Beyond hyperbole to delivering growth

There will be increased demand for evidence-based consultancy support based on empirical evidence, writes Adele Gritten, chief executive of Local Partnerships.

“Supercharging growth” are buzzwords returning to local authority parlance after Michael Gove’s announcement on heightened plans for regeneration and housing transformation across England. Twenty high-growth potential areas have been identified as ripe for expedited central government support and resource to deliver for UK plc.

As a Cambridgeshire resident (top of the list for supercharging), it has been fascinating to observe mainstream and social media focus on headlines giving weight to what could be termed the negative and nimbyist sides of the debate.

Cambridge’s place as a centre of scientific excellence is secure. But a complex, multi-coloured political make-up across Cambridgeshire & Peterborough CA makes finding a consensus on key infrastructure and meta place-making difficult, not least on green agendas and interconnected travel and transport principles and policies.

Throw in a Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities grenade requiring 200-250,000 new homes to be built by 2040 in an already expedited housing growth trajectory with water supply problems, and it is unsurprising that hyperbole rather than reasoned thought mostly wins out.

Unblocking headaches

While “affordable homes” are at the heart of the vision for supercharged growth, managing the actual in-market composition of housing mix is not solely a challenge for local authorities. A complex and fast-evolving mix of supply and demand, of changing work patterns, of demographics and of tenure requirements makes long-term planning a real headache for public and private sector alike.

Increasingly, there will be higher demand for smart, agile, data-led, evidence-based consultancy support based on empirical, not hypothetical, evidence of what will be needed to drive growth and its interconnectedness with neighbouring regions and wider infrastructure considerations.

At Local Partnerships, we work extensively with senior responsible owners across the spectrum from place-based and community directorates through to commercial investment teams at the intersection of public-private partnership initiatives.

We help local authority ecosystems unblock some of the headaches stifling regeneration. We devise, evidence or challenge business cases for growth through to providing hands-on services supporting local authority C-suite teams to transform local services. This includes providing impartial advice, guidance and roadmaps on how to deliver place-based growth, whether at supercharged or a more moderate pace.