<![CDATA[Pressat Main Newswire]]> https://pressat.co.uk/rss/ <![CDATA[Pressat Main Newswire]]> https://pressat.co.uk/media/site/logo.png https://pressat.co.uk/rss/ en-gb Copyright: (C) Pressat Pressat <![CDATA[ Landfill tax reform would reduce waste crime and pollution, Localis study argues ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/landfill-tax-reform-would-reduce-waste-crime-and-pollution-localis-study-argues-6c95502d1cb776540d47627b390f7c9b/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/landfill-tax-reform-would-reduce-waste-crime-and-pollution-localis-study-argues-6c95502d1cb776540d47627b390f7c9b/ Thursday 14 March, 2024

Press release


Embargo date: from 00.01 a.m., Thursday 14th March 2024


Landfill tax reform would reduce waste crime and pollution, Localis study arguesGovernment should reform landfill tax to cut down on waste crime and crack down on organised gangs whose illegal activity costs the country more than £1bn a year and pollutes the environment, a report published today by Localis has argued.


In a new report entitled ‘Cleaning up our act - reforming landfill tax for place resilience and best local outcomes’ the independent think-tank argues that the massive gap between standard levels of landfill tax at £102.10 per tonne for ‘active’ and lower levels at £3.25 per tonne for ‘inactive’ material, has led to an escalation of waste crime, in the form of illegal dumping and fly-tipping.


While the costs of waste crime have burgeoned by 55 percent since 2015 in England to around £1bn a year, enforcement is disjointed, with organised criminals exploiting loopholes or absorbing paltry fines as running costs to the detriment of honest waste brokers.


It is estimated that the tax gap for landfill tax is 22.7 percent or £200m, a figure suggesting high levels of tax evasion and avoidance by criminal operators who either misclassify active waste, underreport waste volumes or resort to illegal dumping.


The report recommends government should introduce an intermediate tax band to bridge the gap between standard and lower rates, reducing the incentive for misclassification of waste and promoting fairer taxation.


To tackle the scourge of waste crime and the pollution it creates, the study argues the Environment Agency needs an expanded budget, and associated targets, for prosecuting waste criminals.


For local government, the report calls for councils to be granted enhanced powers to enforce waste regulations, including increased fines and penalties for fly-tipping, with revenues to support local clean-up efforts and landfill site development.


Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “Waste crime is toxic in that it despoils our natural environment, imposes costs on already cash-strapped councils and robs the Treasury of tax revenue. Any serious attempt at place-based reform must look to addressing the iniquities and imbalances of how we tax it and then move to rigorous enforcement and prosecution of organised gangs.”


John Rauch, Chief Executive Officer, Augean, said: “Landfill tax has been a very important tool to divert waste away from landfill and to promote re-use, recycling and energy recovery.


“We welcome this independent report, which acknowledges that some hazardous materials will always have to go to landfill. The report is an important contribution to public debate about the future of the landfill tax in sustainable waste management.”


ENDS















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


An advance copy of the report is available for download

https://www.localis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Localis-Cleaning-Up-Our-Act-Report-03-Interactive.pdf


About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever-growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK. www.localis.org.uk


About Augean

Augean is a leading UK operator of sustainable, compliance-led, waste recycling, recovery, treatment and disposal services. The company specialises in hard-to-handle wastes.


www.augean.co.uk


Key findings and recommendations

Reform of the landfill tax should seek to incorporate the waste hierarchy to ensure only the right waste materials end up in landfill, by implementing variable tax rates or other policy mechanisms based on the environmental impact of waste types and necessity of landfill, to incentivise sustainable disposal choices for non-hazardous and biodegradable waste.


As a means to this end, government should introduce an intermediate tax band to bridge the gap between standard and lower rates, reducing the incentive for misclassification of waste and promoting fairer taxation.
There is also a need to allocate a portion of landfill tax revenues to fund research and development aimed at advancing technologies for waste recovery, reuse, and recycling, as well as for legacy chemical cleanup, as wells as a portion allocated to funding the prevention of waste crime.
The Environment Agency needs an expanded budget, and associated targets, for prosecuting waste criminals, with on-the-ground enforcement necessary to match recent increases in attention to the financial aspect of waste crime.
Government must enhance local authority powers to enforce waste regulations, including increased fines and penalties for fly-tipping, with revenues to support local clean-up efforts and landfill site development. Councils must also be given the responsibility – with associated funding – to assist private landowners who are the victims of fly-tipping in safe, responsible disposal.

Building on positive recent steps, government must continue to increase transparency and efficiency in tax collection
to combat high levels of tax evasion and avoidance, through stricter enforcement measures and improved monitoring technologies.




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https://twitter.com/Localis Pressat jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk
http://www.localis.org.uk

Additional Contact(s):
07967 100328

]]>
http://www.localis.org.uk 14 Mar 2024 06:00:03 GMT Business & Finance Construction & Property Environment & Nature Farming & Animals Government Home & Garden Manufacturing, Engineering & Energy Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ Local pubs deliver invaluable socio-economic value, ministers must act to save them – new report states ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/local-pubs-deliver-invaluable-socio-economic-value-ministers-must-act-to-save-them-new-report-states-b13a1389bf47c8f8da62982d811f9830/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/local-pubs-deliver-invaluable-socio-economic-value-ministers-must-act-to-save-them-new-report-states-b13a1389bf47c8f8da62982d811f9830/ Friday 29 September, 2023

Draft Press release


Embargo date: from 00.01 a.m., Friday 29th September 2023


Local pubs deliver invaluable socio-economic value, ministers must act to save them – new report states


Government must give pubs which serve as the beating hearts of their communities greater support with tax rebates to safeguard the nation’s locals as vital social lifelines, a report from the think-tank Localis has urged today.


In a report issued today entitled ‘Inn-Valuable: unlocking the socio-economic potential of our nation’s pubs’, Localis also argued that a minister for pubs role be reinstated to join up help for the country’s pubs sector – which cumulatively supports 936,000 jobs, generates £28bn in GVA to the economy and delivers £15bn in tax revenues to the Exchequer annually.


According to polling undertaken by YouGov for the report, 75 percent of people felt the impact of pubs to community life to be positive. When asked if pubs are important in bringing people together, more than four-in-five (81 percent) of British adults agreed they are, with just 14 percent feeling that they are not.


Polling carried out for the report showed 68 percent of British adults felt that pubs help combat loneliness in their local area. Among pro-community activities supported by local pubs, nearly half (44%) of people were aware of pub events that bring the community together, a quarter (25%)
knew of local pubs that supported charitable causes and 17 percent knew of local pubs that supported vulnerable people in their area.


The research identified from case studies taken pubs across the country some dominant themes on how the sector supports local people and communities, namely by:


combatting isolationsupporting local causesreflecting local culturebringing local business togethersupporting community through generations.

Pollsters also found that among social uses of pubs in the last three months, more than half of the population (51%) had met a friend in one, while nearly two-in-five (37%)
of people had visited the pub to meet up with family, a quarter (25%) had enjoyed Sunday lunch in one and 10% of the public had attended a pub-held birthday party in that timespan. In addition, six percent of the public had used pubs for dating purposes and 13% watched a sporting event.


A key recommendation of the report calls for the re-establishment of a Minister for Pubs post to co-ordinate a cross-government taskforce responsible for long-term strategy for the British pubs sector and to lead on help with tax and regulation, alongside an emergency fund for energy bill support.


The report authors also make the case for business rates rebates for those pubs which take on socially valuable roles such as foodbanks or in providing warm spaces for vulnerable people, with a call for a modest £4m cashpot to help 1,000 pubs to diversify at a cost of a mere £4,000 per pub.


Localis head of research, Joe Fyans, said: “Across Britain, pubs have consistently played a pivotal role in knitting communities together and promoting social cohesion.


“Pubs are the beating heart of many communities, playing multifaceted roles in local daily life. This is why the decline of pubs is cause for great concern. With each closure, both tangible and intangible voids are left behind.


“The lessons are clear: pubs, in all their forms and across all locations, remain integral to British social cohesion as hubs of activity, community, and social capital. This makes their presence all the more crucial as community safety nets and beacons of light, offering a lifeline hope for many people looking for a real sense of local belonging.”


Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: ““The stories highlighted in this report truly are just a snapshot of the hugely positive impact pubs have in communities across the country every single day.


“There are few businesses that can say they add both social and economic value and pubs are delivering that value in neighbourhoods from Lanarkshire to Liskeard, and everywhere in between. Pubs provide solace to people in tough times and a place to celebrate in others and to lose them would have a serious impact on people’s lives.


“With closures continuing to rise and pubs under threat from further duty and business rates cost hikes we hope the Government will seriously consider the proposals put forward by this report so the foundations can be laid to help pubs continue to do this brilliant work in their communities long into the future.”


Becky Barnett who runs The Lamb Inn in Swadlincote, which features in the report, said: “We support our local community in a number of ways, including offering free food and drinks to people on Wednesday mornings. People can come into the pub, have a free hot meal, and in winter, sit by our log fire in comfy chairs, no questions asked.


“When times are tough, we want to be a place where people can come for help and local people have been incredibly grateful of us opening our doors at no cost. At the same time, we also face challenges with high energy bills and other rising costs so it’s a scary time for our business as well, we want to continue to provide a non-judgemental warm space for people but we’re facing our own difficulties as well.”

Pub is The Hub chief executive, John Longden, said: “Pubs and publicans are the heroes at the heart of community life that provide essential local services and activities that create social value.


“They are a lifeline for many rural areas providing vital local services and activities such as village stores, allotments and community cafes as well as offering a safe space to tackle the major societal issue of loneliness.


“Pub is The Hub now estimates 1,000 more pubs and local areas could benefit from services if they can be directly supported in the future to diversify."


END















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


An advance copy of the report is available for download here:

https://www.localis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/InnValuable_Localis_WEBAWK.pdf


TBC


About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


https://www.localis.org.uk/


About British Beer and Pub Association


The British Beer & Pub Association is the leading body representing Britain’s brewers and pub companies. The Association is more than a century old and was originally founded as the Brewers’ Society in 1904. Our members account for some 90 per cent of beer brewed in Britain today, and own around 20,000 of the nation’s pubs.


https://beerandpub.com/


Key report recommendationsA cross-government taskforce on the future of the British pub. A long-term strategy is needed to determine a sustainable tax and regulatory framework and measures that can help the sector thrive in the coming decades and ensure that its pivotal role in society is not lost.Emergency fund for energy bill support. Government should establish a fund to provide energy bill support for pubs in deprived areas, in a manner similar to the ‘social tariff’ on household energy bills argued for by organisations such as the Citizen’s Advice Bureau. More broadly, government must ensure all pubs have access to fair and reasonable energy contracts.Business rates rebates for diversifying pubs. Government should fund local authorities to provide partial business rebates for pubs which diversify to take on socially valuable roles, such as those providing ‘warm spaces’ or food banks. Pub is the Hub estimate that there is potential for 1,000 pubs to diversify over three years, with required funding as little as £4,000 per pub. A new, revamped Minster for Pubs role with cross-departmental remit. The role of Minister for Pubs, last prominently occupied in 2017, should be reinstated and given a brief to work across departments to support the pub trade.
Recommendations
Policy prescriptions

Looking across the issues faced by publicans in 2023, policy prescriptions fall into three groups:


Providing emergency support. In the immediate context of energy price surges and inflation across the economy, the first order for policy should be to establish a mechanism by which pubs are protected from the worst of the crisis, as a matter of preserving vital social infrastructure assets. There is also a need to recognise and encourage the social diversification of pubs through policy.Joining up thinking. Part of the problem with devising a policy mechanism to support pubs facing closure due to the economic environment is the multiplicity of policy areas which the sector touches upon. There is great potential value in placing a single, accountable figure within government to pull these threads together and give voice to the commonly held view that pubs are of great importance to our country and make a positive impact in their communities.Long-term planning. Given the social and economic importance of the sector, there is a clear need to move from a war footing to a more proactive attempt to shore up our nation’s pubs. While short-term support is undoubtedly needed in the sector, what is called for in the long-term is a strategy for shoring up this vital social infrastructure against future shocks and continue to contribute to economic growth.
Case studies: value in action

Pubs provide value beyond their role as purveyors of food and drink throughout the UK. Section three highlights some examples of the activities supported by pubs and the value of pubs to local communities through the lens of seven pubs from across the country. Across the pubs interviewed, there was clearly an acute awareness of the impact of the current cost-of-living pressures both on members of their community and their own businesses. Anxieties over the long-term sustainability of the pub consistently dovetailed with concerns for the wider community among our case studies. All of our interviewees were in some way providing additional social value, from fundraising activities to the direct provision of help to the community in the form of food or emergency medical supplies. These activities bring with them a sense of mission, and there was a strong determination felt across the case studies that the current crisis must be ridden out to avoid the loss of a prized local institution.


Across our seven case studies, some prevailing themes were evident, which resonate with the overview of research on the sector laid out in section one. These were:


Combatting isolation. It was repeatedly highlighted throughout the interviews that pubs provide a place to socialise for local residents who otherwise might not have many interactions over the course of a day. This is particularly true for older people, especially older people who are single, who will visit the pub for a conversation as much as they will for a drink or meal.Supporting local causes. For all of our case study pubs, there was a feeling that, whether through fundraising or direct engagement, pubs have a responsibility to support causes that are important to the local area and to local residents. Sometimes these causes are general issues which affect everyone in society but are felt as a priority locally, sometimes they are direct responses to specific absences in local service provision or the area’s cultural offering.Reflecting local culture. Part of the role of a successful local pub is to provide a reflection of the local area and its residents by putting on events such as mini-festivals or street carnivals. These events show how pubs can be catalysts for local culture, bringing residents together and showcasing pride of place. Bringing local business together. The case studies show how pubs can act as loci for action from a broad range of local businesses. When pubs organise fundraisers like public events, they often rely on the support of local traders who support the causes in question through quid-pro-quo arrangements or even free services. This type of activity can help bring a sense of pride in place to the business community in much the same way as the events themselves do for the community at large.Intergenerational customers. The pub as an intergenerational social adhesive was an idea that arose in several of our case study interviews – indeed, some of our interviewees recalled drinking as 18-year-olds in the pubs they now manage. Whether in the same space doing different things or united around a common cause, the pub as a physical space where groups across generations can coexist will only become more valuable as technological innovations and changing working practices lead to an increasingly atomised society.


Polling

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,049 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 16th - 17th August 2023. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).





SLL_Q1. The following questions are on the topic of local pubs. Even if you don't tend to visit pubs, we are still interested in your opinion…In general, to what extent do you feel pubs have a positive or negative effect in a community?









Unweighted base




2049






Base: All GB adults




2049






Very positive




34%














Slightly positive




41%














Neither positive nor negative




19%














Slightly negative




4%














Very negative




2%














Net: Positive




75%














Net: Negative




6%














SLL_Q2. Still thinking about local pubs…How important, if at all, do you think pubs are in bringing people together?









Unweighted base




2049






Base: All GB adults




2049






Very important




32%














Fairly important




49%














Not very important




12%














Not at all important




2%














Don't know




4%














Net: Important




81%














Net: Not Important




14%






































SLL_Q4. Thinking about the last 3 months (i.e., since May 2023)...Which, if any, of the following activities have you done in a pub? (Please select all that apply)









Unweighted base




1961






Base: All GB adults who have visited a pub in L3M




1950






Attended a birthday party




10%














Attended a wedding reception




2%














Been to a charity event




3%














Met up as part of a community group or activity




8%














Met up with friends




51%














Met up with family




37%














Watched a sporting event




13%














Had Sunday lunch




24%














Been on a date




6%














Watched live music




9%














Worked remotely




1%














Other




3%














Don't know




1%














Not applicable - I have not been to a pub in the last 3 months




27%














SLL_Q5. Which, if any, of the following activities apply to the pub(s) in your local area? (Please select all that apply)









Unweighted base




2049






Base: All GB adults




2049






A pub that supports charitable causes




25%














A pub that holds events that bring the community together




44%














A pub that supports vulnerable groups in the area (e.g. older people, differently abled people, etc.)




17%














Other




2%














Don't know




42%














Not applicable – there are no pubs in my local area




6%














SSL_Q6. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement?Pubs help combat loneliness and isolation amongst people in my local area









Unweighted base




2049






Base: All GB adults




2049






Strongly agree




20%














Tend to agree




48%














Tend to disagree




9%














Strongly disagree




2%














Don't know




15%














Not applicable – there are no pubs in my local area




6%














Net: Agree




68%














Net: Disagree




10%




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https://twitter.com/Localis Pressat jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk
http://www.localis.org.uk

Additional Contact(s):
07967 100328

]]>
http://www.localis.org.uk 29 Sep 2023 06:00:02 GMT Business & Finance Charities & non-profits Food & Drink Government Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ Give councils £100 million investment fund to build homes for locals in tourist hotspots ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/give-councils-100-million-investment-fund-to-build-homes-for-locals-in-tourist-hotspots-21a0efe773eb7cd109f745c894a3eb7f/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/give-councils-100-million-investment-fund-to-build-homes-for-locals-in-tourist-hotspots-21a0efe773eb7cd109f745c894a3eb7f/ Monday 28 August, 2023

Press release


Embargo date: from 00.01 a.m., Monday 28th August 2023


Give councils £100 million investment fund to build homes for locals in tourist hotspots


Government should give councils direct long-term funding and planning powers to build affordable homes for local people currently priced out of the housing market in tourism hotspots, a new report from Localis has argued.


In a report published today entitled ‘Brightness on the edge of town: how Community Land Trusts can deliver affordable housing’,
Localis calls on government to create a ten-year £100m Community Land Trust (CLT) investment fund to deliver more social rent homes in rural areas overwhelmed by an explosion of second homes and short-term-lets through platforms such as Airbnb.


Funding for Community Land Trusts and other forms of community housing has been discontinued since the abolition of the Community Housing Fund, and the lack of a suitable replacement imperils efforts of communities to come together and provide affordable housing for the benefit of local people.


Otherwise, the think tank warns, there will be nowhere to house those who work to maintain the rural tourism sector – which provides 15% of rural jobs - or provide accommodation to local people without the higher salaries or resources of incomers.


In the study Localis also recommends future planning reforms should redefine affordable housing, putting it on an income-focused approach that would allow councils to locally set the income for affordable housing in their area, based on economic and social circumstances.


Report author, Localis researcher, Sandy Forsyth, said: “While there is much positive work being done to guard rural communities against the negative impacts of over-tourism and the highly pressured housing market in England and Wales, much more is needed.


“With the ongoing cost-of-living crisis more people than ever are in need of genuinely affordable options for housing. Community Land Trusts can provide enhanced community engagement in areas that are becoming increasingly diluted by massive tourist populations, supplying a more holistic, social benefit through the enactment of democratic decision-making and community ownership.”


Localis head of research, Joe Fyans, said: “The current definition of affordable housing does not deliver for rural communities, particularly in areas of high tourist activity.


“It is essential that future planning reforms redefine affordable housing, moving to an income-focused approach where councils have the ability to influence the income level defines affordable housing in their area, based on local circumstances.”


Cllr Kevin Bentley, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s People and Places Board, said: “Affordable homes for local people are essential if we are to build on and maintain our vital tourism industry, particularly in rural areas where housing is even more at a premium.


“Giving councils greater freedoms and flexibilities to be able to build these homes, backed by adequate resources, as this report recommends would revitalise communities in our most popular destinations while safeguarding local jobs and services.”


Tom Chance, chief executive, Community Land Trust Network, said: “More than one hundred communities are trying to build more affordable homes in tourist hotspots, and many are succeeding.


“Homes that are designed and owned locally, and truly affordable to local people, today and forever. This report shows how the government and councils could give Community Land Trusts a shot in the arm to counteract the risk of second home blight."


END















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


An advance copy of the report is available for download

https://www.localis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/057_CLTReport_PRF3b.pdf


About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever-growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


www.localis.org.uk


About the Local Government Association (LGA)


The LGA is the national membership body for local authorities and we work on behalf of our member councils to support, promote and improve local government.


Who are our members?


Our core membership comprises 315 of the 317 councils in England and includes district, county, metropolitan and unitary authorities along with London boroughs and the City of London Corporation. The 22 Welsh unitary councils are in membership via the Welsh Local Government Association.


We also operate an Associate scheme for organisations whose purpose and objectives are aligned with our own. Our Associates include fire and rescue authorities, police, fire and crime commissioners/police and crime commissioners, national park authorities and town and parish councils via the National Association of Local Councils (NALC)’s corporate associate membership.


What is the LGA?


We are a politically-led, cross-party organisation that works on behalf of councils to ensure local government has a strong, credible voice with national government. We aim to influence and set the political agenda on the issues that matter to councils so they are able to deliver local solutions to national problems.


Our improvement offer


The LGA provides a range of practical support, on a free of charge and/or subsidised basis, to enable local authorities to exploit the opportunities that this approach to improvement provides. This includes support of a corporate nature such as leadership programmes, peer challenge, LG Inform (our benchmarking service) and programmes tailored to specific service areas such as children's, adults', health, care, financial, culture, tourism, sport and planning services.


About the Community Land Trust Network


The Community Land Trust Network is the official charity supporting Community Land Trusts in England and Wales. It was established in September 2010 and was initially hosted by the National Housing Federation. It became a registered charity in June 2014. The Community Land Trust Network is a membership body made up of CLTs and supporting organisations from across the country. They work on behalf of CLTs and, in turn, their members shape and govern their work.


CLTN is also part of a broad alliance of organisations promoting and supporting community led housing and land reform in the UK.


About Community Land Trusts


Community land trusts – or CLTs – are democratic, non-profit organisations that own and develop land for the benefit of the community. They typically provide affordable homes, community gardens, civic buildings, pubs, shops, shared workspace, renewable energy infrastructure and conservation landscapes.


In England and Wales they are defined in the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008, s79. They must be set up to benefit a defined local area; be not-for-profit, using all assets, income and surpluses to benefit their community; and allow anybody who lives or works in the area to join them and participate in their governance.


