paper sets out 12 new ‘missions’ aimed at shifting Government focus and resources to Britain’s forgotten communities throughout the 2020s.
Lichfields associate director Edward Clarke points out that these missions are largely a continuation of previous policies and have limited additional funding attached to them.
However, he adds: ‘It’s clear that the White Paper aims to effect meaningful change to the economic geography and prospects of the country, by setting out transformative systems and structures that target resources and priorities more effectively over the long term.’
To better understand which areas might benefit from levelling up policies, Lichfields has formulated a broad index which measures each local authority in terms of socio-economic needs, opportunity for investment, and resources needed to deliver change.
Levelling up: the routes to growth also identifies five key themes that will influence chances of success:
1. Change is most likely to be achieved in places where some degree of need, investment opportunity and the ability to deliver change coalesce
2. Areas will need to create new structures and political arrangements if they want to maximise the potential for devolved funding and powers to be agreed locally
3. The opportunity for levelling up to create lasting structures that deliver change is significant. This will demand long-term political leadership and resources at a local level to meet this ambition
4. Devolved powers and new structures don’t necessarily make tough decisions easier, and new institutions will take time to start delivering
5. A policy of focusing house building in order to level up areas is not an alternative to also delivering homes in high demand areas.
