Jonathan Marwood, Partner at Hartnell Taylor Cook, explains why robust real estate data is essential for effective devolution, housing delivery, regeneration, and local government planning.

By next May, the Devolution Priority Programme will have brought a further ~15% of England’s population under mayoral devolution and will see the total proportion covered climb to almost 70%, representing a significant shift in governance to foster greater regional autonomy, economic regeneration and responsive spatial planning.

At the core of English devolution is the establishment of strategic authorities and the election of mayors empowered to negotiate and implement devolution deals, typically relating to economic development, regeneration, infrastructure and spatial planning. The latter includes the responsibility to create spatial development strategies that apportion housing targets and coordinate regeneration schemes across wide metropolitan or regional areas.

Central to the success of this process is the availability and quality of data, particularly real estate data, which encompasses information on land use, property values, housing stock and development potential. Real estate data is indispensable for these tasks: it provides the empirical foundation upon which strategic decisions are made. The absence or inadequacy of such data can undermine the objectives of English devolution, with ramifications spanning strategic planning, economic development, housing delivery and democratic accountability.

Scuppered Spatial Planning

The absence of robust real estate data severely impairs strategic spatial planning. Spatial development strategies require detailed knowledge of existing land use patterns, housing stock, commercial property availability and land values to identify suitable sites for development, regeneration or conservation. This data enables planners to balance competing demands for space, like housing, green spaces and infrastructure.

Without such data, spatial strategies risk being based on outdated assumptions or incomplete evidence, leading to sub-optimal land allocation. For example, housing targets may be set without a clear understanding of local market capacity or land constraints, resulting in either under-delivery or unsustainable development pressures. Similarly, regeneration initiatives may fail to target areas of greatest need or potential, diminishing their impact on local economies and social outcomes.

Driving Development and Housing

Real estate data is critical for economic development under devolution. Devolved authorities are expected to drive local economic growth by leveraging their unique assets and addressing regional disparities. This requires identifying strategic sites for commercial and industrial development, assessing property market dynamics and planning infrastructure investments that support business growth.

In the absence of reliable data, local authorities may struggle to attract investors or justify infrastructure projects as they cannot convincingly demonstrate market demand or site suitability. This undermines one of the central aims of devolution: to empower localities to tailor economic strategies to their specific contexts rather than relying on top-down, one-size-fits-all policies.

The delivery of housing – a cornerstone of many devolution agreements – is heavily dependent on real estate data. Housing targets set within spatial development strategies must be grounded in a thorough understanding of existing housing conditions, demographic trends and land availability. Without such data, local authorities cannot accurately assess the scale or type of housing needed, nor can they monitor progress effectively. This data gap can lead to missed housing delivery targets, exacerbating affordability crises and stalling regeneration efforts. Moreover, the absence of granular real estate data hampers the ability to plan for affordable housing or to integrate housing with transport and social infrastructure, thereby compromising the broader social and economic benefits that devolution seeks to achieve.

Transparency, Democracy and Equality

Beyond the technical aspects of planning and development, the lack of real estate data also affects democratic accountability and transparency in devolved governance. Elected mayors and strategic authorities are accountable to their constituents for delivering on promises of growth, regeneration and improved services.

Transparent, data-driven decision-making processes are essential for maintaining public trust and enabling informed civic engagement. When real estate data is lacking or inaccessible, it becomes difficult for residents to scrutinise decisions, challenge priorities or hold leaders accountable. This opacity risks alienating communities and undermining the legitimacy of devolved institutions.

Furthermore, the absence of real estate data can exacerbate regional inequalities – the very issue devolution aims to address. Devolution is predicated on the principle that localities are best placed to understand and respond to their unique challenges and opportunities. However, without comprehensive data, strategic authorities in less affluent or less well-resourced areas may be disadvantaged in negotiations with central government or in attracting investment. This data asymmetry can entrench existing disparities in economic performance, housing quality and infrastructure provision, limiting the transformative potential of devolution.

Real estate data constitutes a foundational element for the effective functioning of English devolution, underpinning the capacity of devolved authorities to engage in evidence-based spatial planning, drive tailored economic development, meet housing delivery targets and maintain democratic accountability. The absence or inadequacy of such data creates a cascade of challenges that compromise the strategic coherence and effectiveness of devolved governance.

Ensuring the systematic collection, integration and accessibility of real estate data should therefore be a priority for policymakers and practitioners involved in English devolution. Only through robust data infrastructure can the promises of devolution – greater regional autonomy, economic dynamism, and social equity – be fully realised.