Key findings and recommendations

While the return of a mechanism similar to the Community Housing Fund would be very welcome, a long-term approach to the benefit of the rural communities across the board would be enabling the mainstreaming of CLTs and other community-led housing models through national policy. Policy changes to support the uptake of CLTs and help enable communities to deliver affordable housing in their areas fall into two broad categories: those concerned directly with funding uplift, and those concerned with planning reform.


i. Direct funding
Long-term investment in CLT organisations is required. A ten-year fund to build capacity for enabling organisations at the sub-regional level could see major social returns.
Funding must be restored to local authority planning to solve the housing crisis. There must be a revenue funding uplift for planning across the board to reverse the damage of austerity and return housebuilding to sustainable levels.Rural planning capacity must be built up particularly – either through local fiscal mechanisms or a national revolving fund, councils must be able to uplift their capacity or the housing crisis will continue to exacerbate social issues in these areas.
Support for community housing at a sustainable scale can help all areas access equal opportunity to community-led housing. Subregional hubs to support community-led housing could help facilitate action by both councils and community groups.
ii. Planning reform
The current definition of affordable housing does not deliver for rural communities, particularly in areas of high tourist activity. It is essential that future planning reforms redefine affordable housing, moving to an income-focused approach where councils have the ability to influence the income level defines affordable housing in their area, based on local circumstances.
Neighbourhood planning represents a step forward for localism, but the costs and length of the process must be considered. A review of neighbourhood planning is required, with an examination of capacity funding and the speed of the process.
National planning policies can do more to support communities in getting affordable housing off the ground in their areas. A general priority for community-led housing within the National Planning Policy Framework would greatly aid groups on the ground.
Homes England can be used as an institutional vehicle to ensure effective delivery of community-led housing. Homes England should incentivise collaboration between registered providers and CLTs through grant conditionality, and set rural targets for registered providers to provide social housing.
Current thresholds on affordable housing by development size do not work in rural areas. Planning reform should ensure an affordable housing percentage is required even for small sites in rural areas.


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http://www.localis.org.uk

Additional Contact(s):
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]]>
http://www.localis.org.uk 28 Aug 2023 06:00:02 GMT Charities & non-profits
<![CDATA[ Give councils power to level up and improve local public services, Localis integration report urges ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/give-councils-power-to-level-up-and-improve-local-public-services-localis-integration-report-urges-6493e2e57f35bec66388de5a2cefd0de/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/give-councils-power-to-level-up-and-improve-local-public-services-localis-integration-report-urges-6493e2e57f35bec66388de5a2cefd0de/ Wednesday 5 July, 2023

Press release


Embargo date: from 00.01 a.m., Wednesday 5th July 2023


Give councils power to level up and improve local public services, Localis integration report urges


Government should give councils greater financial powers to marry the needs of day-to-day local services with levelling up style capital pots to ensure measured improvements in public service outcomes, a new report from Localis has argued.


In a report published today entitled ‘Level Measures – a modern agenda for public service integration’, Localis makes the case that England’s councils will need to innovate and collaborate if they are to address the capacity gap that threatens their ability to fulfil the government’s dozen levelling up missions.


According to Localis, which ran seven regional roundtables with council chiefs in the course of its research, there are seven principles for a modern public service integration agenda capable of delivering sustainable local public service reform:


reliable, consistent and long-term funding; a holistic understanding of public services and their interconnected nature;trust between levels and tiers of government;deep internal insight into and understanding of performance data, shared across boundaries and between tiers;external audit which is based on outcomes, not outputs, considering the totality of local circumstances; an integrated, systems-based approach to provision which focuses on upstream prevention and user outcomes;partnership frameworks based on long-term strategic goals which maximise local value.

To match the government ambition to level up every part of the country, the report authors recommend that devolution deals should include provisions to fund both the delivery of neighbourhood services and the capacity of councils to strategically coordinate provision across service lines to prioritise upstream prevention.


Other key recommendations include calls to:


clarify the intended role and purpose of the Office for Local Government (Oflog) and broaden it from a reductive focus on data - to prevent an oversimplification of local governance, ensuring that its role aligns with the broader of objectives of public service delivery and the levelling up missions.Subregional centres should be established for the collation and analysis of public service data, to be used as a shared resource for councils across a wider geographic area and spearhead improvement in local place-based services.Civil service training for policy professionals should include a core element focusing on the form and function of local government.

Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “In Levelling Up, the clear linkage between performing the basics of neighbourhood services brilliantly, and creating the conditions for strong communities from which to build the foundation of a strong local economy and a prosperous and unified nation has been a helpful flarepath.


“In the course of our research, which involved seven regional roundtables with local authority chief executives and senior directors, we heard an open and palpable desire from our place leaders to continue to innovate to deliver responsive neighbourhood services as the foundation of prosperous places in all corners of the country.


“Allied to this is the pursuit of excellence in local government’s more adroit use of data analysis and its longstanding mature approach to partnership working across the private and voluntary sectors – as well as leveraging the early benefits of the Integrated Care Systems for population health.


“If public service reform is best served through place-based approaches, an effective neighbourhood public service integration platform offers the promise of more gain for less pain.”


Andy Foster, Strategic Partnerships Director, Capita, said: “The complex and challenging nature of delivering public services at a local level has never been under more pressure than it has today. Rising inflation, increasing cost of delivery and inexorable demographic pressures are creating budgetary and social challenges that will not be solved by local government alone.


“The role of the public sector worker, local authorities, and their private and not-for-profit sector partners, will need to change if regions are to be successful in levelling up and meaningfully supporting their communities.


“That is why this significant research programme has been so important for Capita to help develop and support. It represents a crucial component in understanding some of the most complex challenges affecting our communities and shines a light on how they are being solved.


“The relationship between public, third and private sectors has never been more important, and this report reinforces how the whole eco-system of public services needs to work closer than ever to lead and define what levelling up means locally.”


END


Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


An advance copy of the report is available for download

https://www.localis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/056_LevelMeasures_AWK_REV1.pdf


About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever-growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


www.localis.org.uk


About Capita


Capita is a consulting, transformation, and digital services business. Every day our 52,000 colleagues help millions of people, by delivering innovative solutions to transform and simplify the connections between government and citizens, businesses and customers. We partner with our clients and provide the insight and cutting-edge technologies that give time back, allowing them to focus on what they do best, and making people’s lives easier and simpler. We operate across three divisions – Capita Public Service, Capita Experience and Capita Portfolio – in the UK, Europe, India and South Africa.


Further information can be found at: http://www.capita.com


3. Key findings and recommendations
Key Findings
Seven principles for modern public service integration

Canvassing the views of senior corporate leadership within local government – as well as those of independent experts and central government officials – prevalent themes emerged, from which the underlying principles for a modern public service integration agenda can be discerned. These seven principles are detailed below:


Reliable, consistent and long-term funding. Local leaders, elected and bureaucratic, require certainty in order to unlock the efficiencies which planning service provision over the long-term can provide.A holistic understanding of public services and their interconnected nature. Arbitrary divides between types of services and how they are funded do not allow for the kind of prevention-focused and outcome-oriented approach to neighbourhood public services which local authorities could provide in a less rigorously ring-fenced environment.Trust between levels and tiers of government. Knowledge of what local government does, and how, remains too limited in Whitehall, but trust must also be fostered between councils who share delivery responsibilities across tiers.Deep internal insight into and understanding of performance data, shared across boundaries and between tiers. While information on the outputs of public services is plentiful, there is neither a consensus nor a universal standard on the quality and purpose of data analysis – this prevents genuine insight and leads to potential innovations falling between the cracks of institutions with different capacities and divergent priorities. External audit that is based on outcomes, not outputs, considering the totality of local circumstances. Better audit is required for both the general public and central government to gain greater insight into the nature of council performance, but this must not come in the form of purely quantitative data which ranks local authorities. Audit must be purposive, focused on sharing best practice and identifying governance failures at the earliest possible juncture. An integrated, systems-based approach to provision which focuses on upstream prevention and user outcomes. Building on principle two, service provision of any given line must take into account the total aggregated impact of local public services on an individual user, with priorities set and resources allocated in a way which maximises upstream prevention and distributes strain across the system in the most efficient way possible. Partnership frameworks based on long-term strategic goals which maximise local value.
Working with the private and the third sectors should be done in a relational, strategic manner where the priorities for residents are clearly spelled out and delivered to by all partners.
Policy recommendations

The policy recommendations drawn from this research are designed to move the English system of local public service delivery closer into line with the seven principles laid out above.


Councils should have revenue support for their neighbourhood service provision combined with money currently allocated through capital pots into a single placemaking budget.
Although funding has lifted in recent years, additional revenue support for local government in delivering neighbourhood services is required to uplift capacity, after a decade of an increasing consolidation of council resources solely into the provision of social care. Rather than provide funds for levelling up through capital competitions, which are widely agreed to be inefficient and ineffective, funding for levelling up should be included in the placemaking budget.Placemaking budgets should be multi-year, with a five year budget being seen as the absolute minimum required to properly plan service delivery and levelling up. Councils should form placemaking boards with local partners and key stakeholders to provide input into strategy and delivery. These would ideally be formed at the county/unitary tier of governance and involve districts from across county areas as equal partners.The provision and delivery of these budgets should be piloted, with a long-term view towards establishing the kind of ‘whole place budgets’ which have been repeatedly proposed over decades of central-local relations in English government.Devolution deals should include provisions to fund both the delivery of neighbourhood services and the capacity of councils to strategically coordinate provision across service lines to prioritise upstream prevention. To date, devolution deals have been too focused on regeneration through capital injections and too proscriptive of governance models. Better public service outcomes, and the upstream prevention benefits which accompany them, are crucial to improving quality of life and pride in place. To properly deliver on the promise of levelling up, deals must be more flexible and include provisions focused on neighbourhood services and the councils who deliver them.Subregional centres should be established for the collation and analysis of public service data, to be used as a shared resource for councils across a wider geographic area. Councils of all sizes across the country struggle to recruit and retain data professionals of the level required to provide intelligent insight into public service output data. Subregional data hubs could help achieve the scale required to compete with the private sector in a labour market with high levels of demand, and act as a valuable resource for sector-led improvement.The intended role and purpose of the Office for Local Government should be clarified and broadened from a reductive focus on data. Central government must clearly articulate the goals of performance audit, particularly when policy goals such as value for money, delivering public value, or boosting economic development appear to be in conflict. The purpose and goals of OFLOG should be clarified and designed to prevent an oversimplification of local governance, ensuring that its role aligns with the broader of objectives of public service delivery and the levelling up missions. Civil service training for policy professionals should include a core element focusing on the form and function of local government. It is a widely shared sentiment that staff in central government departments do not fully understand the structure or the extent of local government functions, nor the capacity councils have to exercise these functions. This situation is exacerbated by the plethora of departmental initiatives with a local delivery element, which can and often do overlap with and contradict each other. A universal standard for understanding throughout Whitehall – not just DLUHC – is a prerequisite for improving place-based public services across the board.
Lessons for a healthy governance ecosystem

Across local government, as well as in the private and third sectors, examples exist of pioneering practice which puts residents first and maximises the power of neighbourhood services to deliver positive outcomes and raise pride in place. The lessons below are drawn from best practice examples encountered throughout the research, some of which are detailed within the main report.





Local government




Develop holistic placemaking policies: Develop strategies that balance economic growth, infrastructure provision, community resilience, and service provision.






Enhance community engagement: Involve communities early in the design of public service reform and delivery to encourage co-production and co-design. Utilise a bottom-up approach, particularly in preventative care services, to ensure services are responsive and relevant to local needs.






Promote cross-sector collaboration: Foster genuinely trusting relationships between different sectors and institutions. Encourage shared learning and practice across organisations to enhance integrated public service delivery.






Implement integrated digital platforms: Invest in technology that facilitates cross-departmental communication, data sharing, and collaboration. This could include a centralised, accessible database that all local departments can access and contribute to, streamlining service delivery.






Establish cross-functional teams: Create teams that comprise members from different departments or services to collaborate on specific projects or initiatives. This could enhance understanding and cooperation between departments, leading to more integrated service delivery.






Central government departments




Strengthen support for local government finance: Consider the impact of national crises on local government finance and provide additional support within spending constraints where possible. Strive for long-term, strategic funding solutions over short-term, one-off capital pots.






Define the purpose of financial and performance audit: Clearly articulate the policy goals of audit, particularly when policy goals such as value for money, delivering public value, or boosting economic development appear to be in conflict.






Incentivise public service integration: Develop and implement policies that reward local authorities for successful integration of services. These incentives could be financial, recognition-based, or tied to increased autonomy in decision-making.






Private sector firms with a public service ethos




Value social impact: Expand the evaluation criteria of partnerships beyond financial metrics to include considerations of local impact and social value.







Adopt a relational mindset: Move away from a purely contractual mindset to a more relational one. This can foster better collaboration and shared learning with public sector partners.






Support innovation and technology: Invest in technologies that can enhance public service delivery, particularly those that facilitate integration and collaboration across different sectors.







Share knowledge and expertise: Offer consultancy, mentorship or experts to local authorities on how to turn their data into intelligent local insight or other key aspects of public service integration that public sector skills gaps are getting in the way of.







Promote a shared civic purpose: Align company objectives with the broader civic goals of public service provision to ensure a more integrated approach to improving outcomes




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Additional Contact(s):
07967 100328

]]>
http://www.localis.org.uk 05 Jul 2023 06:00:02 GMT Business & Finance Government Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ Localis calls for climate resilience in Local Plans ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/localis-calls-for-climate-resilience-in-local-plans-44499dabd57f4b157d98a07ffcab6637/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/localis-calls-for-climate-resilience-in-local-plans-44499dabd57f4b157d98a07ffcab6637/ Wednesday 8 March, 2023

Press release


Embargo date: from 00.01 a.m., Wednesday 8th March 2023


Localis calls for climate resilience in Local Plans


Successful climate adaptation will require an overhaul of the planning system to embed measurable targets for consistent local action nationwide, a report published by the think-tank Localis has argued today.


In a study entitled ‘Climate resilience in Local Plans’ the think-tank calls for a nationally accepted definition for ‘resilience’ as a prerequisite to enable local authorities to proactively adapt to defend communities from climate change.


Analysis of 88 English Local Plans by Localis revealed:


More than half (54.5 percent) of Local Plans emphasise water stress as a potential pressure, and many authorities in areas of serious water stress make note of this factor – although not all do;Around two-in-five (40.9 percent) of the plans surveyed consider the use of building regulations such as Passivhaus for housing or BREEAM standards for construction as potential solutions to climate change;While retrofitting and resilient buildings are a primary factor of extreme temperature adaptation, a focus on resilient buildings in reference to climate change resilience only appeared in two-in five (39.8 percent) of surveyed plans.

Localis head of research, Joe Fyans, said: “Given what we know from Met Office Climate Projection about best case scenarios for the probable damage likely to be wrought by increased flooding and the impact of heatwaves, what is worrying here is that current legislation comes nowhere close enough to covering the risk impact.


“Where rules are not in place, appropriate measures are not provided by all Local Plans. On the ground, this means there is a great deal of variability in local government preparations for climate change.


“Suitable resilience is needed for all areas, and a place-based approach that accounts for levels of vulnerability will be the appropriate remedy for many of the country’s upcoming climate problems.”


Localis researcher, Sandy Forsyth, said: “England is seen as a world-leader in terms of adaptation policy.


“A Local Resilience Act would simply work to codify the roles of actors with regard to a specific definition of resilience, setting out quantifiable obligations and resulting in funding dedicated to councils to provide resilient communities and infrastructure, so that best practice might become common practice across all areas of the country.”


ENDS















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Note to Editors:


About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever-growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


www.localis.org.uk


Climate Resilience in Local Plans


An embargoed copy of the report Climate Resilience in Local Plans can be downloaded here:


https://www.localis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/054_ClimateResilienceinLocalPlans_PRF2_Media.pdf


Localis is running a policy webinar to debate the report findings and issues arising on Wednesday 8 March from 11.00 to 12.00.


The panellists will include:


Alastair Brown, Director, Arete Consultancy & Management LtdLaura Frost, Associate and Climate Change Lead, ArupHarry Steele, Infrastructure Specialist, Royal Town and Planning InstituteJo Wall, Strategic Director – Climate Response, Local Partnerships LLP

To sign up to the webinar: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/resilience-in-local-planning-tickets-506046959077


Local Resilience Act Campaign


More details on Localis’s Local Resilience Act campaign can be found here:


https://www.localis.org.uk/research/local-resilience-act/


In proposing for the creation of a Local Resilience Act, Localis would expect the legislation to:


Ensure funding for place resilience to meet a statutory duty upon local authorities, as a core service line, to provide the best adaptation measures for the built and natural environments in the coming generations.Streamline existing legislation to allow the necessary changes to happen at the local level.Provide a workable and clearly defined conception of ‘resilience’ to be adopted in place.


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Additional Contact(s):
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]]>
http://www.localis.org.uk 08 Mar 2023 06:00:01 GMT Construction & Property Environment & Nature Government Manufacturing, Engineering & Energy Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ Blueprint for truly affordable homes could slash 1.2 million council waiting lists ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/blueprint-for-truly-affordable-homes-could-slash-12-million-council-waiting-lists-deb5bc8f330311d42662341786c6f5e4/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/blueprint-for-truly-affordable-homes-could-slash-12-million-council-waiting-lists-deb5bc8f330311d42662341786c6f5e4/ Monday 20 February, 2023


Press release


Embargo date: from 00.01 a.m., Monday, 20 February 2023


Blueprint for truly affordable homes could slash 1.2 million council waiting lists


New generation of Public Rental Homes (PRH) needed to match the needs and pockets of 1.2 million households on waiting lists.New Public/Private partnership model for half-market rent homes designed for local needs, built by private developers.Site-by-site appraisals rather than top-down planning targets form the bedrock of local PRH programmes.

The Housing Finance Institute (HFI) and Localis today publish a 30-page blueprint designed to stimulate a new generation of council homes.


‘Public Rental Homes – fresh perspectives’ provides a solution to the challenge that just 6,000 of the 52,000 new homes listed as ‘affordable’ in 2020/21 by local councils were truly affordable by 1.2 million households on waiting lists.


Local authorities would have the opportunity to develop plans to slash council waiting lists and galvanise local housebuilding by partnering with private developers to build homes by adopting this new-generation PRH model, that flips the traditional approach to negotiations on ‘affordable’ provision.


Currently councils negotiate with developers to determine the percentage of affordable homes a scheme can provide, based on the total private unit sales. ‘Affordable’ rents can vary from 50% of local market rents up to 90%. Subsidised sales are included in the percentages. The PRH model flips the question to ‘what percentage of private homes are needed to produce sufficient PRH homes?


Under the PRH model – which deals in ‘bottom up’ plans, not top-down targets - local authorities would be responsible for identifying sites that might meet PRH criteria and initiate discussion with developers. For their part, developers would assume 100% of the risk and a 20% margin on both the PRH homes as well as their own private units.


Report author, Peter Bill, said: “Families on council waiting lists are squeezed to the bottom of pile by financial pressures on councils and developers trying to agree the percentage of affordable homes. A new perspective is needed to ensure the needs of these families become the top priority on sites where PRH is viable.


“The PRH approach addresses that need and provides fresh impetus to councils looking to house those on their waiting list and to developers looking for better, simpler, ways to build. Site by site viability is the key. Developers take 100% of the risk and therefore deserve a 20% profit margin.”


Co-author, Jackie Sadek, said: “We need to get on and deliver. Stop arguing about the whys and the wherefores. Delivery only happens on the ground, not from Whitehall. Let’s try to crack this massive crisis, not top down, but bottom up. Every council should be supported in drawing up a 10 year Plan to deliver Public Rental Homes.”


Chair of The Housing and Finance Institute Board, Sir Steve Bullock, said: “Thousands of families and individuals, both young and old, are caught in the trap of being unable to afford to buy or rent privately but finding no alternative that they can possibly afford either. More people are falling into this trap each month yet the supply of new affordable homes is actually diminishing.


“The impact of the cost-of-living crisis makes finding a response ever more urgent and the HFI has commissioned this research to offer a way forward that can attract support on a cross party basis.


“Putting the emphasis on building new social homes has the potential to be a win–win with homeless people having a better chance of moving to decent properties that they can afford and make into homes while the economic impact of the construction will have wider benefits.


“Doing this at pace will need a different mindset at all levels of government and the HFI will press for that and work with councils, government and developers in the coming weeks to make this happen.”


ENDS



Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


The policy paper ‘Public Rental Homes – fresh perspectives_ is being launched In the Council Room, One Great George Street at 10.30 a.m. on Monday 20 February.

Press places are available upon request or sign up here:


A full copy of the embargoed policy paper “Public rental homes – fresh perspectives” can be downloaded here:

https://www.localis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/052_PRH_PRF5.pdf


Public Rental Homes– fresh perspectives


Background
The number of new homes built to suit the needs and the pockets of the 1.2 million households on council waiting lists has withered to 6,000 a year today, from close to 60,000 thirty years ago.
There are 6.2 million households in the lowest household income quintile who cannot afford to pay above what is defined as ‘social rent’ - circa 50 percent of the free market rent in the locality.
The Public Rental Homes (PRH) concept is more a new way of thinking about old challenges, rather than a new construct.
Conceptualising fresh ways to add to, rather than supplant, the existing affordable homes programme, without the requirement for legislation or changes to the planning system. Constructing ways of boosting ‘social rent’ home numbers viably, without grinding into political or planning battles
The PRH model is done in a way that would:
appeal to both main parties.
match the needs of local families waiting for homes.
Is not done in response to theoretical targets.
Built by the private sector who take 20% profit on both the private and PRH model homes in return for taking 100% of the development risk. Done in partnership with the council acting as a prime promoter, perhaps supplier of land, giver of permissions and recipient of freehold homes.
Achieved by flipping the viability model, working out how many PRH can be built from the set number of homes allowed on the site. Done on a site-by-site basis.
The principle being this:
if the viability study shows a positive land value agreed by all, then fine. If negotiations on the number of PRH units drives the land value into the red, then that red figure forms the basis for negotiations on land input figures, government loans, or grants.
Report authors and co-sponsors

Peter Bill:


Peter is a
surveyor-turned-journalist who edited Building magazine for six years, before editing Estates Gazette for 11 years as well as writing for the Evening Standard. Peter spent 20 years prior to becoming a journalist working for construction companies, including a decade with housebuilder George Wimpey. Peters latest book is Broken Homes, Britain’s Housing Crisis Faults, Factoids and Fixes, was published in 2020 and co-written with Jackie Sadek.


Jackie Sadek


Jackie Sadek has over 30 years’ experience in property, specializing in public-private sector partnership and was full time Specialist Adviser to government on urban regeneration. Jackie now runs Urban Strategy, a bespoke urban regeneration consultancy. She was member of Grimsey Review team on the future of the high street and is an honorary Fellow of ACES, the Association of Chief Estates Surveyors. Jackie, who writes regularly for EG, is co-author with Peter Bill of Broken Homes; Britain’s Housing Crisis, Faults Factoids and Fixes.


About The Housing and Finance Institute


Who we are


In January 2014, Natalie Elphicke and Councillor Keith House were appointed to lead a review into the role that councils can play in supporting housing supply.


