In order to develop growth across the UK a group of cross-party MPs and peers have said that whoever wins next May’s General Election should further extend devolutionary powers to the UK’s cities and regions to promote growth and close the UK’s north-south divide.
In a new report, the All Party Urban Development Group (APUDG) argues that making local authorities and strategic areas responsible for a range of priorities – promoting local growth, rebalancing the economy, improving infrastructure, creating jobs and increasing the availability of housing – would allow Government to build on the success of the range of ‘growth initiatives’ launched in this Parliament.
The report, published with British Property Federation (BPF) and Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners (NLP), examines the extent to which Government policies, including new funding streams, financial measures, and structures such as Local Enterprise Partnerships have stimulated development activity.
It notes that while economic growth does not always require new development, there are many areas where economic growth cannot be delivered without a simultaneous increase in new business space.
It urges the next Government to continue to focus on growth, noting that devolving powers to, and working more closely with, local authorities would allow for greater understanding of local challenges, and greater use of local strengths.
The report points out how many initiatives are predicated to have a long-term impact and will need to stay high on the political agenda of all parties in order to ensure they can create new jobs and support economic development over time. It calls for improved coordination, evaluation and monitoring of the initiatives, and warns against scrapping these schemes and replacing them with new ones before they have a chance to bed-in.