When they reported in 2015 the Government welcomed the report, and accepted the core recommendations that, whilst much had been achieved, local authorities could do more to play a central role in supporting the provision of new homes, across all housing tenures. The report included recommendations for both central and local government.


As part of its response to the report the government worked with Keith House and Natalie Elphicke to implement a Housing Finance Institute (HFI), as recommended by their review.


Funded privately, it addressed the skills and knowledge gap in delivering local authority housing identified as one of the key recommendations of the report and worked wit a range of partners to facilitate dedicated support in areas such as setting up and managing public private sector joint ventures or developing capacity and skills in areas such as land assembly or developing investment vehicles.


The HFI is independent and has a board which is cross party and cross sector. Its Chief Executive was Natalie Elphicke until her election to Parliament. It developed programmes to help create the necessary capacity to build new homes through its Housing Business Ready programme and also published a series of thought-provoking reports looking at critical housing issues.


A key aspect of HFI’s approach was bringing together those involved from a range of background to share expertise and learning which was difficult to replicate during the COVID restriction and together with the departure of the founding Chief Executive led to a reduction in activity by HFI.


The continued growth in demand for housing that families on a range of income can afford and make their homes coupled with a slowdown of delivery of new affordable homes has led the HFI’s board to relaunch it as a critical voice in addressing this urgent challenge.


On 20 February it will publish a new study looking at a potential radical model for securing more social housing while Natalie Elphicke is developing a proposal to create a Housing Accelerator Taskforce to bring forward 100,000 extra homes over the next 18 months which the HFI will lead as a hub to support housing delivery and partnership working, skills and training across the public and private sectors.


About Localis


Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


www.localis.org.uk




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Additional Contact(s):
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]]>
http://www.localis.org.uk 20 Feb 2023 06:00:03 GMT Business & Finance Charities & non-profits Construction & Property Government Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ Flash flood plans should touch on surface risks, Localis report warns ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/flash-flood-plans-should-touch-on-surface-risks-localis-report-warns-7f5636ef588f56f447773947c061be12/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/flash-flood-plans-should-touch-on-surface-risks-localis-report-warns-7f5636ef588f56f447773947c061be12/ Tuesday 22 November, 2022

Press release


Embargo date: from 00.01 a.m., Tuesday 22nd November 2022


Flash flood plans should touch on surface risks, Localis report warns


Responsibility for tackling the growing prevalence of flash surface flooding should be gripped by central and local government to prevent needless damage to property and human misery, the think-tank Localis has argued.


In a report published today entitled ‘Surface Tensions – working together against flash flooding’ the place experts argued the connection between increased urbanisation and surface water risk demand greater coordination between the public sector, developers and wider society.


The study found the separation of roles and responsibilities for managing and forecasting the impact flood risk are fragmented between a slew of government departments, agencies and local bodies, resulting in confusion when flooding does occur.


Of particular note, the report found that minor developments comprising nine houses or less, infill or permitted development – are aggregating the risk of surface flooding across an area, without a legal requirement to provide sustainable drainage. Official figures for the year to June 2022 show that 35,000 dwellings received planning decisions from local authorities where more than one percent of homes are already at risk of flooding as part of minor developments. Given that 73% of minor development applications were approved across England in the same period, this could mean as many as 25,550 new homes built in areas that are already at risk of flash flooding, increasing pressure on infrastructure.


Among its key recommendations to reduce risk of surface flooding from climate change, Localis calls for the creation of a strong strategic planning authority with power for force national and local risk management authorities, such as the Environment Agency, Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) to work closely together and link up policy.


The report also calls for stronger collaboration between developers, landowners, LLFAs and central government agencies to understand and manage flood risk and resilience, and for this to be encouraged and incentivised across all new developments.


Localis Visiting Fellow, Professor Samer Bagaeen, said: “To tackle surface flooding, the next revision of the National Planning Policy Framework must require Local Plans to demonstrate how lead local flood authorities have assessed aggregate risk across the whole area, as well as how flood impacts will avoided, controlled, mitigated, and managed.


“And at the level of place, for infrastructure and procurements concerning flooding, lead local flood authorities should move away from human-engineered barriers and toward natural drainage systems that work to slow the flow of surface water and relieve pressure on sewers.”


Joe Fyans, Localis head of research, said: “As the UK is experiencing extremely wet days – more days of heavy summer rainfall on impermeable ground as well as a significant increase in heavy winter rainfalls – we are seeing an unsurprising increase the incidence of surface water flooding.


“How we go about funding this will be crucial. Central government would be best advised to pproduce a comprehensive flood infrastructure funding programme that is less restrictive and targeted toward places most at risk, while also encouraging ‘bottom-up’ practice by streamlining the funding process for smaller, district or community-based projects.”


Martin Milliner, claims director at LV= General Insurance, said: “As an insurer we see first-hand the very real and devastating impact flooding has on people’s lives. While we know the building of more homes is necessary to combat the housing crisis, the country is becoming less resilient to more extreme weather, and we must look at the future impacts this will have on our homes.


“The report highlights significant issues that continue to put an ever-increasing number of communities at risk, and it’s crucial that property developers, insurers and local authorities work together to tackle this important issue.”


“With the creation of our Flood-Proof Home of the Future we want to draw attention to the impact flooding could have on this country in 50 years, by showcasing the extreme features homes of the future may need to have to guard against flood risk. With the installation of such sophisticated flood proofing practically and financially out of the question for most homeowners, it’s more important than ever we work to combat the problem before such extreme measures are necessary.”


END















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


An advance copy of the report is available for download

https://www.localis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/051_SurfaceTensions_AWK.pdf


About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever-growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


www.localis.org.uk


About LV= General Insurance


About Liverpool Victoria General Insurance


• LV= General Insurance provides car, home, pet, travel, landlord, breakdown and home emergency insurance to over 7 million customers in the UK.


• We’re the UK’s third largest personal lines insurer with just over £2 billion in annual premium income.


• We offer our products and services directly to consumers as well as through intermediaries, including brokers, affinity partners and IFAs.


• LV= General Insurance uses the LV= brand under licence from the Liverpool Victoria Financial Services Group and the L&G brand under licence from the Legal & General Group.


• We are part of the Allianz Group, one of the world's leading insurers and asset managers with more than 92 million retail and corporate customers.


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Key report recommendations
Recommendations

The most prominent finding of the engagement carried out with stakeholders as part of this research was the need for greater partnership working:


There should be more joined-up working and stronger communication between lead local flood authorities and risk management authorities, particularly on matters of land use. This also involves the Environment Agency.Collaboration between developers, landowners, lead local flood authorities (LLFAs) and central government agencies to understand and manage flood risk and resilience must be encouraged and incentivised across all new developments.

Beyond that, there are actions to be taken by both central and local government to ensure greater resilience to flooding in general and surface water flooding in particular:


Central government:
Produce a comprehensive flood infrastructure funding programme that is less restrictive and targeted toward places most at risk.Encourage ‘bottom-up’ practice by streamlining the funding process for smaller, district or community-based projects.Produce a legal framework for local resilience forums that is informed by local experiences.Strengthen accountability and support mechanisms for communities affected by flooding – ensuring that they are relative to the scale of the flooding and subsequent damage.Introduce provisions for all, including minor, developments to be monitored by lead local flood authorities regarding their flood risk management.Training should be provided to planning departments of lead local flood authorities as part of a more strategic push to ensure that infrastructure projects and their contracts have strong, actionable flood provisions.The next revision of the National Planning Policy Framework must require Local Plans to demonstrate how lead local flood authorities have assessed aggregate risk across the whole area, as well as how flood impacts will avoided, controlled, mitigated, and managed.For infrastructure and procurements concerning flooding, lead local flood authorities should move away from human-engineered barriers and toward natural drainage systems that work to slow the flow of surface water and relieve pressure on sewers.Lead local flood authorities should identify land that is required for current and future flood management and safeguard it from other developments.In absence of flood resilience provisions in building regulations, lead local flood authorities should look to build such provisions into infrastructure projects and their constituent contracts.Lead local flood authorities should ramp up public engagement in surface water flood risk localities to produce a contextualised support package and contribute to a mapping of relative flood risk from neighbourhood to neighbourhood.
Local government:


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]]>
http://www.localis.org.uk 22 Nov 2022 06:00:02 GMT Business & Finance Construction & Property Environment & Nature Government Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ Empowered councils can deliver net zero and clean growth ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/empowered-councils-can-deliver-net-zero-and-clean-growth-99dd1bafdc60b2c46eb97b12d10c46f3/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/empowered-councils-can-deliver-net-zero-and-clean-growth-99dd1bafdc60b2c46eb97b12d10c46f3/ Wednesday 16 November, 2022

Press release


Embargo date: from 00.01 a.m., Wednesday 16 November 2022


Empowered councils can deliver net zero and clean growth


Local government should be empowered to independently fund clean growth projects and lead the drive to hit net zero in local communities, a report from Localis today urges.


‘Mapping a route to clean local growth – clearing the path to net zero’ calls on central government to raise the floor of support to help councils deliver a decarbonised local economy and to remove the ceiling on their ambition.


The report argues against a false dichotomy of ‘economy versus environment’ and instead says clean growth – spearheaded and catalysed by bold councils – could provide the much-needed growth gear shift which has eluded the British economy for decades.


The transformative change required to alleviate the damage of climate change should go hand in hand with the levelling up agenda to usher in more inclusive and balanced regional economies, says Localis. The empowerment of councils can galvanise improved productivity, long-term job creation in strategically important industries, improved quality of life and a better environment, as well as tackling many of the causes of the cost-of-living crisis, the paper argues.


The report also says that Local Plans – the documents agreed by councils which chart future land use – should set out how each area is to be decarbonised, for instance by demanding the highest energy efficiency standards and setting out a timetable for retrofit.


Meanwhile, the government is urged to set up a fund to support the retrofitting of housing and other buildings and to also to give local leaders autonomy to directly address this as a priority area for place-based decarbonisation.


The study examined five main economic pillars crucial to attaining net zero: housing and the built environment; energy; manufacturing; transport and infrastructure and land management and climate resilience.


It concluded that local government faces three key challenges in driving decarbonisation and delivering clean local growth: strategic planning across boundaries, addressing the skills deficit and the need to drive inward investment. In addressing these challenges, the report authors called on local government to lean on its soft power as place leaders to drive action and to take on a whole place approach to local economic strategy.


There are five action points for local leaders.


Rethink an area’s local plan so that it becomes the local driving force behind decarbonisation and clean growth- ensuring housing and economic needs are met sustainably. The local plan should be used to demand the highest energy efficiency standards, set out a timetable for retrofit, and become the ultimate guide to the fulfilment of your area’s net-zero goals.Councils should conduct green energy reviews. These should set out what community energy projects and renewable energy assets exist in the local area and provide an understanding of the potential scope for increasing local, sustainable energy generation.Engage local businesses, especially manufacturers, as they embark on or accelerate their passage on their decarbonisation journey. Engagement and expert advice, and a culture of cross-sector collaboration can bring about a just transition to net-zero industry.Review active travel policies to evaluate the scope to change the travel behaviour among parts of your local demographic which have been reluctant to adapt.Develop a holistic land use strategy for areas so that carbon-intensive land use is offset and meet multiple objectives to increase biodiversity, flood and climate resilience and improve food security.

Localis head of research, Joe Fyans, said: “Local authorities across the country are rightly acting to push their local economies in the direction of decarbonisation and better, higher growth.


“This report is filled with examples of councils acting within current systemic constraints to deliver net zero – using their Local Plans to push better practice in the built environment, investing locally in the generation and supply of renewable energy, working with local business to increase sustainable practice, leading a transformation in land management, and driving behavioural and infrastructural changes needed to transition justly to a net zero country.”


Cllr Sarah Nelmes, environment spokesperson of the District Councils’ Network, said: “There is huge ambition among local leaders to transform our places towards a cleaner, healthier, net-zero future – this is, quite simply, the biggest challenge our places face.


“This is a challenge local leaders can meet alongside growing their local economy. Far from decarbonisation and growth being conflicting goals, the former is a prerequisite to the latter if our local economies are to remain sustainable long-term.


“District councils have the highly-localised convening power necessary to drive behaviour change among our communities and our businesses, and to lead the drive for green growth. Our message to government is to give us the freedoms we require to get the funding for decarbonisation and in our places we will be your partners for change.”


Adele Gritten, chief executive, Local Partnerships, said: “Many of the actions required to tackle the cost-of-living crisis and greenhouse gas emissions are the same. Fundamentally, we need to become more efficient and use fewer resources.


“Energy is a key resource in this context and wholesale programmes of energy efficiency measures and active travel would save both the planet and stretched household budgets. This work is best co-ordinated locally, with local authorities leading on everything from land use to skills planning and growing the green economy.”


Cllr Paul Bettison, chairman of the Unitary Councils’ Network, said: “Unitary councils want to go further and faster with delivering green jobs and green solutions for our residents to help them reduce energy bills and to deliver our communities' net zero targets.


“As the leaders of our respective places, we want to work with government, the private and voluntary sectors to increase the pace of change to ensure we can meet the global climate change targets."


ENDS















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


An advance copy of the report ‘Mapping a route to clean local growth – clearing the path to net zero’
is available for download:

https://www.localis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/050_MappingARoute_AWK.pdf


The report is being launched on Wednesday 16 November at Innovation House, Farringdon with a panel debate and workshops. Press places can be obtained via Eventbrite:


https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mapping-a-route-to-local-clean-growth-report-launch-and-workshops-tickets-427268992057


About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever-growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


Twitter: @Localis


Web: www.localis.org.uk


About the District Councils’ Network


The District Councils’ Network is a cross-party network representing 183 councils in England, providing a single voice for district councils within the Local Government Association.


Our member councils in England deliver 86 out of 137 essential local government services to over 22 million people - 40% of the population - and cover 68% of the country by area.


DCN member councils have a proven track record of building better lives and stronger economies in the areas that they serve. They protect and enhance quality of life by safeguarding our environment, promoting public health and leisure, whilst creating attractive places to live, raise families and build a stronger economy. By tackling homelessness and promoting wellbeing, district councils ensure no one gets left behind by addressing the complex needs of today whilst attempting to prevent the social problems of tomorrow.


Twitter: @districtcouncil


Web: https://districtcouncils.info/


About Local Partnerships


Local Partnerships is jointly owned by the Local Government Association, HM Treasury and the Welsh Government. We facilitate change by working impartially and collaboratively across all parts of central, local and regional government, and the devolved administrations.


We work solely for the benefit of the public sector. We help public sector organisations face the ever-increasing challenge of meeting rising demands for services, with shrinking budgets, helping them to achieve and maintain financial resilience.


Our aim is to strengthen the public sector to deliver more effectively, achieve more swiftly, and give value for money to the taxpayer and public service customer. We work with local authorities and other public service providers across England and Wales.


Twitter: @LP_localgov


Web: https://localpartnerships.org.uk/


About the Unitary Councils’ Network


The Unitary Councils’ Network exists to promote, support and represent the aims and ambitions of the Unitary Councils of England.


Its membership comprises councils representing: Bath & North East Somerset, Bedford Borough, Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole, Bracknell Forest, Cheshire East, Cornwall, Hartlepool Borough, Medway, North Lincolnshire, North Somerset, Plymouth City, Portsmouth City, Reading Borough, Rutland County, Shropshire, Slough Borough, Southampton City, South Gloucestershire, Stoke On Trent, Swindon Borough, Telford & Wrekin, Thurrock, Torbay, West Berkshire, Windsor & Maidenhead, Wokingham Borough.


Key Report Recommendations

Local government faces three key challenges in driving decarbonisation and delivering clean local growth.


Strategic planning across boundaries. The challenges of clean growth are felt acutely at the local level, but action must be coordinated at a variety of different spatial scales if they are to be effectively addressed, from the regional to the hyper-local.Addressing the skills deficit. From home insulation to modern sustainable land management, upskilling is needed both within local authorities and across local economies if we are to achieve sustainable growth.Stimulating local markets and driving inward investment. Whilst the public sector must be at the forefront of mapping the route to clean local growth, this must be in the context of providing opportunities for the private sector to innovate and drive productivity, in the stable economic context that long-term vision can provide.

In addressing these challenges, across all sectors examined in this report, local government must lean on its soft power as place leader as the driving force of action, taking a holistic approach to economic strategy throughout – where decarbonisation is understood as a cross-sectoral, cross-departmental mission.


Recommendations summary


General


The government must fully recommit to Net Zero and, responding to the Supreme Court decision of July 2022, produce a detailed and costed strategy for achieving decarbonisation of the economy. Given the fraught economic situation and lack of available extra funding from the exchequer, central government must launch a comprehensive review of the fiscal mechanisms available to local government to fund decarbonisation and clean growth projects.

Housing and the built environment


Raise the standards for net zero local plans in the revised National Planning Policy Framework: Make specific reference to the targets agreed to in the Paris Agreement and the role of local planning in achieving the goal. Include a requirement for emission reduction targets at the local level. Set targets for green and blue infrastructure provision. Set requirement for inclusion of low-carbon heat technologies in new developments. Set stringent mitigation obligations for new developments. Produce a long-term plan for building stock decarbonisation with regional breakdowns of supply and demand for retrofit. As part of the overall measures to bring down energy costs and support people through the cost-of-living crisis, government must find and set aside money for a long-term retrofit programme, to give industry the surety needed to ramp up investment in the necessary skills and materials.

Energy


Commit to renewable energy and abandon plans to further extract fossil fuels from the North Sea and to frack for shale gas in England. Produce legislation to bring forward the Local Skills Improvement Plans as laid out in the Levelling Up White Paper, with an emphasis on the delivery of new green skills for retrofit. Produce a comprehensive legal framework for Local Area Action Plans, as was scoped by Ofgem and BEIS in late 2021.

Manufacturing


Launch a new wave of enterprise zones to help support the transition to net zero in the manufacturing sector whilst also growing regional productivity. Attach skills provision to enterprise zones through Local Skills Improvement Plans, ensuring that approval for zones is granted only on demonstration of a viable local skills supply chain for businesses in the target sector.

Transport and infrastructure


Bring forward a new Transport Act: Create a legal framework for integrated transport strategies across the country with carbon reduction targets and responsibilities. Give councils powers to incentivise bus operators to decarbonise through local regulation. Create a mechanism to increase transport revenue funding to local authorities proportionate to the percentage of local public transport which is net zero.

Land management


Reaffirm support for nature recovery and the protection of the environment in planning regulations. Give councils power to act on privately-held flood defences. Create a comprehensive, cross-departmental national land management framework – so that councils and landowners are aware of the different options for decarbonisation and how these aggregate up to a national reduction in emissions.

There are five key points of action for local leaders:


1. Rethink your area’s local plan so that it becomes the local driving force behind decarbonisation and clean growth- ensuring housing and economic needs are met sustainably. The local plan should be used to demand the highest energy efficiency standards, set out a timetable for retrofit, and become the ultimate guide to the fulfilment of your area’s net-zero goals.


2. Councils should conduct green energy reviews. These should set out what community energy projects and renewable energy assets exist in the local area and provide an understanding of the potential scope for increasing local, sustainable energy generation.


3. Engage local businesses, especially manufacturers, as they embark on or accelerate their passage on their decarbonisation journey. Engagement and expert advice, and a culture of cross-sector collaboration can bring about a just transition to net-zero industry.


4. Review active travel policies to evaluate the scope to change the travel behaviour among parts of your local demographic which have been reluctant to adapt.


5. Develop a holistic land use strategy for your area so that carbon-intensive land use is offset and meet multiple objectives to increase biodiversity, flood and climate resilience and improve food security.




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Additional Contact(s):
07967 100328

]]>
http://www.localis.org.uk 16 Nov 2022 00:00:02 GMT Business & Finance Construction & Property Environment & Nature Farming & Animals Government Manufacturing, Engineering & Energy Public Sector & Legal Transport & Logistics
<![CDATA[ Localis calls for Local Resilience Act to give places power to combat climate change and extreme weather ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/localis-calls-for-local-resilience-act-to-give-places-power-to-combat-climate-change-and-extreme-weather-25a8d5bef910b07dc5cb6812fe5e0f03/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/localis-calls-for-local-resilience-act-to-give-places-power-to-combat-climate-change-and-extreme-weather-25a8d5bef910b07dc5cb6812fe5e0f03/ Thursday 10 November, 2022

Press release


Embargo date: from 00.01 a.m., Thursday 10th
November 2022


Localis calls for Local Resilience Act to give places power to combat climate change and extreme weather


Independent think-tank Localis has today launched a campaign calling for the streamlining of legislation to give local leaders powers and independent funding to protect areas from climate change and extreme weather.


In making the case for a Local Resilience Act, Localis argue that England’s local authorities are best placed to understand and to act upon individual resilience requirements from city to country to coast.


Recent analyses of place policy undertaken by Localis have consistently revealed the current funding landscape for local government to deliver resilient places is far too piecemeal and insufficient, and that the responsibilities between local, central and industry are also too fragmented and disconnected for this to be addressed as a whole place agenda.


To address this, Localis is proposes a Local Resilience Act that would work to ensure funding for place resilience to meet a statutory duty upon local authorities, as a core service line, to provide the best adaptation measures for the built and natural environments in the coming generations.


The Act would streamline existing legislation to allow the absolutely necessary changes to happen at the local level - the level where climate change adaptation is most able to mitigate the risks of dangerous weather changes.


Changes to transport, buildings, local businesses, land use and biodiversity are all required and could be enacted by local authorities - but only if the role of local government in directing resilience is consolidated and if the necessary funding and revenue streams provided.


Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “As climate shifts worldwide, councils across England are being hit by increasingly extreme weather patterns including violent storm surges, unbearable temperatures, and widespread flooding.


“Even under the most minimal of warming scenarios, infrastructure, public health, and GDP will all worsen due to the weighty pressure of extreme weather events. Different areas are undergoing their own unique changes, and specialised adaptation is necessary.


“Failure to fund whole place resilience is folly. The prolonged breakdown of infrastructure and the sustained inability of our built environment to withstand extreme weather will cost the nation far more further down the line – perhaps to the point where it will threaten to undermine economic growth and social stability.”


Localis head of research, Joe Fyans, said: “Whole place resilience is vital. It has been predicted that without suitable adaptation measures and mitigation, the country will see extraordinary costs as communities struggle to keep up with the changes forced upon it by climate change.


“If action is not taken, the UK might see damages of up to 7.4 percent reduction of its potential GDP by the end of the century, alongside devastating shocks to its agricultural sector and to the health of its population. However, with suitable upstream mitigation and preventative measures in place, that figure would drop to a predicted 2.4 percent.


“In the face of the climate emergency, our current lack of place resilience is precarious. The structure of funding for local authorities needs to transform in order that adaptation can take place, and that long-term planning is enabled for the sake of minimising future long-term costs.”


ENDS















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever-growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


www.localis.org.uk


https://www.localis.org.uk/research/local-resilience-act/




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Additional Contact(s):
07967 100328

]]>
http://www.localis.org.uk 10 Nov 2022 07:23:16 GMT Construction & Property Environment & Nature Government Public Sector & Legal Transport & Logistics
<![CDATA[ Community engagement commitment key to connected society, Localis toolkit indicates ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/community-engagement-commitment-key-to-connected-society-localis-toolkit-indicates-f7bfbeaab610ec3afa5d4553ec21d387/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/community-engagement-commitment-key-to-connected-society-localis-toolkit-indicates-f7bfbeaab610ec3afa5d4553ec21d387/ Monday 3 October, 2022

Community engagement commitment key to connected society, Localis toolkit indicates


Independent think-tank Localis has today published a policy toolkit setting out how councils should seek to work with their communities to make residents feel pride in their place.


Entitled ‘The Connected Society’ the practical study draws on the experience of Kensington and Chelsea Council’s efforts to transform how they increase participation of local people in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic by improving citizen engagement.


The toolkit sets out concrete examples of how Kensington and Chelsea’s service teams have committed to undertaking more relational approach to engagement, one that is not afraid to strike an emotional connection in dealing with everyday matters.


Examples of how this has been used to good effect in Kensington and Chelsea include provision of pocket parks and the consensual development of al-fresco late-evening dining across the borough.


Designed as an aid to council officers and elected members alike, the policy options outlined in the toolkit set out practical steps to enhance community engagement through better understanding and internalising of the process and practice.


Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “How citizens and communities identify with their local area is notoriously tricky to grasp. In the immediate policy context, the government’s Levelling Up White Paper has used the rhetoric of ‘pride in place’ – a helpful springboard.


“And if there is to be any true value from our experience from lockdown and recovery, it lies in making copper-bottom sure that the spirit of community we have seen in the crisis, and the new opportunities of technology to make a more connected society, are rigorously and ruthlessly followed up for the sake of improving people’s lives everywhere.


“The Connected Society, therefore, represents an early attempt to marry an understanding of levelling up theory with the practice of community-led placemaking on the streets, the alfresco dining areas, in the pocket parks and among the diverse communities of Kensington & Chelsea. It is to be hoped that there is much in this policy toolkit that can be learned and adapted to in different places and circumstances.”


Localis researcher, Callin McLinden, said: “Relational governance that engages residents is becoming more widely practiced across English local government - to some wonderful results. The Connected Society breaks down consultation and engagement at the local level; how it should be understood, internalised, and practiced by local authorities, through the lens of Kensington & Chelsea’s recent experiences.


“Moreover, by situating engagement in the context of current government policy, as well as investigating relevant discourses on engagement, civic pride, trust and the like, The Connected Society is a unique toolkit with contemporary relevance to the evolving levelling up agenda.”


Cllr Elizabeth Campbell, leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council, said: “Right across the country, better decisions are made when Councils and communities work together to tackle problems and make the most of local opportunities.


“Here in Kensington and Chelsea, we are striving to be the best council. This is our response to a direct challenge given to us by the bereaved families and survivors from Grenfell. That means not only working with communities to decide what happens on their doorstep, but focusing hard on the manner and way we work with communities.


“We want to be authentic in our consultation and engagement, where people see real action from the feedback they give us, and we want to demonstrate every day that we care about the people we serve.


“This Connected Society report provides evidence of how we are putting all this into action, but also provides the start of a blueprint for others to do the same. My hope is the council I lead can help to guide and improve other authorities nationally. This would be a true and meaningful legacy to Grenfell.”


ENDS















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 /


(Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


An advance copy of the policy toolkit is available for download here

https://www.localis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/044_ConnectedSociety_AWK.pdf


The report is being launched on Monday 3 October at the Conservative Party Conference fringe event, taking place from 12 noon to 1.00 p.m. in the Banqueting Room of Birmingham Council House, Victoria Square.


Speakers will include:


Cllr Elizabeth Campbell, leader, Royal Borough of Kensington and ChelseaCllr James Jamieson, chairman, Local Government AssociationDanny Kruger MP for DevizesMark Robinson, chair, High Streets TaskforceDavid Simmonds MP for Ruislip, Northwood and PinnerAilbhe McNabola, Director of Policy and Communications, Power to Change

For more details and registration:


https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-connected-society-realising-pride-in-place-tickets-416724252457


About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


www.localis.org.uk




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https://twitter.com/Localis Pressat jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk
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Additional Contact(s):
07967 100328

]]>
http://www.localis.org.uk 03 Oct 2022 06:00:02 GMT Business & Finance Charities & non-profits Food & Drink Government
<![CDATA[ Toolkit suggests road to recovery and renewal for Kent high streets ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/toolkit-suggests-road-to-recovery-and-renewal-for-kent-high-streets-85ceaf78a8848d88fbc91bb1479d4642/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/toolkit-suggests-road-to-recovery-and-renewal-for-kent-high-streets-85ceaf78a8848d88fbc91bb1479d4642/ Tuesday 27 September, 2022

Toolkit suggests road to recovery and renewal for Kent high streets


Independent think-tank Localis has today published a policy toolkit setting out how high streets across Kent and Medway are tackling a changing and challenging retail landscape.


Entitled ‘Recovery and Renewal on the Kent High Street’ the practical study sets out concrete examples of how Kent’s local centres are adapting with a sense of determination, ingenuity and resilience to maintain a sense of pride in place amid a fast-changing retail and cultural climate.


Originally commissioned in winter 2021 by Kent County Council working with Medway Council and Kent’s Boroughs and Districts, and prompted by the urgency of sustaining a post-Covid local economy recovery, the toolkit captured local knowledge and experience alongside wider national learning.


Drawing on experience from stakeholders across Kent’s local government and business community, the toolkit considers a number of factors local economies are contending with, including the balance between retail, leisure and other offers, success factors underpinning strong town centre performance and the role of local authorities in nurturing high streets.


Designed as an aid to local economic development practitioners and experts, the policy options covered include placemaking, coping with post-pandemic changes to the high street, decarbonisation and sustainability, labour markets, diversity on the high street mix and how to overcome barriers to recovery.


Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “Driving innovation in the centre of towns will be crucial to their short-term survival and long-term renaissance and ensuring residents feel a strong sense of pride in place.


“Local government, as the key institutional player in the long-term management of high streets and town centres will, as this toolkit outlines, have to prove adept and adroit in making use of the tools and resources at its disposal.”


Cllr Roger Gough, Leader of Kent County Council, said: “A vibrant high street or town centre is central to local growth and a sense of place – this first Localis policy toolkit offers an array of ideas and options showing how by working together nationally and locally we may achieve this.


“For a national Government rightly intent on Levelling Up, the high street has taken on a new importance. This report offers a portfolio of local solutions and national policy ideas which could make levelling up on our high streets a reality.”


ENDS















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


An advance copy of the policy toolkit is available for download here

[insert link]


A webinar will take place on from 12 noon to 1.00 p.m. Tuesday 27 September to promote the findings.


Speakers will include:


• Matt Baker, Urban Regeneration Specialist, member of the Grimsey Review


• Cllr Roger Gough, leader, Kent County Council


• Tracey Kerly, Chief Executive and Andrew Osborne, Head of Economic Development, Ashford Borough Council


• Dr Jackie Mulligan, Director, ShopAppy.com


To take part, register your place via Eventbrite:


https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/recovery-and-renewal-on-the-kent-high-street-tickets-415179682607


About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


www.localis.org.uk


Background to the toolkit


In winter 2021, prompted by the urgency of a sustained post-Covid local economy recovery, Kent County Council working with Medway Council and Kent’s Districts and Boroughs commissioned Localis to undertake a study to capture local knowledge and experience from across Kent and Medway and combine this with wider national learning to develop a toolkit enabling places across the county to draw from the successes and experiments of others.


With the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill now published – and new powers set to be introduced to tackle the scourge of empty shops – Localis’s toolkit offers complementary local solutions and national policy ideas which could make levelling up on our high streets a reality.


In the light of the future challenges facing the high street amid a deepening cost-of-living crisis, Kent’s local centres have already provided excellent and concrete examples of places overcoming with a sense of determination, optimism and positivity.


Localis’s toolkit, entitled “Recovery and renewal on the high street in Kent”:


• gathers multiple local perspectives on the issues facing local town centres in Kent;


• highlights innovative ideas that have been developed locally;


• presents a number of policy options and;


• outlines some themes for further investigation


The research underpinning the toolkit was guided by and answers the following questions that have


been informed by stakeholders from across Kent:


1. What will the future high street and town centre look like?


2. Where are current examples of success, nationally and internationally, and how have they been achieved? What was their evolution and how much would apply to Kent and Medway?


3. Are there common elements of best practice or will these vary according to place?


4. What can we learn from recent national and local reports on high streets/town centres?


5. What is the balance between the retail, leisure and/or other offers? What is the opportunity for diversification?


6. What is the role of local authorities and local agencies in growing the high street?


7. What is the risk from Permitted Development Rights and similar legislation and could local action be taken to minimise risk to the high street?


8. What are the wider costs of failing high streets and town centres?


9. What can we learn from the decline of high streets and the failure of key businesses to support new business-led development?


10. Can we define KPIs for high streets and town centres to monitor performance and measure community value?


The research was kindly sponsored by Kent County Council and Kent County Council’s Helping Hands Scheme, and involved support and involvement from:


Ashford Borough CouncilCanterbury City CouncilDartford Borough CouncilDover District CouncilFolkestone and Hythe District CouncilGravesham Borough CouncilMaidstone Borough CouncilSevenoaks Borough CouncilSwale District CouncilThanet District CouncilTonbridge and Malling Borough CouncilTunbridge Wells Borough CouncilMedway Council


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07967 100328

]]>
http://www.localis.org.uk 27 Sep 2022 08:05:02 GMT Business & Finance Charities & non-profits Construction & Property Government Public Sector & Legal Retail & Fashion
<![CDATA[ Give rural areas more time to transition to low carbon heating, Government urged ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/give-rural-areas-more-time-to-transition-to-low-carbon-heating-government-urged-b0284604d9aa3ed3e56eba5b05f9abeb/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/give-rural-areas-more-time-to-transition-to-low-carbon-heating-government-urged-b0284604d9aa3ed3e56eba5b05f9abeb/ Tuesday 5 July, 2022

Embargo date: from 00.01 a.m., Tuesday 5 July 2022Ministers must not penalise countryside dwellers who live off the gas grid – one in seven households nationwide - by making them guinea pigs in the drive to decarbonise heating, a report from the think-tank Localis has warned.



In its study issued today entitled “Reaching rural properties: off-grid heating in the transition to net zero”, Localis has recommend government should extend by nine years to 2035 the deadline for homes off the gas grid to end fossil fuel heating installation - in line with the deadline for on-grid homes. According to the research, the current 2026 deadline does not provide sufficient time to improve the current heat pump market condition, and the report advises government to improve the incentive schemes available to households.


To address this, the report advocates that government should support a mix of low carbon heating technologies to help grow the market, stimulate infrastructure investment and improve incentives for uptake.


Other key recommendations in the report include calls for government to provide -


an effective communications and engagement strategy at national and local level to raise awareness of different low carbon options for the four million off-grid households across the UK;
certainty over the role that biofuels will play in the decarbonisation of off-grid homes to support infrastructure investment and stimulate the market;funding for ‘fabric first’ enhancements to rural homes via local councils.

Since infrastructure in rural areas is in many places not prepared for a widespread switch to electricity as a primary heating source, the report calls on government to build a programme of electricity infrastructure upgrades in rural areas into the roadmap to net zero.



And because the current Energy Performance Certificate methodology is not well-suited to off-grid homes, the paper urges government to review the EPC methodology with the aim of redressing the unequal impact this has in rural areas.



Report author, Zayn Qureshi, senior researcher at Localis, said: “Given the depth and scale of the net zero challenge, government cannot afford to push forward with its current all or nothing approach to rural home decarbonisation. This not only places an unfair and disproportionate burden on off-grid properties, but it also risks large scale failure in convincing households to take up the switch.


“Government must approach this challenge with a degree of flexibility and adaptability, which takes into consideration the socio-economic place circumstances of households being targeted for the transition.


“As part of this, a mixed technology approach needs to be adopted. One that provides a range of cost-effective options to consumers over different low carbon technologies and ‘drop in’ fuels including bioLPG.”


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis, said: “Commercial and domestic heating is in the frontline of this epochal shift in the everyday which will have profound implications for millions of households. Like many national top-down agendas, the policy corridor for this remains stubbornly urban.


“However, in trialling the transition to clean heat methods, the pioneering areas are those which lie off the mains gas grid - and in consequence rely on alternative sources, frequently expensive to heat their homes.


“This is no small concern. In England there are 1.1 million homes off the gas grid that rely on fossil fuel heating, a figure which stretches to four million households – 15 percent of the total, across the UK.


“Success will also depend on strongly co-ordinated messaging and communication allied with persuasive bottom-up community engagement strategies. In as vital a domestic policy area as this, a policy which literally affects the hearths of countless homes, there is limited scope to backtrack and reheat policy. It serves all our interests to work together and get this right first time.”


Sophia Haywood, Director of Public Affairs at Liquid Gas UK, said: “The current government strategy for decarbonising off-grid heating is a one size fits all approach, which isn’t fit for purpose. It doesn’t consider the needs of homes and businesses in rural areas, or the complexity of heating rural properties, which are typically harder to heat and expensive to retrofit.


“Liquid Gas UK welcomes the findings from the Localis report, and urges government to consider a broader energy mix, which includes LPG as the lowest carbon traditional fuel, and renewable liquid gases, such as bioLPG and rDME.


“The UK LPG industry has an ambition to be 100% renewable by 2040, with bioLPG already available on the market and a clear pathway to reaching Net Zero, this offers real choice for the consumer as they look to reduce their carbon footprint. A mixed technology approach to decarbonisation is vital, if UK Government are serious about delivering a just transition in rural areas.”



ENDS



Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


An advance copy of the report is available for download here:


https://www.localis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/047_RuralProperties_PRF2_Embargo_Version.pdf



About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever-growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


www.localis.org.uk



About Liquid Gas UK


Liquid Gas UK is the Trade Association for bioLPG and LPG in the UK with members from across the energy sector including established bioLPG and LPG suppliers, new start-ups in the technology and biofuel space, training organisations, equipment manufacturers and suppliers, installers including plumbers and heating engineers. We are proud to say our members supply over 99% of the LPG distributed in the UK. Our purpose is to promote growth and sustainability, influence Government policy, promote industry safety and best practice, and most importantly provide an excellent service and clear point of reference to all of our members.


https://www.liquidgasuk.org/


Key report recommendations


Recommendations

The table below displays key facets of the current approach to decarbonisation of off-grid homes, alongside policy recommendations based on the research for this report that might make net zero more achievable for the four million homes currently using off-grid heating.


Government policy

Localis recommendation

An end to the installation of fossil fuel heating in homes off the gas grid from 2026.

Part of this policy will rely on working with industry to reduce upfront cost of heat pump installation by 50% by 2025 and achieve cost parity between them and gas boilers by 2030. Government support to enable an end to installation of fossil fuel heating includes £450 Boiler Upgrade Scheme and £2.5bn Heat Upgrade Grant Government believes these steps will enable them to end the installation of fossil fuel heating in off-grid homes from 2026. They believe this is enough time to allow their funding support and the market mechanism time to improve heat pump market condition

Bring the 2026 ban on fossil fuel boilers for off-grid homes into line with the 2035 deadline for on-grid homes.

Set out evidence for how government will work with industry to reduce costs of installation and what steps are being taken already. Increase the amount available within the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to match the entire cost of a heat pump. Broaden the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to include liquid biofuels.Four years is not enough time to improve the current heat pump market condition. Government needs to improve the incentive schemes available to households as well as embark on a communication campaign to engage with off-grid households over the proposed regulations. This will help increase uptake and help grow the market.

A ‘heat pump first’ approach to replacement heating systems from 2026.

This entails setting a high standard governing the choice of replacement heating system, with air source heat pumps being the lead replacement technology in most cases. Ahead of the regulation coming into force, government will issue guidance on how households and installers should determine whether it is reasonably practicable to install a heat pump in their home.Government also proposes to extend this ‘heat pump first’ approach to replacement heating systems in off-grid fossil fuel heated homes that can be made suitable through minor energy efficiency upgrades that can be done quickly including insulation.

Government should not be proscriptive over technology at this stage in the decarbonisation process.

With an eventual transition to heat pumps in mind, at this stage government must encourage a variety of low carbon heating technologies that accord with the place circumstances of each rural off-grid community.Government must work with industry to immediately set out guidance on the different low carbon options available for households that are not ready for heat pump installation. With focus currently on costly major transformations to homes and their heating systems, more achievable improvements to efficiency risk being overlooked. The government should provide funding for ‘fabric first’ improvements to rural homes via local councils.

Requiring high performing replacement heating systems where heat pumps cannot reasonably practicably be installed

Government intends to consult on the criteria governing the choice of replacement heating systems available to households not ready for heat pumps ahead of the 2026 implementation of the heat pump first approach. Government have proposed that any alternate choice of technology for households not ready for heat pumps must reflect the high standards of performance of high temperature heat pumps and solid biomass systems. It is believed that this proposal will create space for industry to innovate and bring forward new low carbon heating solutions that are not currently available.

Embed a mixed technology approach in the regulatory framework and work with industry stakeholders to determine what role biofuels will play in the decarbonisation of off grid homes.

Government needs to work with industry stakeholders operating in alternative low carbon heating sectors to set out the role and capacity of each replacement heating system. This communication needs to be underpinned by clarity and consistency. Work with same industry stakeholders to clarify what ‘high standards of performance’ means and how alternative low carbon heating technologies can achieve this. Providing certainty over the role that biofuels will play in the decarbonisation of off-grid homes will allow the sector to make the appropriate investment decisions to build required infrastructure and stimulate the market. Government must ensure that the mixed technology approach in the regulatory framework is localised and flexible depending on the place circumstances of off grid homes.


In addition to this:


The electricity infrastructure in rural areas is in many places not prepared for a widespread switch to electricity as a primary heating source. Therefore, it is important that government build a programme of electricity infrastructure upgrade in rural areas into the roadmap to net zero.The current Energy Performance Certificate methodology is not well-suited to application in off-grid homes. The government should review the EPC methodology with the aim of redressing the unequal impact on off-grid homes.


At a local level:


Regional Heat Decarbonisation Hubs should be developed that bring together local state stakeholders including energy providers, neighbouring local authorities and installers. These should be collaborative efforts aimed at engaging with off-grid communities and raising awareness of the need for and importance of heat decarbonisation. They should act to illuminate a path to achieving sustainable rural heating through providing consumers knowledge over a variety of low carbon choices best suited to the local housing stock context. These hubs should communicate clearly what the regulatory framework is, and what it means for the local housing stock as well as off grid households. They should provide all relevant information on key aspects of the decarbonisation process including signposting details of the government’s fiscal support scheme, most suitable low carbon heating for the local building stock, support regarding the planning process where relevant, and information on local SMEs and installers available to do the required work. These regional hubs should also have a model home to showcase and demonstrate to households what a fully decarbonised off grid property could look like.These hubs should also facilitate best practice sharing between and amongst households wanting to decarbonise.




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Additional Contact(s):
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]]>
http://www.localis.org.uk 05 Jul 2022 07:05:02 GMT Business & Finance Construction & Property Environment & Nature Farming & Animals Government Home & Garden Manufacturing, Engineering & Energy Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ Give South East freedom to grow its own way, Localis report urges ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/give-south-east-freedom-to-grow-its-own-way-localis-report-urges-9f3af386fe02a372ab0d348e79598435/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/give-south-east-freedom-to-grow-its-own-way-localis-report-urges-9f3af386fe02a372ab0d348e79598435/ Tuesday 22 March, 2022

Press release


Embargo date: from 00.01 a.m., Tuesday 22nd March 2022


Give South East freedom to grow its own way, Localis report urges


Government must rethink its assumption that merely directing investment away from an ‘overheated’ South East will cool intense living pressures affecting the region and benefit the rest of the country, the think-tank Localis has argued.


In a report published today entitled ‘Resetting the South East: levelling up after Brexit, Covid and climate change’, Localis makes the case that the inherent strengths of the region, which leads the country in export-led growth, demand a greater devolution of economic control, infrastructure investment and transport coordination.


According to Localis, a more nuanced devolution settlement for the South East would empower local councils to alleviate deprivation in parts of the region – especially coastal areas - which are as left-behind as anywhere else in the country, improve quality of life for residents and boost central government’s Net Zero and Global Britain ambitions.


Other report recommendations include suggestions to:


Establish a South East Finance Commission – along the lines Boris Johnson did as London Mayor – to investigate how appropriate fiscal levers could help the region as a net contributor to public finances self-fund investment to boost the regional economy and improve people’s quality of life.Convene a ‘Summit of the South East’ with a view to presenting an agreed preferred structure for local governance and regional priorities to the government’s Levelling Up Director.Put Transport for the South East on a statutory footing with strategic responsibilities to improve and invest in transport connectivity and reduce carbon emissions.

Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “Although the government has declared the levelling up agenda is not in the business of ‘decapitating tall poppies’, and paid lip service to the notion that devolution means doing thing differently in different places, there is a risk of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.


“While it is not too late for government to correct devolutionary course, it is also incumbent on the south east’s local leaders to present the incoming Levelling Up Director with a unified and coherent approach to making the south east a champion of global trade, clean growth and improved transport and quality of life for residents – many of whom live in areas of deprivation which belie the region’s reputation as a land of plenty.”


Localis researcher, Callin McLinden, said: “Levelling up discourse has been frustrating for the South East. Despite the region’s surface prosperity, the South East contains pockets of deprivation and inequality. The recently published White Paper provided some nuance, yet unfortunately still presented the South East as ‘overheated’ – with the region’s issues characterised as ones of demand, rather than structural inequality, productivity, or public service pressures.


“‘Resetting the South East’ is a more considered and expansive exploration of the South East’s role in levelling up, what levelling up can do for the South East, and what role the region’s local government should play in the agenda. It also seeks to make the case for a new approach to devolution, funding, and finance – one in which local government has genuine autonomy and is co-ordinated in the delivery of public value.”


Cllr Nicolas Heslop, chair of South East Councils, said: “South East England is the UK’s gateway to the world, positioned on the doorstep of the EU, with significant clusters of commerce and industry - long championing trade, the South East has been England’s highest exporting region.


“Crucially, the South East has been one of only two UK regions to be a net contributor to the Treasury. Ministers will want to ensure the South East has a secure economic foundation to meet challenges presented by pandemic impacts, the effects of climate change and a growing population which is set to reach 10 million people by 2030.”


Sean McKee, director, South East Councils, said: ““The South East enjoys strong economic relationships with other UK regions and our future growth is intertwined. Government plans for more devolution to English regions cannot simply by-pass the South East.


“The South East region can do more, can support more, can deliver more, for the UK with more control over its destiny.


“Councils need flexibility to ensure adequate infrastructure and public services provision to make the region attractive as a place to live, work and do business.


“A new model is needed to harness additional powers and new funding streams to empower local representatives to deliver for the communities they serve.”


ENDS















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


An advance copy of the report is available for download here:

https://www.localis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/046_Resetting-the-South-East_PRF2.pdf


The report is being debated on the day of launch in a webinar that will take place from 11.00 to 12.00 p.m. on Tuesday 22nd March.


Panel speakers will include


Cllr Nicolas Heslop, Chair, South East CouncilsProfessor Tony Travers, LSE LondonCllr Susan Brown, Leader, Oxford City CouncilMichael Burton, Editorial Director, The Municipal JournalJonathan Werran, Chief Executive, Localis (Chair)

To register your place please visit:


https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/south-east-councils-and-localis-resetting-the-south-east-report-launch-registration-291172784637


About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


www.localis.org.uk


About South East Councils


South East Councils (SEC) is a cross-party membership association that works to ensure the South East England region is a great place to live, work and do business.


With most local authorities as members, we seek to provide a unified democratic voice on South East interests.


South East Councils is an associate member of the Local Government Association (LGA).


https://www.secouncils.gov.uk/


Key report recommendations
Resetting the South East – Report Recommendations

General recommendations


The pre-publication discourse around ‘levelling up’ alienated communities and local leaders in the South East. While the Levelling Up White Paper made some progress in this regard, a less regionally-fixated and zero-sum focus is required for the agenda to succeed.In advancing the Levelling Up White Paper, government must re-think the assumption that directing investment away from an ‘overheated’ South East will ‘cool’ the region and ‘heat’ the rest of the country.

Local Recommendations


A unified approach within the region is crucial to advancing the devolution debate. To create a unified and bottom-up framework for devolution, local authorities should come together in a major ‘Summit for the South East’. This is due to a pressing need for local leadership:to decide upon the preferred structure of local government in the South East;to set broad regional priorities for levelling up and define key regional assets.This could be done in concert with, or as a report submitted to, the forthcoming regional Levelling Up Director for the South East.

Structural/governance recommendations


The devolution framework currently offers nothing for district councils working in partnership with counties, LEPS and each other to achieve local goals across a functional economic area. The devolution framework should extend the powers offered under ‘level 2’ to joint ventures, providing they are incorporated as a single body with a nominated leader to be the point of contact for and accountability to Whitehall.In revising the framework, given the vital importance of increasing export intensity to achieving the government’s Global Britain ambitions, government should review the role of local government in exports.The South East, as a whole region, faces numerous unique transport challenges relating to decarbonisation and pandemic recovery. As the regional body for transport, Transport for the South East should be made a statutory body with strategic responsibilities. The existence of such a body should be a pivotal part of the plans for reforming the rail franchise system.This should involve an expansion of TfSE’s ability to raise finances to invest in the network.As part of its formalisation, the transport body should also be given a statutory role in reducing emissions.Current rules on council borrowing are driving councils closer towards a core service offer and further away from driving national priorities at the local level. In line with the positive changes to the local government pension scheme (LGPS) rules, government must work to improve the conditions for municipal investment in clean growth and levelling up.

Financial recommendations


There is ample room for councils in surplus-generating areas of the country to raise funds for capital investment towards levelling up goals. Councils which are in areas of net contribution to the Treasury should be able to raise additional levies to fund investment.This could include powers like those afforded to the Mayor of London in the Business Rates Supplement Act or the ability to use expansive Tax-Increment Financing for pro-growth schemes.More broadly, a serious investigation into appropriate fiscal levers for the region, in the style of the London Finance Commission, should be held on South East council finances.There is also room for councils to help drive levelling up through their spend, as identified in the procurement green paper. To this end, procurement reforms to allow local discretion should be urgently brought forward in the South East.Towns relying on the aviation sector have been among the hardest hit by the pandemic. In the South East and across the country, the government must put forward a plan for revenue and capital aid of airport towns to support public services and at-risk workers through a very difficult transition.


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https://twitter.com/Localis Pressat jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk
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Additional Contact(s):
07967 100328

]]>
http://www.localis.org.uk 22 Mar 2022 06:00:01 GMT Business & Finance Coronavirus (COVID-19) Government Manufacturing, Engineering & Energy Public Sector & Legal Transport & Logistics
<![CDATA[ The only way is ethical procurement, Localis report on local spend advises ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/the-only-way-is-ethical-procurement-localis-report-on-local-spend-advises-69535f3b2861fcbabe89634c78ea29b2/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/the-only-way-is-ethical-procurement-localis-report-on-local-spend-advises-69535f3b2861fcbabe89634c78ea29b2/ Tuesday 7 December, 2021

Press release


Embargo date: from 00.01 a.m., Tuesday 7th December 2021


The only way is ethical procurement, Localis report on local spend advises


The public sector should strive to be more ethical and place-sensitive when buying goods and services worth up to £300bn each year, the think-tank Localis has argued.


In a report published today entitled ‘True Value: towards ethical public service commissioning’, the place experts examine the current state and likely future of the public service marketplace, as well as the role of social procurement reforms to advance the ‘levelling up’ agenda.


The paper urges the public sector to make the most of the freedom from EU directives to reform public spending on goods and services so the process becomes more strategic, innovative and delivers better services and local outcomes for communities.


Among key recommendations for place-based procurement reform, Localis calls for central government to prove the impact of their procurement spend, especially in priority areas of the country, to show how they are achieving goals outlined in the Levelling Up White Paper.


In its recommendations, Localis also sets out a local English charter for ethical public procurement centred around seven key themes:


good jobs;transparency;good business;understanding local impact;carbon commitments;good training;high standards.

Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “Procurement has been very much a criminally-neglected art, whose skills and potential impact are more vital now than ever post-Brexit.


“The extent to which better public service commissioning can improve public efficiency and social benefits to communities is seen as a niche issue. But, nearly a decade after the Social Value Act, as a positive force for shaping and improving the daily life of ordinary people everywhere it can’t be bettered.


“Local government has a pretty big dog in this fight. Some £180.6bn was spent with third parties in the last three years and £63bn alone was spent on third parties in 2019-2020. The trick for the next decade will be to boost the value of the local pound in making local economies stronger for people and places – whether through better local wages or enhanced skills acquisition for jobs in the age of net zero.”


Callin McLinden, Localis researcher and report author, said: “Public procurement has immense potential for recovery and levelling up - and now finds itself in its most exciting, yet precarious, moment for decades. Now free of the EU rulebook and in the hands of a government that is at least indicating its willingness to leverage public spending to tackle inequalities, there is a profound opportunity to remodel public procurement to work more strategically and deliver for communities.


“The government’s proposed reforms have many positives and notable negatives - but above all else they begin to realise the strategic power of procurement. ‘True Value’ investigates the potential of this strategic power - and how it can be most effectively delivered locally to best facilitate recovery and levelling up at the level of place.”


Alan Long, Executive Director of Mears Group, said: “To achieve meaningful levelling up in our communities, companies who bid for work with the public sector need to be more honest and open about social value outcomes when bidding for work. There are too many examples of poor practice in the sector which means councils do not get meaningful payback for their communities.


“Procurement at council level also needs an overhaul. I hope that the procurement changes will create a level playing field and genuinely enshrine social value as a metric on which contracts are decided, rather than simply on price.


“If we all get this right, the prize will see real and immediate benefits and harness the public pound for the benefit of all.”


END















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


An advance copy of the report is available for download

https://www.localis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/043_TrueValue_WebAWK.pdf


The report is being launched at the Churchill War Rooms on Tuesday 7 December from 10.30 a.m. to 11.30 – an event that is also being livestreamed. Media places are available here:


https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/true-value-towards-ethical-public-service-commissioning-tickets-205680023487


About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


www.localis.org.uk


About Mears Group


Mears is a housing and care company. We provide and manage some 12,000 homes for local and central Government and is also responsible for keeping 750,000 of all social housing in the UK in good repair and cares for 20,000 elderly or vulnerable residents. Mears has 11,000 employees and a footprint all across the UK.


Mears Group has been recognised for its outstanding environmental, social and governance practices by gaining a place in the FTSE4Good Index – and places Mears in the top 9% of companies in the index. Social value runs through everything we do. We were one of the first companies to launch a social value board, chaired by our Executive Director Alan Long and made up of independent experts to scrutinise all of our social value output.


Our latest social value report is available here


Key report recommendations

Recommendations


A local English charter for ethical procurement


A written procurement ethics policy is the key place to start for raising and maintaining a higher ethical standard – those involved in procurement must know what is expected of them and be able to make decisions promptly and efficiently.


A clear and concise written policy, with general principles, specific rules, and adequate guidance on how they should be applied, would help with this. Below is a charter for councils to follow when drawing up procurement policies, and to guide relationships between local authorities and suppliers.


1. Good Jobs


• Suppliers should all pay the Living Wage, as determined regularly by the Living Wage Foundation.


• Councils should commit to a diverse workforce and expect the same of suppliers.


• In cases of large suppliers, workers should be represented on the board where possible.


• Career progression opportunities should be available to the employees of council suppliers.


2. Transparency


• Councils must take a proactive, not reactive, approach to transparency.


• Contract registers should be made publicly available in the simplest form possible, with dashboard overview of council spend and impact available to residents.


• Key performance indicators for public value should be agreed by the council.


• Weighting for social value in tendering should be applied equally and consistently throughout the process.


3. Good business


• At the front end of the contracting process, councils should engage and consult with the market to ensure opportunities are well communicated and tailored to local specifications.


• At the point of application, councils should ensure that the application and tendering process is as simple as possible and consistent across council contracts.


• At the back end of the contracting process, it is vital that councils commit to prompt and timely payment of suppliers, with suppliers carrying this commitment onto their own supply chain.


• Councils should sign up to the ISO 44001, which details requirements for the effective identification, development, and management of collaborative relationships within or between organisations.


4. Understanding local impact


• When dealing with large suppliers, councils should understand the impact the supplier could have locally, on the labour market and in the community.


• Councils must seek to maximise the ‘multiplier effect’ of spreading SME spending across as many local firms as possible.


5. Carbon commitments


• Councils should ensure that all smaller suppliers, within reason, undertake carbon accounting and are aware of their carbon footprint.


• In the case of major suppliers, councils should wherever possible ensure that large suppliers are on a path to net-zero emissions before 2030.


• This information should be aggregated and made available so residents can be aware of the carbon impact of their council’s procurement.


6. Good training


• Councils must be aware of and communicate to suppliers the desired outcomes of procurement policy on the local labour market, using a robust evidence base.


• Councils must act as a coordinator between suppliers and local educational institutions to ensure commitments around training and skills provision are upheld in the most constructive and effective way possible.


7. High standards


• Upon signing up to this charter, councils should, wherever possible, ensure that the standards of doing business with the council are passed down the supply chain of large suppliers.


Unlocking strategic procurement: central government procurement reforms


The Procurement Green Paper and subsequent policy notes provide the beginnings of a positive step-change in procurement across the public sector.


Building on this reorientation of the discipline, the following recommendations for procurement reform are designed to unlock strategic procurement at the local level and promote levelling up through procurement across the public sector.


• Long term, stable funding for local government to build strategic procurement capacity. Local procurement can be used as a strategic instrument of levelling up, providing resources are provided to fund a long-term reorientation and widespread organisational change.


• A move away from ring-fenced and competition-based funding. The ability of the local government to use procurement towards strategic goals is greatly diminished when much of what they procure is paid for through ring-fenced, one-off capital injections, often at the bac end of a costly competition process.


• Training pathways and standards for procurement officers and senior councillors. Changing the emphasis and principles of public procurement must be accompanied by appropriate training for procurement officers. The government should ensure that all council procurement teams are brought up to speed, using institutions like CIPFA or the LGA to provide training and set standards.


• A regional competition policy to replace EU competition law. With the UK no longer subject to EU competition law, there is an opportunity for central government to rework the rules for local procurement in line with the aims to be outlined in the Levelling Up White Paper.


• A shift in the onus of local procurement officers from value for-money to local impact. An explicit and statutory duty should be placed upon local procurement departments to consider the local impacts –economic and social – of procurement first, and value-for-money second.


• Clear and consistent metrics of local impact, aligned with the Levelling Up White Paper. The Levelling Up White Paper should definitively state the criteria for measuring a place’s success in levelling up. These should be aligned with guidelines for measuring impact in the


procurement reforms




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]]>
http://www.localis.org.uk 07 Dec 2021 06:00:02 GMT Business & Finance Construction & Property Government Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ Plan homes for climate change driven flood risk, Localis report urges Government ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/plan-homes-for-climate-change-driven-flood-risk-localis-report-urges-government-26302350af5a47bee27d0bda64c6ef9a/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/plan-homes-for-climate-change-driven-flood-risk-localis-report-urges-government-26302350af5a47bee27d0bda64c6ef9a/ Monday 22 November, 2021

Press release


Embargo date: from 00.01 a.m., Monday 22nd
November 2021


Plan homes for climate change driven flood risk, Localis report urges Government


Housing secretary Michael Gove should reset planning policy to ban developers from building thousands of new homes in high-risk flood areas, the think-tank Localis has argued.


In a report published today entitled ‘Plain Dealing – building for flood resilience ’ the place experts set out how deepening climate change pressures and rising housing demand have resulted in an increase in flooding on properties in at risk areas.


In original research undertaken for the report, Localis discovered that almost 200 planning permissions have been granted on floodplain land so far this year for soe 5,283 new homes in the highest-risk local authorities in the country, the overwhelming majority some 4,255 in areas pre-identified as highly likely to flood.


Among its key recommendations, Localis calls for government commitment to empowering communities to manage flood risk locally in a ‘resilient’ way that allows them to pursue their local ecological, economic and social goals. In this context resilience means flood strategies that focus on living with floods instead of just preventing them and involve a flexible approach to flooding and a rapid recovery from inundation.


Other report recommendations for policy and regulatory changes include suggestions to: -



Make developers liable for the sustainability and insurability of any new developments built in floodplain areas.
Support effective collaboration between the public, private and civil society with the aim of reinvigorating and re-incentivising flood insurance schemes and partnerships – for example comprehensive risk management in at risk urban regeneration zones.

Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran,
said: “There is a clear need to reset government policy and regulation to prevent an otherwise unavoidable 50% uptick in the numbers of houses being built on floodplains over the next half century.


“At the same time, with climate change another unavoidable reality, we need to strengthen communities to become resilient in adapting to, living with and responding to flood pressures.”


Grace Newcombe, Localis lead clean growth researcher, said: “We know that climate change is intensifying, flooding is increasing, and housing pressures are rising. Floodplain development necessarily sits at the intersection of these demands but it must not come at the expense of individual and community safety.


“Clearly defined flood resilience objectives from the national Government aligned with whole-system collaboration is needed to protect homes and businesses and stimulate building back better. Failing to do this and continuing to build new homes in floodplain areas without resilience measures is a planned catastrophe.”


Martin Milliner, Claims Director at LV= General Insurance said: “Climate change will increase the UK’s exposure to weather-related hazards such as flooding, and it’s vital we prepare for this. Whilst we welcome the Government’s commitment to increase housing we have concerns about the UK’s resilience to future flood events, and in particular the number of new housing developments in flood risk areas that are still receiving approval. With those involved in the planning process ignoring the current guidance, this runs the risk of putting an ever-increasing number of communities at risk.


“Flooding is an extremely traumatic event which has a devasting impact on a person’s life, both physically and mentally. This research highlights a concerning amount of current and future development in high flood risk areas.


“To tackle this, we need to come together and develop a holistic approach to flooding for the long term, with property developers, insurers and Government – both nationally and locally – tackling the issue of building on floodplains.”


END















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis


(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:



An advance, embargoed copy of the report is available for download:

https://www.localis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/042_Floodplains_WebAWK.pdf



About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


www.localis.org.uk


About Liverpool Victoria General Insurance


• LV= General Insurance provides car, home, pet, travel, landlord, breakdown and home emergency insurance to over 7 million customers in the UK.


• We’re the UK’s third largest personal lines insurer with just over £2 billion in annual premium income.


• We offer our products and services directly to consumers as well as through intermediaries, including brokers, affinity partners and IFAs.


• LV= General Insurance uses the LV= brand under licence from the Liverpool Victoria Financial Services Group and the L&G brand under licence from the Legal & General Group.


• We are part of the Allianz Group, one of the world's leading insurers and asset managers with more than 92 million retail and corporate customers.


• Within the Allianz Group, LV= General Insurance forms part of Allianz Personal, one of the largest personal lines insurers in the UK, with gross written premiums of £2.6 billion, 8.5 million customers and around 5,000 employees. Allianz Personal comprises LV= General Insurance, Petplan, Home & Legacy and Allianz Musical Insurance.


• The LV= General Insurance newsroom includes links to our news release archive and image library.


• For an introduction to what we do and how we do it, please click here.


• Follow us on twitter: https://twitter.com/lv


• Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lv



Key report recommendations


Planning reforms

– Floodplain development should be avoided wherever possible and should be accompanied by appropriate flood defences, constructed alongside new developments, where unavoidable.


– Local authorities with planning teams should appoint a chief resilience offer who is: -


o Required to sit on local resilience forums.


o To become a single point of contact for English local government districts on the issue in county/district areas, or in unitary authorities depending on governance systems.


• Funding recommendations


– Specific funding should be made available to establish a new cross-departmental task force to look at flood-risk development. A new ministerial post, between Defra and DLUHC, should be set up to oversee and provide accountability for this task force.


o This would include provision for: –


– engagement with, and capacity training for, local authority planning teams (particularly chief resilience officers);


– design and funding of graduate schemes for flood resilience professionals in planning, water management and other key disciplines;


– serving as a single point of contact for central government on the issue.


– Money must be made available for upgrading maintaining flood defences (overseen by task force)


o a blended mix of revenue allocation via the Environment Agency to local authorities and to internal drainage boards, to undertake essential work on existing flood defences going forward. This may well involve a period of just a few years where we frontload a significant amount of public money to bring our assets up to a condition that is easier to manage than on a ‘little and often’ basis.


• A future risk-based approach to development


– The insurance industry should work with the government, local authorities developers and other key stakeholders to help inform what measures might be needed in the future to help mitigate against climate change and ensure that homes are and remain insurable.




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]]>
http://www.localis.org.uk 22 Nov 2021 06:00:02 GMT Business & Finance Construction & Property Government Personal Finance Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ Go East and give London subregion growth to level up and deliver full potential, Localis report urges ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/go-east-and-give-london-subregion-growth-to-level-up-and-deliver-full-potential-localis-report-urges-21ef92e0025ca31ef243e55886632539/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/go-east-and-give-london-subregion-growth-to-level-up-and-deliver-full-potential-localis-report-urges-21ef92e0025ca31ef243e55886632539/ Wednesday 3 November, 2021

Press release


Embargo date: from 00.01 a.m., Wednesday 3rd
November 2021


Go East and give London subregion growth to level up and deliver full potential, Localis report urges


Government must masterplan investment in the East of London to fulfil the immense economic, human and social potential of a vast subregion – which otherwise has more in common with ‘left behind’ parts of the country than the rest of the capital - the think-tank Localis has argued.


In a report published today entitled ‘Local London and Levelling Up - the role of East and North East London in local, regional and national growth’, Localis makes the case for enhancing physical and digital connectivity to encourage professional industries to locate and take advantage of the fact London’s geography is moving eastwards.


According to Localis, the boroughs of north and east London, which comprise the Local London subregion, have some of the highest levels of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country and enjoy lower economic productivity (GVA) per head than anywhere else in the capital let alone the Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region or West Midlands combined authorities.


Instead, the think tank argued, in a report commissioned by Local London, that the subregion has more in common with ‘left behind’ areas such as Cornwall, Teesside and West Wales, and as such should be eligible for the same money from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund as was earmarked under previous EU funding support.


Among its key recommendations, Localis calls for a subregional growth deal that would give the Local London subregion’s leaders the power to ‘masterplan’ - alongside government and the Greater London Authority - an ambitious vision for the area, and dedicated funding to convene and coordinate constituent boroughs and external partners to ‘level up’ an area home to 2.3 million people.


Other report recommendations include calls to:


Unlock human potential: in terms of skill levels, Local London lags the rest of the capital, which limits the opportunities of residents and reduces the desirability of the subregion as a location for business. Develop investment opportunities: including prospects for regeneration and development on brownfield sites and associated infrastructure improvements, as well as a need to double down on existing infrastructure projects in the Thames Estuary and the Innovation corridor. Encourage government to build back better and level up East London by working with the subregion and key partners like GLA, Thames Estuary Growth Board and Innovation Corridor to create and deliver a new masterplan for East London with proper investment to catalyse private investment.

Localis head of research, Joe Fyans, said: “London’s geography is moving Eastwards – with multiple major developments with varying levels of national significance detailed in this report – and it is important that growth is managed, inclusive of residents and maximises national benefits.


“To ensure that the provision of skills, employment and housing are co-ordinated and serve the overarching national, regional and local goals for recovery and renewal, as well as being connected with the bordering areas to London and associated projects, a formalised subregional convening role is required.


“Local London needs a subregional deal for growth, giving the subregional leadership board power to convene and coordinate constituent boroughs and external partners in delivering levelling up. A multi-year ‘masterplan’, encompassing the different borough’s local and corporate plans into an overall vision for the area must be agreed and funded between the boroughs, the government and the Greater London Authority.”


Cllr Darren Rodwell, Chairman of Local London and Leader of Barking & Dagenham Council, said: “Local London has long feared the Government’s levelling-up agenda would mean levelling-down London. Any loss of funding or opportunity in this part of London would be disastrous. We hope the Government’s White Paper will provide us with some reassurance this isn’t the case.


“It’s a fact that East London was classified as a ‘less developed’ region by the EU – alongside others more traditionally regarded as deprived and left-behind in the north and west - and earmarked for more than £1 billion in cohesion funding between 2021-7 to help us catch up. That’s now lost.


“As this report shows, our situation has been made even worse by the pandemic, and we risk falling even further behind without bold and imaginative thinking as well as funding. We need a long-term deal for growth and the ability to determine our own future, and we call on the Secretary of State to enable that.”


END















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis


(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


An advance copy of the report is available for download under embargo conditions:

https://www.localis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/041_LocalLondon_AWK.pdf


About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


www.localis.org.uk


About Local London


Local London is one of four sub-regional partnerships in our Capital City. Founded in 2016, we are a group of eight Conservative and Labour councils in the North East and South East of London representing around 2.3 million residents and 100,000 businesses. Our population makes us larger than Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool combined.


Through our three-year Local London Plan, we work collectively to enable growth. Residents and businesses in this part of London do not benefit from the advantages of living and operating in the Capital City so we seek to remedy that in two specific ways.


Firstly, we deliver a £60 million set of ‘soft growth’ programmes and projects targeted at specific groups of our population and businesses. For example:


The DWP Local London Work and Health Programme - which helps people with disabilities and long-term unemployment back into work through bespoke support.The DWP Local London Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS) Programme - which supports people made unemployed by the pandemic to re-enter work. London East Careers Hub - which provides careers provisions to schools, colleges and PRUs in this region. E-business programme – which supports SME businesses to capitalise on digital marketing and emerging technologies. We also deliver initiatives around improvements to digital infrastructure and are developing a new Green partnership which will focus on the emerging net zero economy.

Secondly, we champion, influence and advocate for our region by bidding for new funding, lobbying for change and improvement, and seeking devolution opportunities. The Local London sub-region is at the confluence of two nationally important growth corridors (The UK Innovation Corridor and Thames Estuary), and we work practically with both of those to generate growth and capitalise upon opportunity.


https://www.local.london/


Key report recommendations
Recommendation: Levelling up in Local London
A master plan deal for Local London

Good planning is essentially to sustainable and good quality growth in the Local London area. Coherent strategy at the sub-regional level can help achieve levelling up for residents in left-behind areas of Local London, whilst also benefitting the national agenda by providing the receipts of boosted growth to the Treasury.


London’s geography is moving Eastwards – with multiple major developments with varying levels of national significance detailed in this report – and it is important that growth is managed, inclusive of residents and maximises national benefits. To ensure that the provision of skills, employment and housing are co-ordinated and serve the overarching national, regional and local goals for recovery and renewal, as well as being connected with the bordering areas to London and associated projects, a formalised subregional convening role is required.


Local London needs a subregional deal for growth, giving the subregional leadership board power to convene and coordinate constituent boroughs and external partners in delivering levelling up. A multi-year ‘masterplan’, encompassing the different borough’s local and corporate plans into an overall vision for the area must be agreed and funded between the boroughs, the government and the Greater London Authority.


Key features
The master plan would tie in and be developed in consultation with key stakeholders of the Innovation Corridor and the Thames Estuary Growth Board to give a full impression of the growth trajectory across the area.Producing a long-term vision for the subregion would provide stability conducive to business investment and give an impression of the aggregate skills demand of the future labour market, allowing for better collaboration between Local London and local further and higher educational institutions.To ensure proper local buy-in and to capture the benefits of local expertise, community consultation must be a golden thread throughout the document – from ensuring and promoting the use of both digital and physical consultation on individual local plans, through to maintaining a clear and transparent working process in devising the overall master plan.Targets for the master plans’ outcomes in residents’ lives must be agreed between all tiers of governance at the outset, with clear and definable metrics identified for levelling up quality of life, employment and environment in left behind communities.
Funding requirements

The key requirement for a master plan would be funding for the process of devising and carrying out the plan, along with ‘buy-in’ support from both a central government and GLA level. The subregional leadership must have the funding to recruit qualified and capable staff, and must also have the certainty that this funding will not be withdrawn at the change of a political cycle. Agreeing the aims and scope of a master plan deal could be carried out in broadly the same manner as devolution deals are reached between government and devolved areas, where funding is provided for the administration of the master planning process based on key shared outcomes.




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http://www.localis.org.uk 03 Nov 2021 06:00:03 GMT Business & Finance Construction & Property Government Manufacturing, Engineering & Energy Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ ‘One size fits all’ approach to retrofitting nation’s homes risks widening economic inequality in ‘red wall’ areas, Localis report warns ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/one-size-fits-all-approach-to-retrofitting-nations-homes-risks-widening-economic-inequality-in-red-wall-areas-localis-report-warns-bf68674fca958ec9bf692cd9a8be3813/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/one-size-fits-all-approach-to-retrofitting-nations-homes-risks-widening-economic-inequality-in-red-wall-areas-localis-report-warns-bf68674fca958ec9bf692cd9a8be3813/ Thursday 21 October, 2021

Failure to factor in huge regional variations in property costs when incentivising homeowners and landlords to retrofit their properties to meet national net zero targets risks deepening economic inequality , the think-tank Localis has claimed.


In a report published today entitled ‘Lagging Behind: energy efficiency in low-viability properties’ Localis urges the government to give serious consideration to the impact of regional variability in house prices and dwelling stock when installing heat pumps to hit decarbonisation targets.


According to the report, in some local authority areas of the north and midlands, the estimated costs of improving home energy are can be around one 25% of property values, while in affluent parts of London and the south east retrofitting with heat pumps represents less than 2% of overall property value.


For example in the red wall constituency of Burnley, where nearly four-in-five dwellings need to attain EPC Grade C standards, standard retrofitting costs of £24,000 are equivalent to a quarter of median house prices of £99,500. However, in the Royal London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, where median house prices are £1,317,500, retrofitting costs are equivalent to a mere 1.8% of overall property values.


Localis calls on councils, especially in ‘red wall’ areas where property values are low, to collaborate in creating ‘one stop shops’ as joint ventures which would engage with residential landlords to retrofit at pace, and make use of aggregated scale to devise bespoke solution that met local need and personal circumstances.


Other report recommendations include calls for:


local authorities to come up with local retrofit jobs strategies to make use of skills and supply chain opportunities;central government to provide clear and concise information and timelines as well as more readily understood incentives;The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to frontload the £3.8bn Social Housing Decarbonations Fund Demonstrator to deliver cost savings through acting at scale.

Localis Chief Executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “Without a tailored and localised approach that considers the varying housing economics of each locality, a ‘one size fits all’ approach to funding retrofitting threatens to deepen regional inequality and counter efforts to level up in red wall areas.


“If the challenge of how to effectively support retrofit properties in low value areas is not met, we risk creating a dangerous divide between different parts of the country.”


Ben Beadle, Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “With a higher proportion of older stock than other housing tenures, the private rented sector has some of the biggest challenges in meeting the Government’s energy efficiency and decarbonisation ambitions. We therefore welcome news that landlords can access grants to transition to low carbon heating.


“We support the recommendation in this report that extra help should be given to owners of low value properties to make it viable for them to invest in energy efficiency measures and urge the Government to act accordingly.”


Propertymark Policy and Campaigns Manager, Timothy Douglas, said: “A ‘one-sized fits all’ approach rarely works in any policy implementation but when dealing with affordability and property this is particularly true.


“When we look at property value against the estimated cost of retrofit improvements for energy efficiency, we see a stark geographical divide making the feasibility of carrying out works required unequal across the country.


“This means that those living in lower value areas will be penalised when they are unable to afford the measures needed to bring their homes in line with UK Government targets.


“To avoid regional inequality the research recommends a greater degree of strategic planning by local authorities to develop frameworks to help with affordability and spark local economic growth through collaborative working, developing skills, creating green jobs and utilising existing supply chains.”


END















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


An advance copy of the report “Lagging Behind: energy efficiency in low-viability properties’
is available for download.

https://www.localis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/040_LaggingBehind_PRF3_HR_Final.pdf


The report will be launched at an hybrid event to be held from 10.30 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. on Thursday 21st
October in One Great George Street.


For more details and to register your place – click here:


https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lagging-behind-energy-efficiency-in-hard-to-reach-properties-tickets-181107937717


About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


www.localis.org.uk Twitter: @Localis


About the NRLA:


The National Residential Landlords Association is the UK's largest membership organisation for private residential landlords, supporting and representing over 90,000 members. The NRLA offers some of the most comprehensive learning resources and market-leading intelligence available in the sector. They work to support their members through a wide range of resources, including access to business information, training, professional expertise, a leading publication and much more.


https://www.nrla.org.uk/


About Propertymark


Propertymark is the leading professional body for estate and letting agents, commercial


agents, auctioneers, valuers and inventory providers comprising nearly 17,500 members. Propertymark is member-led with a Board which is made up of practicing agents and works closely with their members and UK Government departments to advise on housing policy.


https://www.propertymark.co.uk/


Key report recommendations

Recommendations for local government


In particularly challenging areas, where property values are low and incentives under-funded, neighbouring authorities should work to establish subregional one stop shops as a joint venture, with the shop sitting independently of each constituent authority.


Developing ‘one stop shops’ to engage with landlords to find suitable methods to facilitate retrofit at pace has been recommended by stakeholders such as the Local Government Association. Through an independent and formal subregional structure, local authorities would also be able to act on retrofitting at an aggregated scale. Setting up one stop shops as joint ventures would allow authorities to collect and analyse aggregated data regarding housing stock requiring retrofit and designing bespoke solutions in how to accomplish this. One stop shops would allow local authorities to better understand the personal circumstances of landlords in the area and better tailor engagement and awareness raising on retrofitting.

In keeping with the government’s skills and further education agenda, as laid out in the Skills for Jobs white paper, local authorities working collaboratively at a sub-regional level should develop local retrofit jobs strategies.


Developing robust strategies that detail the local retrofit context around skills and supply chain opportunities would go on to inform the green skills aspect of wider Local Skills Improvement Plans, announced as part of the Skills for Jobs white paper There are a number of tools available for local authorities to use in helping develop these strategies. These tools should be a starting point for neighbouring authorities with the highest proportion of low value properties to develop actionable retrofit frameworks that entails one stop shops as well as skills and jobs strategies.

Recommendations for central government


The forthcoming Heating and Building Strategy will aim to help homeowners make the transition to low carbon heating. In order to properly address the retrofit challenge this paper must:


Provide details of a localised funding mechanism for retrofit to help authorities in areas with low-viability housing achieve targets. Provide clearer incentives and long-term clarity on timelines to ensure retrofitting can be achieved in the private rental sector. The strategy must be coordinated with the planning reforms and part of a joined-up approach to the nation’s housing stock.

The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrator is a fund aimed at supporting social landlords in retrofitting social housing at scale.


To ensure broad take-up and to begin reaping the benefits of cumulative emissions savings towards the net zero target, the full £3.8bn of funding pledged should be brought forward and frontloaded. This would also help deliver cost savings through enabling acting at scale. retrofit frameworks that entails one stop shops as well as skills and jobs strategies.


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Additional Contact(s):
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]]>
http://www.localis.org.uk 21 Oct 2021 06:00:02 GMT Business & Finance Construction & Property Environment & Nature Government Manufacturing, Engineering & Energy Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ Plan better with communities in mind, Localis report urges ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/plan-better-with-communities-in-mind-localis-report-urges-2e99e8ae76cfdce69fc55c6e18a830ec/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/plan-better-with-communities-in-mind-localis-report-urges-2e99e8ae76cfdce69fc55c6e18a830ec/ Monday 4 October, 2021

Press release


Embargo date: from 00.01 a.m., Monday 4 October 2021


Plan better with communities in mind, Localis report urges


Communities should be put at the heart of the government’s proposed planning reforms to build new developments that are more affordable, more beautiful, greener and more likely to endure for generations, the think-tank Localis has argued.


In a report published today entitled ‘Building Communities: planning for a clean and good growth future’ the place experts in conjunction with mixed tenure developer Countryside, outline how genuine community engagement through better neighbourhood plans, the use of new design codes, as well as better digital channels of communication between councils and residents, will be vital to achieving national housing targets.


Among its key recommendations, Localis calls for the widespread development of a stewardship model for the long-term investment in areas where new communities will be established, to ensure the continued provision of both physical and social infrastructure for future generations.


Other report recommendations include calls to:


amend Infrastructure Levy to be paid at the point of commencement on site and to include a ringfenced proportion for affordable housing provision;work to develop a centralised portal where residents can access development plans and decisions for their area, in their entirety and in one place;acknowledge the need for a regional approach to new building – from garden cities in the South East to greater vertical development in major cities – through the creation of new boards for regional spatial planning.

Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “Whatever appears in the final planning bill, we have to increase trust and generate genuinely popular consent for local housing growth. This is to ensure that the abundant build out of affordable new homes of mixed tenure, and with it the creation of lasting new communities, remains a sustainable, place-sensitive and commercially viable process.


“Each actor – central government, our councils, our communities and developers - will have their part to play in reforming the planning process so that it finally delivers at the required pace and scale the new developments that are both wanted and attainable, and which suit their local culture, economy and environment.


“To this end, Localis’s report recommends the setting up of two separate national funds to provide firstly greater capacity for neighbourhood planning and the roll out of new design codes, to ensure homes are beautiful and locally popular, and, secondly, to pay for carbon offsetting to deliver green homes fit for the age of net zero.”


Andrew Taylor, Group Planning Director, Countryside, said: “We are delighted to have worked with Localis on this report in supporting the pledge to keep communities at the heart of planning.


“With community-based participation at its centre, an effective placemaking process can capitalise on a local community's assets, inspiration, and potential. This results in the creation of quality public spaces that contribute to people's health, happiness, and well-being.”


END















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


An advance copy of the report “Building Communities: planning for a clean and good growth future” is available for download:

https://www.localis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/039_BuildingCommunities_AWK.pdf


And an Executive Summary is also available:


https://www.localis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/039_BuildingCommunities_AWK_WebLR_REV.pdf


2. About Localis


Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


www.localis.org.uk


About Countryside Properties


Countryside is the UK’s leading mixed-tenure developer with over 60 years’ experience, creating places people love, with sustainable communities built to last. In March 2021, it was awarded the 5 Star Rating by the Home Builders Federation again following the latest home building industry’s Customer Satisfaction Survey.


Specialising in estate and town centre regeneration schemes, Countryside’s Partnerships comprises four divisions – Partnerships South, Partnerships Home Counties, Partnerships North and Partnerships Midlands. It works mainly on public sector owned and brownfield land, in partnership with local authorities and housing associations to develop private, affordable and PRS homes. Its developments include large scale urban regeneration projects at Beam Park, Rainham; North Leigh Park, Wigan, and Drakelow Park in Burton-on-Trent. It has also developed a number of large-scale projects including Beaulieu, Chelmsford; Kingsmere, Bicester and Great Kneighton, Cambridge.


Countryside established a modular panel manufacturing facility in Warrington to improve quality and reduce build times on site. In 2019, the business announced two further factories to be built in the Midlands and Leicestershire to expand its offsite construction capability.


Countryside delivered 4,053 homes in the twelve months to September 2020 – 3,213 through its Partnerships division and 840 through its Housebuilding division, with a mix of private for sale, PRS and affordable homes. The Group has a strong balance sheet with new framework agreements signed during 2020 which, along with a record forward order book, up 23% to £1,432m, underpin the mixed-tenure delivery model focused on delivering quality homes and sector leading growth. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange in February 2016 as a constituent of the FTSE 250.


For more information see www.countrysideproperties.com or follow @CountrysideProp on Twitter


3. Key report recommendations


Recommendations

If we are to succeed in building communities for the long-term, each principal actor, central government, local authorities, developers and our communities alike, will have their unique part to play in planning for and realising a good and clean growth future.


Recommendations for central government

Make planning underscore good and green growth: Some kind of national effort to collect and pool funding is necessary for the state to take its fair share of the burden towards affordable, mixed-tenure and sustainable housebuilding in the age of Net Zero.


What this spells out is the need for a new route forward, to the evolution of a balanced system in which the planning of new developments unlocks the release of sufficient and fair funding to bolster sustainable growth in new homes across varied tenures.


To this end, Localis recommends the setting up of separate funds as follows, overseen at national level and to address the challenges of generating popular consent for local housing growth and making new developments both sustainable and commercially viable:


a Capacity Fund for neighbourhood planninga Carbon Offsetting Fund for development
Amend Infrastructure Levy to be paid at the point of commencement on site and to include a ringfenced proportion for affordable housing provision.Include Health Impact Assessments as a requirement in the National Planning Policy Framework. Define and protect social infrastructure through the National Planning Policy Framework.Work to develop a centralised portal where residents can access development plans and decisions for their area, in their entirety and in one place.Acknowledge the need for a regional approach to new building – from garden cities in the South East to greater vertical development in major cities – through the creation of new boards for regional spatial planning.Stewardship model: a strategic frameworkLocal government should:Produce community value charters to provide a transparent picture of how procurement around development is benefiting the local area.Work with communities to embed local design codes into neighbourhood plans.Produce cultural statements for new developments containing the provision and protection of cultural assets and ACVs.Commit to a hybrid model of community engagement around local plan-making with digital outreach combined with more extensive physical events.Organise developers forums to bridge the gap between developers and communities around new development.Communities should be encouraged and supported to:Produce neighbourhood plans through statutory bodies (parish councils and neighbourhood forums) which do not undercut government housing targetsDevelopers should be encouraged to:Attend and actively contribute to developer’s forums in support of strong collective place leadership and strategic planning.Agree productivity deals with local authorities:Local labour market uplift: skills and wagesFor long-running developments of over 200 dwellings, run a local growth board to oversee the productivity deal.


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Additional Contact(s):
07967 100328

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http://www.localis.org.uk 04 Oct 2021 06:00:02 GMT Business & Finance Construction & Property Environment & Nature Government Manufacturing, Engineering & Energy Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ Let councils sharpen commercial edge to level up locally, new report urges ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/let-councils-sharpen-commercial-edge-to-level-up-locally-new-report-urges-1b693bf1a1380dab362eb89f01ee1b49/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/let-councils-sharpen-commercial-edge-to-level-up-locally-new-report-urges-1b693bf1a1380dab362eb89f01ee1b49/ Thursday 17 June, 2021

Press release


Embargo date: from 00.01 a.m., Thursday 17th June 2021


Let councils sharpen commercial edge to level up locally, new report urges


Councils should have the confidence to engage in well-run commercial activity that benefits residents, improves local public services and generates much-needed revenue independent of central government, a report issued by consultants Human Engine and the think-tank Localis has advised today.


In a research paper issued today entitled ‘The Commercial Edge – renewing the case for the local investment state’ Human Engine and Localis argued that when carried out professionally and with risks properly-managed, council commercialism can unlock immense latent place potential and deliver many clear benefits to galvanise economic and social recovery.


In reframing the debate on local government commercialism, councils are advised to apply five common themes of commercial maturity around strategy and alignment; supply; demand, market intelligence and organisational culture.


The report also sets out a suite of recommendation to inform future commercial decisions aimed at local government leaders, town hall scrutiny members and central government partners.


Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “Councils have historically always been involved with commercial activity in some shape or form in creating revenue streams that improve residents’ lives and deliver better local services. This is a golden thread and is one worth preserving into the future.


“To maintain this tradition of strong self-government built on local investment and use this agenda to continue to deliver innovative public services into the future will require a shared language and understanding of how commercialism should work in practice across local and central government.


“Renewing the agenda will also rightly require a fresh approach to local scrutiny and governance and the immense rewards of capturing greater public and social value should be measured to encourage best practice across the sector.”


Jonathon Noble, managing director, Human Engine, said: “Commercialism in the public sector is a multi-faceted issue. Too often, it is reduced to a binary debate over whether councils should or shouldn’t generate income through commercial means, underscored by cautionary tales of high profile failures.


“The reality is more complex than this. The truth is that it is impossible to deliver modern public services without commercial acumen – whether developing a deep understanding of the key markets with which you do business, negotiating better value for the public or redesigning services with customers in mind. These are all hallmarks of a mature commercial approach.


“Through our research and discourse with councils nationally, this report seeks to reframe the discussion to a more rounded view of commerciality, fundamentally aligning commercial activity to an organisation’s strategic objectives and the creation of public value.”


END















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


An advance copy of the report - ‘The Commercial Edge – renewing the case for the local investment state’ is available for download:

Full Report


Executive Summary


There will be a webinar panel debate to talk through the issues and findings raised in the report on Tuesday 29 June from 11.30 to 12.30 – tickets can be booked:


https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/commercial-edge-renewing-the-case-for-the-local-investment-state-debate-tickets-158611546405


About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


www.localis.org.uk


About Human Engine


Human Engine is a Financial Times top-ranked management consultancy with specialisms in strategy, people and performance.


It was founded by a group of former local government officers who think the public sector deserves better than it gets from traditional consulting firms – more human, more personal and more knowledgeable of the reality of delivering modern public services.


We have worked with dozens of public sector organisations to help transform their strategies, operations and cultures to be more agile, commercial and entrepreneurial in order to achieve financial sustainability and improved outcomes for local people and communities.


For more information, find us on LinkedIn or https://www.human-engine.co.uk/


Key report recommendations

Conclusions and Recommendations


There is a tremendous role for commercially minded councils, particularly when considering how to drive, fuel and recover local economies post-COVID. Utilising the Commercial Maturity Model can enable local authorities to assess their commercial strengths, weaknesses, areas for improvements, areas for investment and, ultimately, support the development of their place-based commercial approach.


As the sector leads local recovery from the pandemic, commercial decisions by councils, be that local investment, reshaping contracts to encourage social value or trading services, will influence place-based commercialism and place-shaping.


As such, we have drawn a set of recommendations for each stakeholder group to encourage clear, practical and actionable conclusions from this research.


Recommendations for Local Government Leadership


Set out your definition and communicate widely. Be clear how this aligns to the purpose and values of the organisation, adopt a simple statement of policy and communicate with staff, partners and customers.Likewise, agree risk appetite and communicate this early. There is no sense in imbuing staff with the spirits and skills of entrepreneurs then tying their hands with process and rejecting every idea that entrails risk. Invest in the skills needed to deliver this. Give your teams the tools and techniques needed to deliver the councils commercial approach and use these skills to add value to public services. This can include softer skills like creativity, adaptability and influencing as well as more traditional commercial acumen such as market analysis, sales and finance.Work with partners and drive greater value out of contracts. Social Value can be a means to delivering public value. Don’t underestimate the value that can be harnessed from supply chains and rigorous contract managementUndertake a self-assessment of your commercial maturity using the commercial maturity model. Be sure to be check and challenge your own organisation and focus on how commercial activity will deliver the councils public value objectives

Recommendations for Elected Members in Scrutiny Roles


Understand the drivers, risks and legislative limitations of commercial decisions in your locality. This includes the reasons behind commercial activity, extent of council powers to do so and how this is applicable to your given locality. This also relates to aligning commercial activity to the council’s corporate objectives.Have a clear framework for evaluating commercial decisions, including financial and social considerations.
Situations and priorities change and with them so can the impact of commercial activity. But using a consistent framework for evaluation can ensure the council maximising the social return on investment, as well as financial.

Recommendations for Central Government Partners


Recommit to the principles of the general power of competence to enable councils the autonomy to act in the interests of their locality.Develop a broader understanding of commercialism. Government has made great strides in sharpening the commercial capabilities of those involved in public procurement. But, for local authorities, commercial activity is much broader than procurement and contract management. At present, there is a risk that local and central government use the same terms to describe different things. A common language will enable better understanding.Deepen understanding of why councils are taking commercial decisions by creating a commercial network. Councils have routinely delivered successful commercial initiatives. There is an opportunity for cross-sector learning to promote and entrench good commercial practice and join the gaps between policy and practice.Consider what support could be offered on capability uplift. Support local government to introduce a sector-led commercial skills programme that matches the ambition of central government training initiatives to position the sector to continue to manage its own commercial activity without the need for intervention.


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http://www.localis.org.uk

Additional Contact(s):
07967 100328

]]>
http://www.localis.org.uk 17 Jun 2021 06:01:18 GMT Business & Finance Construction & Property Government Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ "Levelling Up White Paper should let country devolve and grow its own way, Localis report urges" ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/levelling-up-white-paper-should-let-country-devolve-and-grow-its-own-way-localis-report-urges-ecd81c42676e2ecf807b164d8699e28a/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/levelling-up-white-paper-should-let-country-devolve-and-grow-its-own-way-localis-report-urges-ecd81c42676e2ecf807b164d8699e28a/ Thursday 6 May, 2021

Ministers must seize the opportunity of forthcoming Levelling Up White Paper to ensure every part of the country has the freedom to achieve dynamic growth, a new report issued today by Localis has asserted .


In a paper issued today entitled ‘A Plan for Local Growth’ – which analyses the government’s blueprint for economic revival from a place-based viewpoint – the think-tank calls on government to ensure the recently-announced Levelling Up White Paper supports community control of high-street regeneration, accelerates devolved skills reforms and defines a clear role for local authorities and their economic partners in driving economic development and meeting net zero targets.


In its analysis of government growth plans, the report authors advise on a strict separation between short-term, community-led decision-making for town centre and high-street renewal - which boosts place prosperity - and long-term, high-value central government infrastructure strategies aimed at raising historic low-levels of productivity.


To build on the foundations laid out in the Plan for Growth – launched alongside the March Budget, the study recommended that the Levelling Up White Paper should:



Create pathways to community autonomy as a vehicle for hyperlocal, small-scale and patient financing of regeneration.
Build a framework for devolution to Skills Advisory Panels to facilitate local collaboration between employers, providers and education authorities to further accelerate the push to improve skill levels.
Create a clear role for the local state in driving towards the skills for net zero.
Clarify and codify the role for existing institutions of the local state particularly local authorities in LEPs – in driving economic development.

Localis’s head of research, Joe Fyans, said: “Any government plans to move forward with devolution need to prioritise the task of restoring the nation’s economic and social fortunes and should not be fixated by the view that doing so inevitably means ringing in the changes to the governance structures of the local state.


“Ultimately, if an English devolution settlement is to achieve success, we will need a central government that does not micromanage every last line of local public expenditure or devise strategies that affect the destinies of places in the abstract, without consultation or deep understanding of local context.”


Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “Ministers must seize the opportunity of the Levelling Up White Paper to make sure the government’s ‘Plan for Growth’ supports the creation of globally-competitive industry clusters in every part of the UK.


“Otherwise, we risk the continuation of a lop-sided, centrally-led, interventionist growth policy which only serves to hamstring our localities from achieving anything like their inherent place potential.”


END















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:



An advance copy of the report is available for download

A Plan For Local Growth


and is available as an Executive Summary



About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


www.localis.org.uk




Distributed by https://pressat.co.uk/ ]]>
https://twitter.com/Localis Pressat jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk
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Additional Contact(s):
07967 100328

]]>
http://www.localis.org.uk 06 May 2021 00:10:01 GMT Business & Finance Government Manufacturing, Engineering & Energy Public Sector & Legal Transport & Logistics
<![CDATA[ Give Oxford city growth powers to lead national recovery, Localis report urges ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/give-oxford-city-growth-powers-to-lead-national-recovery-localis-report-urges-79c1e5544d4191027bbaf4790b911466/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/give-oxford-city-growth-powers-to-lead-national-recovery-localis-report-urges-79c1e5544d4191027bbaf4790b911466/ Wednesday 17 March, 2021

Failure to invest in Oxford’s unique economic and innovation assets and support strong city-led governance could stymie attempts to keep the UK ahead of the curve for international scientific-led innovation and hold back UK post-COVID recovery, a report issued by the think-tank Localis today has warned.


In its study of Oxford’s growth potential, entitled ‘At the right level – a strategic case for city-led growth, innovation and renewal’ the think-tank found that because of its unique strengths and assets as a compact global city - reinforced by the success of the Oxford/Astra-Zeneca vaccine - the city could accelerate the successful growth of the Oxford to Cambridge Arc into a world economic area through health-tech and clean growth industries.


Oxford’s economy already generates £6.75bn each year and is a net contributor to the Exchequer, but to address the central issue of the city’s own budgetary uncertainty and the need for a single long-term investment strategy for city-led growth, Localis is calling for a £1bn Endowment Deal for Oxford.


This deal would give Oxford City Council and partners power to:



target investment in key physical and transport infrastructure requirements;
build the capacity needed to develop a skills supply chain;
give strategic planning powers relating to Oxford’s decarbonisation targets;
and allow for city led investment strategies on social, digital, and smart energy infrastructure.

In addition, the report argued that in order to deliver accelerated growth, the city needs strong local governance and growth powers to tackle transport and housing bottlenecks through delivering physical, digital and social infrastructure at pace alongside a long-term investment strategy which would enable Oxford to compete with its international peers.


Additionally, Oxford alongside other cities key to the Arc’s future growth, including Cambridge, and Milton Keynes need to have a clear voice within its governance, including direct representation on the proposed Arc Growth Body, the study claims.


Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran,
said: “If the UK is to remain globally competitive, then it needs a successful innovation ecosystem. As our leading knowledge economy hub, there is a clear national strategic case to ensure Oxford, and everything that makes it unique as a compact global city, is able to succeed as the dynamo for the Oxford/Cambridge Arc.


“A devolution revolution which would enable Oxford to deliver good and sustainable long-term growth has the potential to spearhead regional and national growth recovery long into the future.”


Zayn Qureshi, senior researcher at Localis and report author, said: “Oxford is a core element in of a number of distinct economic geographies, including the functional economic areas of the city, travel to work and housing market areas, the “knowledge spine” that runs north to south of the city and more broadly the Arc and the Thames Valley.


“This requires the city to coordinate and align strategies across administrative boundaries locally and regionally. This collaborative approach involving neighbouring councils, OxLEP, the Oxfordshire Growth Board and the Arc, strikes a vital balance in enabling a strategic vision and underpinning wider COVID economic recovery, whilst also allowing for the local knowledge and focus on area specific issues and opportunities to be maintained.”


Cllr Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council, said: “I very much welcome this important piece of work. Localis’ work on the importance of Global Compact Cities like Oxford is an idea that has found its time. The post-COVID, post-Brexit UK needs cities who lead economic growth but also support a “levelling up agenda locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.


“Over the past year our city has already demonstrated its importance on the world stage. Working with our partners across Oxfordshire and beyond, we want to see the economic power of Oxford working for the local and national economy and delivering more and better paid jobs for local people.”


END















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis


(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:



An advance copy of the report is available for download:

https://www.localis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/036_AtTheRightLevel_FINAL.pdf



Report Launch – Wednesday 17 March from 11.00 to 12.00 via Zoom Webinar

The report is being launched from 11.00 to 12.00 on Wednesday 17 March via Zoom Webinar with a panel debate that includes:



Cllr Susan Brown, leader, Oxford City Council
Sarah Haywood, managing director, Advanced Oxford
Bev Hindle, executive director, Oxford to Cambridge Arc
Jeremy Long, chair, OxLEP
Dr David Prout, Pro Vice Chancellor (Planning & Resources), University of Oxford

Registration is via Eventbrite:


https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/at-the-right-level-oxfords-strategic-case-for-growth-and-innovation-tickets-143124486191



About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


www.localis.org.uk



Key report recommendations

Recommendation: City governance at the right level


Governance at the Right Level


This recommendation is designed to situate Oxford as a compact global city within the aegis of governance frameworks not just vested in Oxford City Council but also extending sub-regionally to those of Oxfordshire County Council and OXLEP and regionally to the nationally vital Oxford-Cambridge Arc – so as to provide sufficient power and resource at the right level to allow the city to deliver for its residents and to further accelerate the growth potential of the Arc and the county.


Oxford’s ability to grow at the city level


• The power to raise levies to fund placemaking efforts:


– On businesses, in a manner similar to the provisions laid out in the Business Rates Supplement Act.


– On residents, in a progressive manner using council tax bands as a guide.


• A long-term endowment fund for supporting good growth within the city.


Oxford’s relationship with the County and the Arc


• Co-decision powers with Oxfordshire County Council on local transport infrastructure decisions.


• Some strategic planning powers for the city council, specifically on the ability to go further within the city than national and regional targets dictate for planning standards and design codes relating to good growth targets.


• Key cities for the Arc’s future growth, including Oxford, Cambridge, and Milton Keynes need to have a clear voice on its governance i.e. through representation on the proposed Arc growth body.


Oxford City Council’s relationship with its residents


• Statutory convening role in the development, alongside County and Arc partners, of a skills supply chain for the City of Oxford which focuses on maximising the human potential of the city’s resident population.


• The city should put forward a transparent community asset and social infrastructure investment strategy as part of a revised social contract with residents.




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https://twitter.com/Localis Pressat jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk
http://www.localis.org.uk

Additional Contact(s):
07967 100328

]]>
http://www.localis.org.uk 17 Mar 2021 00:10:02 GMT Business & Finance Construction & Property Coronavirus (COVID-19) Government Manufacturing, Engineering & Energy Public Sector & Legal Transport & Logistics
<![CDATA[ Use the power of the pub to level up, Localis report urges ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/use-the-power-of-the-pub-to-level-up-localis-report-urges-6f85fdc35968ed93f94270160570d6e0/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/use-the-power-of-the-pub-to-level-up-localis-report-urges-6f85fdc35968ed93f94270160570d6e0/ Tuesday 9 March, 2021

Press release


Embargo date: from 00.01 a.m., Tuesday 9th March 2021


Use the power of the pub to level up, Localis report urges


Failure to support the nation’s pubs return from lockdown risks imperilling the government’s levelling up agenda for economic and social renewal, the think-tank Localis has warned today.


In a report issued today entitled ‘The Power of Pubs – protecting social infrastructure and laying the groundwork for levelling up’ Localis argued it was vital that the lockdown roadmap is not allowed to slip back further for pubs, and that the commitment to end all trading restrictions by 21 June must be delivered to return all pubs to viable trading.


Without such assurances and medium-term support to help place the pub sector at the foundations of a strong recovery, the authors warned local economies and community resilience in left-behind parts of the country - including ‘blue wall’ former industrial heartlands, rural and coastal areas - would be particularly hit.


Among key recommendations, the report authors urged central government to further reduce the tax burden on the pub sector to aid the recovery and called for an extension to the Business and Planning Act 2020.


Local councils should be directed to help pubs by issuing licence fee refunds – paid for by the Treasury - for the six months to June 2021, through business support grants, the study advised. Additionally, where premises have been put to new community purposes during the pandemic, councils should offer a diversification grant to pubs looking to retain or expand the services they provided during lockdown.


Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “The case for treating Britain’s pubs with fair consideration in exiting lockdown measures is, at core, as simple as it is heartfelt. Where there’s a pub, there’s a community.


“As one of the biggest contributors to the UK economy, the sector has a vital role to play in the recovery and levelling up journey of the country as well as in maintaining community cohesion and social resilience well beyond the pandemic.”


Emma McClarkin, chief executive, British Beer and Pub Association, said: “The Pandemic has fractured our communities economic environment and frayed our social ties.


“The pub is a powerful embodiment and symbol of both, woven into the fabric of our society and it is one we need to support and strengthen as we rebuild our trade as well as reconnect our communities.”


END















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


An advance embargoed copy of the report ‘The Power of Pubs - protecting social infrastructure and laying the groundwork for levelling up’ is available for download [click here]
About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


https://www.localis.org.uk/


About British Beer and Pub Association


The British Beer & Pub Association is the leading body representing Britain’s brewers and pub companies. The Association is more than a century old and was originally founded as the Brewers’ Society in 1904. Our members account for some 90 per cent of beer brewed in Britain today, and own around 20,000 of the nation’s pubs.


https://beerandpub.com/


Key report recommendations
Recommendations

The research undertaken for this report indicates the need for policy recommendations, for the short, medium and longer term.


In the short-term:


it is vital that the roadmap is not allowed to slip back further for pubs, and that the commitment to end all trading restrictions by June 21st must be delivered to return pubs to viable trading. To support pubs through the roadmap and into reopening, the Business and Planning Act 2020 should be extended to facilitate greater use of outdoor space and takeaway services and the late-night levy suspended.Local government should issue licence fee refunds for the six months to June 2021, funded by central government.

Following reopening, some extra, medium-term measures may be needed to help place the pub sector at the foundations of a strong recovery, support local economies and shore up community resilience.


Government should consider:


In some areas, extra support is required to keep the sector afloat and in place, ensuring that the pub sector can be central to the levelling up mission and the restoration of high streets.In particularly at-risk areas, such as those ‘left-behind places’ like coastal towns or recipients of the Shared Prosperity Fund, top-up grants should be issued to the hospitality sector in 2022 to shore-up resilience and help raise the baseline of the industry in place.Where pubs have been utilised for new community purposes during the pandemic, a diversification grant to pubs looking to retain or expand the services they provided during lockdown.

Looking ahead to the longer-term, as we move into the recovery phase, central government should support the pub sector through reducing the tax burden on the sector to aid this recovery and build resilience.


Government should consider:


Working with the sector to deliver a long-term and sustainable solution to business rates reform beyond the end of the rates holiday period. Likewise, the impact of temporary VAT cut for hospitality should be reviewed during this year with a view to a permanent reduced rate for all food and drink sales in pubsThere must be commitment to a further reduction in beer duty following the duty freeze. This would help pubs and breweries in the long term, while at the same time generating the income required to lower the national debt accrued over the lockdown period and help in delivering levelling up.


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https://twitter.com/Localis Pressat jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk
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Additional Contact(s):
07967 100328

]]>
http://www.localis.org.uk 09 Mar 2021 06:00:03 GMT Business & Finance Charities & non-profits Coronavirus (COVID-19) Food & Drink Government Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ New toolkit gives crucial governance guidance to support council resilience ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/new-toolkit-gives-crucial-governance-guidance-to-support-council-resilience-0d5f45d8450d52d54ee9bf0b4f37d089/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/new-toolkit-gives-crucial-governance-guidance-to-support-council-resilience-0d5f45d8450d52d54ee9bf0b4f37d089/ Tuesday 9 March, 2021

Press release


Embargo date: from 00.01 a.m., Tuesday 9 March 2021


New toolkit gives crucial governance guidance to support council resilience


A set of practical toolkits launched today by the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny and the think-tank Localis will help council officers and councillors navigate governance risk and resilience.


One of the toolkits will assist senior council staff - the golden triangle of chief executive/monitoring officer/finance officer – exercise their leadership responsibilities to own and champion good governance.


In addition, a separate set has been designed for the needs of individual council officers and councillors not expert in governance to help them play their part in understanding, and acting on, risks that might prevent a council being effective, well run and accountable.


Jacqui McKinlay, chief executive, Centre for Governance and Scrutiny, said: “The toolkit practically describes seven ‘governance characteristics’ and clear examples of good and poor practice, supporting councils to review their own position.


“Drawing on research from a wide range of councils, including those requiring improvement support to councils looking to lead the way, we believe this work will positively contribute to local understanding of risk and what’s required to improve.”


Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “The release of this toolkit, many years in the planning, could not be more opportune for a local government sector stretched to breaking point by a calendar year of pandemic and the twin pressures of remorseless service demand and financial structures.”


CIPFA CEO, Rob Whiteman, said: “Over the last decade, council finances have been bludgeoned by the dual pressures of austerity and increasing demand for services. With the impact of COVID-19 now added to the mix, practical toolkits that support good governance and strong risk management are essential to the ongoing resilience of local authorities.”


Scott Dorling, partner, Trowers and Hamlins said: "We are a very proud sponsor of this toolkit. The toolkit is a fantastic practical guide which aims to provide all local government officers and members with a framework to help them identify, understand and act on governance risks in their authority. The timing of the toolkit couldn't be better"


END















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


Advance copy of the digital toolkits can be accessed

Please see; www.cfps.org.uk/governancerisk


Report Launch – Tuesday 9th March from 11.00 to 12.00 via Zoom Webinar

The report is being launched from 11.00 to 12.00 on Tuesday 9th
March via Zoom Webinar with a panel debate that includes:


Lord Bob KerslakeHelen Bailey, chief executive, Sutton LBCSiobhan Jones, director, communities and local government, MHCLGCllr Marianne Overton, leader, Independent Group, Local Government Association

Registration is via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/governance-risk-and-resilience-report-and-toolkit-launch-tickets-142222412063


About the organisations involved

About Centre for Governance and Scrutiny


The Centre for Governance and Scrutiny (CfGS) is a social purpose consultancy and national centre of expertise. Our purpose is to help organisations achieve their outcomes through improved governance and scrutiny. We support local government, the public, corporate and voluntary sectors in ensuring transparency, accountability and greater involvement in their governance processes.


About Localis


Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


www.localis.org.uk


Trowers & Hamlins


Trowers & Hamlins is well known for its eclectic mix of specialisations combining sector leadership in the UK and across the Middle East. We help businesses and governments change the way we live and work for the better. We do this by providing commercial advice geared towards tackling tomorrow's challenges in industry.


We are well known for being experts in the public sector and have thriving real estate, commercial, social housing, banking and finance, private wealth, employment and care practices, in addition to specialist practices such as planning, tax, pensions, and environment.


We are a top-40 UK law firm and undertake work around the globe. We have over 160 partners and approximately 990 employees. The main office is in the City of London, with three UK regional offices in Birmingham, Exeter and Manchester. Outside the UK we have more than 80 lawyers and four offices across the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region (including Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai and Oman), as well as an office in Malaysia.


http://www.trowers.com/about/


Main points in ‘Governance, risk and resilience’ toolkit

The research was undertaken by CfGS and Localis over an eighteen month period. It was supported by the LGA, CIPFA, Local Partnerships, MHCLG and Trowers and Hamlin.


There are two products, one aimed at members and officers generally and another for those officers in statutory positions. The toolkit provides a framework for internal reflection based on seven governance characteristics with a description and a set of positive and negative behaviours.


The characteristics are:


The state of member oversight through scrutiny and auditExtent of recognition of individual and collective responsibility for good governanceHow the council looks to the future to set its decision-making prioritiesOfficer and councillor rolesHow the council’s real situation compares to its sense of itselfQuality of local (external) relationshipsAwareness of political dynamics


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http://www.localis.org.uk 09 Mar 2021 01:00:01 GMT Government Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ Double down on devolution to create powerful communities, Localis report urges ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/double-down-on-devolution-to-create-powerful-communities-localis-report-urges-3ef9533219f835238c0af7c60e0453c4/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/double-down-on-devolution-to-create-powerful-communities-localis-report-urges-3ef9533219f835238c0af7c60e0453c4/ Tuesday 17 November, 2020

Ministers must make full use of the forthcoming Local Recovery and Devolution White Paper to give communities the power and resources they need to build back a better society, a report by the think-tank Localis has advised.


In a study issued today entitled ‘Renewing Neighbourhood Democracy – Creating Powerful Communities’ the think-tank calls on central government to facilitate a clear pathway for communities to take control over local services, assets and social infrastructure.


The paper argues government should enshrine the rights of communities to self-organise by creating ‘pop up parishes’ and set local spending choices at neighbourhood level through ‘people’s budgets’.


Other key report recommendations for strengthening communities to build back better at hyperlocal level include:


establishing a £2bn Community Wealth Fund to specifically target the social and civic infrastructure of ‘left behind’ neighbourhoods across the country. This would be an independent endowment that would be distributed over the course of 10-15 years to build and sustain the social capital of communities.giving local councils a statutory role for managing double devolution and community relations, to act as a single point of contact and information for community groups looking to establish forms of local control. launching an urgent government review to renew and extend financial support for voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in a manner similar to the Small Business Grant fund to respond to the pandemic, particularly as the reintroduction of lockdown measures escalates.

Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “If this is to be a teachable moment, then we must place greater trust in our communities to provide the impetus for social renewal and economic recovery.


“This must mean a genuine commitment from government for double devolution under which communities receive full powers and support to develop greater genuine autonomy and assume control for scripting their own local destinies.”


Localis head of research, Joe Fyans, said: ““The importance of our social infrastructure – our community hubs, our public spaces and volunteer organisations – to our national resilience has been made abundantly clear in 2020. Across the country however, there is wide variation in the amount of social infrastructure available to communities, with many places ‘left behind’ in an endless cycle of short-lived and top-down policy initiatives.


“This report looks towards a fair and lasting settlement for the protection of social infrastructure and the expansion of neighbourhood autonomy. Looking at lessons from history and case studies both domestic and international, we outline some steps to take in 2021 to shore up our social infrastructure in all parts of the country and create space for communities to take power into their own hands.”


Matt Leach, CEO Local Trust, said: “This pandemic has highlighted the vitality and resilience of community spirit, right across the country. We must harness this real community moment, to not only build back better, but build up from below.


“That means seizing the opportunity of the impending Local Recovery and Devolution white paper to ensure communities gain real power that comes from them building their own institutions, that are real and relevant to them, and can act as a counterbalance and complement to the state.


“The ideas included in this report of a Community Wealth Fund, ‘pop up parishes’, and stronger community rights, will play an integral part in renewing democracy and creating powerful communities.”


END















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


An advance copy of the report is available for download. “Renewing Neighbourhood Democracy – Creating Powerful Communities’

Report Launch – Tuesday 17 November from 11.00 to 12.00 via Zoom Webinar


The report is being launched from 11.00 to 12.00 on Tuesday 17 November via Zoom Webinar with a panel debate that includes:


Danny Kruger MP for Devizes and author of ‘Levelling up our communities,’ ;Alison McKenzie-Folan, chief executive Wigan Council; Jo Phillips, award-winning journalist and political adviser;Rayhan Haque, Local Trust senior policy adviser.

Registration is via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/localis-report-launch-creating-powerful-communities-tickets-124674696373


About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


www.localis.org.uk


About Local Trust


Local Trust is a place-based funder supporting communities to transform and improve their lives and the places where they live. We believe there is a need to put more power, resources and decision-making into the hands of local communities, to enable them to transform and improve their lives and the places in which they live. We do this by trusting local people. Our aims are to demonstrate the value of long term, unconditional, resident-led funding through our work supporting local communities make their areas better places to live, and to draw on the learning from our work to promote a wider transformation in the way policy makers, funders and others engage with communities and place.


localtrust.org.uk


Report Recommendations
The Local Recovery and Devolution White Paper should codify the role of councils in a facilitative local state by beginning the process of creating clear, statutory pathways to community autonomy.
The white paper should identify areas of service delivery that could be co-designed, run in partnership or devolved entirely to the neighbourhood-level, particularly if the size of local authorities is to increase with reforms.A statutory role should be created in local authorities for managing double devolution and community relations, to act as a single point of contact and information for community groups looking to establish forms of local control. Building on previous work from London Councils and Danny Kruger MP, the ‘pop-up parish’ or Community Improvement District model should be extended as a statutory community right alongside the previous rights established in the Localism Act 2011.Pathways should be developed for communities to take control of non-core service spending at neighbourhood level through initiatives like the People’s Budget in Frome.
To enshrine the principle of double devolution and expand upon the Localism Act’s establishment of Community Rights, the Local Recovery and Devolution White Paper should extend these rights to give the community greater power over local assets and social infrastructure.
All assets that qualify as having community value under the current system should be designated as social infrastructure. If a community group decides to take on a community asset, they should be supported, both procedurally and financially, in their endeavours to do so.
The introduction of localised lockdowns has further emphasised the importance of front-line action from community groups. The government should urgently renew and extend financial support for voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations to respond to the pandemic, particularly as the reintroduction of lockdown measures escalates.
To ensure fast and targeted response, a fund could be distributed to community organisations by local councils in lockdown areas in a manner similar to the distribution of the pandemic-related Small Business Grant FundAs with the Small Business Grant Fund, the focus should be on rescue at any cost for the sake of national resilience, and the overall fund should be matched to need rather than to a specific cash limit.
In order to strengthen social infrastructure, and properly resource endeavours to empower communities in a manner that is participatory and gets results, central government should commit to establishing a Community Wealth Fund


The fund would specifically target the social and civic infrastructure of ‘left behind’ neighbourhoods across the country. It would be an independent endowment that would be distributed over the course of 10-15 years, include investment at the hyperlocal level, decision-making would be community-led and, as part of the package, support would be provided in order to build and sustain the social capital of communities and their capacity to be involved. Recently, this call for a hyperlocal focused funding of £2bn was echoed by Danny Kruger MP in his proposal for a ‘Levelling Up Communities Fund’.


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http://www.localis.org.uk 17 Nov 2020 00:10:02 GMT Charities & non-profits Coronavirus (COVID-19) Government Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ Localis essay collection unwraps new ideas to kickstart C19 housing recovery ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/localis-essay-collection-unwraps-new-ideas-to-kickstart-c19-housing-recovery-bbfd6599cbdb9d7051d006f0b9c47973/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/localis-essay-collection-unwraps-new-ideas-to-kickstart-c19-housing-recovery-bbfd6599cbdb9d7051d006f0b9c47973/ Thursday 25 June, 2020


Independent think-tank Localis has today set out an ambitious set of innovative and practical ideas from itself and 20 leading housing experts detailing how a housebuilding-led recovery could drive economic and social renewal as the nation emerges from the Covid-19 lockdown.


The proposals and suggestions are contained in an essay collection entitled “Building for renewal: Kickstarting the C19 housing recovery” which encompasses how housing policy and the planning system could be directed to promoting opportunity and prosperity, building sustainable communities as well as supporting lives and engaging with society during the recovery.


Contributions for promoting opportunity and prosperity include suggestions for investment in a new generation of social housing and bringing forward council housebuilding investment programmes; provision of key worker housing; risk-sharing and flexibility of tenures and levelling up housing through wider access to the new Single Housing Infrastructure Fund.


Calls for better place-led investment include arguments for: -


Protecting social investment and new partnership models for investment;

Extending the role of Homes England as housing accelerator with new powers over surplus public sector land and support of spatial plan delivery;


Supporting SMEs to accelerate growth and the role of garden settlements;


Finding new forms of funding to inject new liquidity into the housing market – including the use of SIPPs for residential property investment, greater deployment of patient capital for social investment and pension fund investment.


Suggestions for using the housing agenda to support the vulnerable and engage better with society include: -


Innovative approaches to tackling the challenges of an ageing society;

Reaching younger people and those from diverse background to contribute to planning for a green future;


Use of digital engagement in building trust and embedding social value in development.

Essays exploring the role of the planning system in creating successful and sustainable communities include arguments for: -


Extending planning permissions for a further 12 months and making build-out a pre-requisite of Government funding or planning permissions;Granting short-term planning freedoms including an extension of permitted development rights as part of a programme to deliver long-term housing growth;Case for demanding spatial plans be produced by infrastructure authorities to support “good growth” and as a pre-requisite for additional Government funding;The digital transformation of planning and empowerment of local authorities to plan pro-actively.

Cllr Paul Carter, chairman of the Localis C19 Housing Commission, said: “In Britain, we have a housing and construction industry to be proud of and the challenges it faces are very real. As a local government leader and senior councillor for many years, and with a lifelong career as a housebuilder, I have experienced at first hand significant economic recessions.


“This report presents an array of innovation, ideas and recommendations to kickstart the housebuilding recovery and get the national economy firing again on all cylinders.”


Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “Given the gravity of the situation we find ourselves in, housing’s fundamental social and economic role and transformative capacity to drive change and growth assumes even greater significance.


“What was already a radical and exciting agenda for housing in the aftermath of last December’s general election result now becomes a pivotal ‘win or lose’ moment for national renewal.


“This paper sets out astute and creative thoughts from a broad range of individual experts and organisations as to how we might use the primacy of place to direct a return to housing growth.


“Uniquely, by kickstarting housebuilding we can directly unlock recovery in ways that can not only overcome entrenched economic difficulties, but also renew our communities, helping society improve on what was before and genuinely build back better.”
















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


A full copy of the essay collection can be downloaded here:

Building for renewal: Kickstarting the C19 housing recovery


Key principles and themes:

Part A: The Role of Housing in Promoting Opportunity and Prosperity for All


Investment in new generation of social housing and bringing forward council housebuilding investment programmes;Provision of key worker housing;Risk sharing and flexibility of tenures;Renewed spirit of public/private collaboration;Leadership in placemaking;Investment in communities;Levelling up housing and wider access to the new Single Housing Infrastructure Fund.

Part B: The Role of Investment in Place in Leading Renewal


Protecting social investment and new partnership models for investment.

Extending the role of Homes England as housing accelerator with new powers over surplus public sector land and support of spatial plan delivery.


Why supporting SMEs can accelerate growth and the role of garden settlements.


Finding new forms of funding to inject new liquidity into the housing market – including the use of SIPPs for residential property investment, greater deployment of patient capital for social investment and pension fund investment.

Part C: The Role of Housing in Supporting the Most Vulnerable And Engaging in Society


Innovative approaches to tackling the challenges of an ageing society;

Reaching younger people and those from diverse background to contribute to planning for a green future;


Use of digital engagement in building trust and embedding social value in development.

Part D: The Role of Planning in creating successful and sustainable communities


Themes include:


Extending planning permissions for a further 12 months and making build-out a pre-requisite of Government funding or planning permissions.Granting short-term planning freedoms including an extension of permitted development rights as part of a programme to deliver long-term housing growth.Implications of local authorities offering tenure blind planning and development and whether homes for older people should be included in housebuilding delivery figures.Case for demanding spatial plans be produced by infrastructure authorities to support “good growth” and as a pre-requisite for additional Government funding.The digital transformation of planning and empowerment of local authorities to plan pro-actively.
“Building for renewal: Kickstarting the C19 housing recovery” – Essayists and contributors
Barton Willmore (Iain Painting, Senior Partner & Robin Shepherd, Partner)The Berkeley Group (Tony Pidgeley CBE, Chairman)Cascade Communications (Emma Waterfall, Managing Director)Cheyne Capital (Darren Carter, Investment Director, Social PropertyConnected Places Catapult (Erin Walsh, Director of Built Environment & Bin Guan, Built Environment Researcher)Countryside (Andrew Taylor, Head of Planning)Developers East Sussex (Jonathan Buckwell)DHA Planning (Mark Bewsey, Planning Director)Essex Developers Group (Mark Curle)Grant Thornton LLP UK (Paul Dossett, Head of Local Government)Homes for the North (Nigel Wilson, Chair)Iceni Projects Ltd (Nick Ireland, Planning Director)Kent Developers Group (Nick Kenton)Local Government Association (Cllr David Renard, Chairman, Environment, Economy, Housing and Transport Board)National Housing Federation (Lawrence Morris, Policy Officer)Planning Officer's Society (Catriona Riddell, National Strategic Planning Specialist)Platform Housing Group (Elizabeth Froude, Group Chief Executive) Quinn Estates (Mark Quinn, CEO/Chairman)Royal Town Planning Institute (Richard Blyth, Head of Policy)UK Regeneration (Jackie Sadek, COO)University of Kent (Professor Cllr Samer Bagaeen)Willmott Dixon (Andrew Geldard, Chief Communications Officer)
About Localis

Who we are


We are an independent, cross-party, leading not-for-profit think tank that was established in 2001. Our work promotes neo-localist ideas through research, events and commentary, covering a range of local and national domestic policy issues.


Neo-localism


Our research and policy programme is guided by the concept of neo-localism. Neo-localism is about giving places and people more control over the effects of globalisation. It is positive about promoting economic prosperity, but also enhancing other aspects of people’s lives such as family and culture. It is not anti-globalisation, but wants to bend the mainstream of social and economic policy so that place is put at the centre of political thinking.


In particular our work is focused on the following areas:



Decentralising political economy. Developing and differentiating regional economies and an accompanying devolution of democratic leadership.
Empowering local leadership. Elevating the role and responsibilities of local leaders in shaping and directing their place.
Extending local civil capacity. The mission of the strategic authority as a convener of civil society; from private to charity sector, household to community.
Reforming public services. Ideas to help save the public services and institutions upon which many in society depend.

What we do


We publish research throughout the year, from extensive reports to shorter pamphlets, on a diverse range of policy areas.


We run a broad events programme, including roundtable discussions, panel events and an extensive party conference programme.


We also run a membership network of local authorities and corporate fellows.


www.localis.org.uk




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http://www.localis.org.uk 25 Jun 2020 07:00:02 GMT Business & Finance Construction & Property Coronavirus (COVID-19) Government Manufacturing, Engineering & Energy Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ "Use Community Value Charters as fast-track to building back better high streets" ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/use-community-value-charters-as-fast-track-to-building-back-better-high-streets-cd3ac99f8d546011f79db4eab454d647/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/use-community-value-charters-as-fast-track-to-building-back-better-high-streets-cd3ac99f8d546011f79db4eab454d647/ Friday 19 June, 2020

UNDER EMBARGO 00.01 AM GMT Saturday 20 June:


The Grimsey Review ‘Build Back Better, Covid-19 Supplement for town centres, released Saturday 20 June has recommended that to give communities a bigger role to unlock their potential, Localis’s ‘Community Value Charter’ model - as introduced in a recent report ‘Brighten All Corners – maximising social value in place’
– should be adopted by all local authorities.


Under this model, based on the format of the Local Plan, councils would be required to give communities a greater say in the benefits received in the commissioning of local services from commercial suppliers.


In response, Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “In the teeth of the biggest recession in recorded history, our under-threat high streets must make maximum use of social value from public service commissioning to aid their necessary transformation for survival.


“The social value agenda presents the most direct and immediate route to building back better socially and making the government’s ‘levelling-up’ agenda for rebalancing the economy come together.


“The Grimsey Review’s support for Localis’s ‘Community Value Charter’ model - which requires councils to give communities a greater say in the benefits received in the commissioning of local services from commercial suppliers - will, we hope, inspire local government and the wider public sector to pick up and run with a simple and effective way to kickstart the long journey from lockdown to recovery.”


ENDS















Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


A full copy of the Localis report which introduced the concept of Community Value Charters can be accessed here: “Brighten All Corners – maximising social value in place”
About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


Brighten All Corners Report Recommendations

The Government should revise the Social Value Act with a local element requiring councils to produce Community Value Charters to define goals and priorities for residents.


Community Value Charters should be publicly available and define where social value offers would be best targeted as an aid to both commissioners and contractors placing bids.


As with Local Plans, Community Value Charters should be open to public consultation and review.


Community Value Charters should also be consulted on with a representative number of stakeholders from SMEs as well as large partner businesses.


The Government should define a list of approved social value metrics for quantifying the social value element of a tender.


Community Value Charters should be approved by DCMS into the broader Civil Society Strategy.


Councils and contractors should set out a timeframe and measure for a re-evaluation of a social value initiative, with the possibility to break the contract if it is not being delivered.

An infographic of the Community Value Charters model can be downloaded here:




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http://www.localis.org.uk 19 Jun 2020 15:05:20 GMT Business & Finance Construction & Property Coronavirus (COVID-19) Government Public Sector & Legal Retail & Fashion Transport & Logistics Travel & Tourism
<![CDATA[ Empower Covid community renewal or sink grass roots recovery hopes, Localis report warns ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/empower-covid-community-renewal-or-sink-grass-roots-recovery-hopes-localis-report-warns-f69359832b361489a713f8bd746107e3/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/empower-covid-community-renewal-or-sink-grass-roots-recovery-hopes-localis-report-warns-f69359832b361489a713f8bd746107e3/ Wednesday 3 June, 2020

Ministers must fund and empower local people to run vital community businesses and service hubs which can help neighbourhoods thrive beyond the immediate Covid pandemic, a report by the think-tank Localis has recommended.


In a report issued today entitled ‘Local Delivery – protecting social infrastructure’ the think-tank calls on central government to show greater consistency and political will in supporting grass roots community ventures - or risk hampering recovery by sapping the energy and enthusiasm of capable volunteers.


The report calls on government to guarantee more secured and core funding to community asset bids, especially in less affluent places - and to also ensure volunteers are not threatened with benefit cuts in deprived areas where local people must take responsibility for building community capacity.


Other key report recommendations include calls to ensure:



The provision of parks and open spaces alongside support for ‘friends of’ groups should be a statutory requirement for councils.
The six-month moratorium in selling an asset which is currently allowed to the community under Right to Bid should be extended to 12 months.
Local authorities promote investment in community groups as a positive factor in the evaluation of social value elements when awarding public contracts.
Social investment should come in the form of low-cost loans from local authorities as part of ‘co-investment’ - and ‘payback’ for loans should encompass non-financial capital benefits such as health and wellbeing dividends of park management.

Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran said: “At a time when our very concept of social contact is being distorted and threatened by the need to respond to the C19 pandemic, our need for strong community ties has, paradoxically, never been greater.


“The recovery will be driven as much by the dictates of restoring social wellbeing as economic renewal. So policy must be directed to allowing capable local people to provide all manner of niche services and neighbourhood enterprises in their community facilities and care for much-loved open spaces also.”


Report author, Grace Newcombe, said: “In these unprecedented times, despite financial pressures and social restrictions, many community organisations have succeeded in adapting, rallying support from the community to provide services and a much-needed sense of normalcy. Their ability to mobilise and respond to the immediate needs of the community highlights their importance as providers of social cohesion, crucial in the face of uncertainty.


“Over lockdown, we have realised the real significance of our local services and open spaces. Community groups need support to remain autonomous and make their voices heard in the planning and delivery of services for community wellbeing, having best captured true community spirit during the pandemic.”


Richard Harries, Director of the Power to Change Research Institute, said: “Months of social distancing have torn communities apart, separating children from their grandparents, and leaving many others coping alone with grief and loss. Yet it has also brought communities together, as we gather each week to clap for the NHS and carers, and as we find new ways to share parks and green spaces.


“This timely report presents central and local government with a golden opportunity to build on this national spirit of goodwill. We knew before the pandemic that local people were often best placed to meet local challenges. With millions of new volunteers keen to support others in their communities, now is the time to completely rethink how we invest in our shared social infrastructure.”


END






Press enquiries:



Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:



A full copy of the report can be downloaded here: Local Delivery – protecting social infrastructure


Organisations involved

About Localis


Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


About Power to Change


We work with community businesses to revive local assets, protect the services people rely on, and address local needs.


Our vision is to create better places through community business. We will use our endowment to strengthen community businesses across England. This means providing money, advice and support to help local people come together to take control. At a time when many parts of the country face cuts, neglect and social problems, we want to make sure local areas survive and stay vibrant. We do so by being bold, collaborative, open and informed.


Our endowment came from the Big Lottery Fund in 2015 (now The National Lottery Community Fund).



Report Recommendations

Local government policy

There must be more consistency across the local government sector in recognising the importance of local social infrastructure.
Local government can also play a key role in fostering a network of community organisations, groups and hubs where resources and knowledge can be shared locally. To strengthen and enhance the hyper-local resilience fostered by community hubs, councils should have an active community assets register
taking stock of physical assets, hub spaces and community enterprises.


Social investment should come in the form of low-cost loans from local authorities as part of ‘co-investment’.



This retains the local authority stake in asset management whilst allowing for community control.
‘Payback’ for loans should encompass non-financial capital benefits such as health and wellbeing dividends of park management.
There are instances where the benefits can only be measured over time – for instance health and wellbeing impact of access to green space needs to be measured in conjunction with local primary care health services .

Local authorities should promote investment in community groups as a positive factor in the evaluation of social value elements when awarding public contracts.



Central government policy

Secured and core funding should be made more readily available by central government for community bids. This could include:



Ring-fencing funds from national bodies such as the National Lottery Community Fund for community ownership (as seen in Scotland). The awarding of funds should be as unrestrictive as possible, giving the group freedom and autonomy to do with it what they see fit.
Extra support and resources should be allocated for community organisations in less affluent areas.


People who volunteer on a regular basis should not face benefit cuts – in more deprived areas this is vital to enable local people to take the initiative and build community capacity.

Community Asset Transfer should be redesigned with more stringent recognition of liabilities taken on by community groups.



Councils should be required to hand over buildings in good condition to ensure security of tenure or provide a reduction in the transfer cost to the community to cover liability costs.

Central government should establish a fund to provide access to pre-feasibility and feasibility funding (early-stage development funding), rather than funding provided once there is more certainty in the project.



This will ensure that the prospect of community ownership has been given a fair hearing in the right to bid process.
This could be a project co-designed with the Local Government Association or organisations such as Localis or Power to Change with a view to providing a template for evaluation.

The six-month moratorium in selling an asset which is currently allowed to the community under Right to Bid should be extended to 12 months.


Provision of parks and open spaces alongside support for ‘friends of’ groups should be a statutory requirement for councils.


COVID19 has starkly highlighted the inequalities in access to open space, be it a courtyard, park, allotment or balcony. While some of this can be addressed through planning and building policy, it could be relatively quick and simple for people in a street or estate to organise regular car free days IF they have the support of the local authority.




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http://www.localis.org.uk 03 Jun 2020 01:10:02 GMT Business & Finance Charities & non-profits Coronavirus (COVID-19) Government Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ Learn the local language of place to boost community benefits of social value, Localis report urges ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/learn-the-local-language-of-place-to-boost-community-benefits-of-social-value-localis-report-urges-209dc0d93b42f457676ee461ab521919/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/learn-the-local-language-of-place-to-boost-community-benefits-of-social-value-localis-report-urges-209dc0d93b42f457676ee461ab521919/ Thursday 16 April, 2020

The lives of residents must measurably improve as a result of how councils commission and provide local public services, a report by the think-tank Localis has recommended.


In a report issued today entitled ‘Brighten All Corners – maximising social value in place’ the think-tank calls for a standardised approach to evaluating social value which would give communities a greater say in the benefits received in the commissioning of local public services from commercial suppliers.


The report calls for the public sector to adopt Community Value Charters as a standard framework for setting place-sensitive local outcomes that build on inherent strengths such as social and natural capital as we enter the second decade of the ground-breaking Social Value Act.


Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “During the Covid-19 pandemic everyone in society is having to drastically reorient how they go about their everyday business or deliver public services.


“In this spirit, our report calls for a greater sense of human values, trust and relationship in how we generate value for our communities from the commissioning process.


“Providers must be accountable to residents, tenants and local people for both the services they deliver and the benefits agreed to when business contracts are signed.


“And these must be explained in a clear way – not through complex targets and opaque mechanisms.


“As we start to move in the coming months from lockdown to economic recovery, a depleted private sector will, as is always the case during economic recessions, naturally drive more intense competition when bidding for government contracts.


“To preserve social value, we must see strong actual proof in the improved lived experience of people in our communities as a tangible outcome of public service commissioning.”


Localis head of research, Joe Fyans, said: “We need a standardised language and set of clearly defined terms in social value to get the most from the legislation as it enters its second decade.


“For example, rather than focusing on what firms can offer off the shelf without much thought, such as training and employment, providers should have scope to provide a more locally-relevant offer that focuses on the strength of people and place in an area.”


Alan Long, Executive Director of Mears Group, said: “If we can’t get social value right for our communities now then we never will. It has been said that the Covid pandemic could further highlight the divide in our communities. The housing sector, alongside local and national commissioners, have a golden opportunity to use the resources of the private sector for the public good.


“I commend this report for providing a clear platform for demonstrating social value to communities and will be speaking to colleagues in central government about how we can take these recommendations forward immediately.


“I will also be writing to senior colleagues across the housing sector to encourage them to join us for sector wide agreement – this is the time to take action – together.”


ENDS

Notes to Editors:


A full copy of the embargoed report can be accessed here: “Brighten All Corners – maximising social value in place”
About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.


About Mears Group


Mears is a housing and care company. We provide and manage some 12,000 homes for local and central Government and is also responsible for keeping 750,000 of all social housing in the UK in good repair and cares for 20,000 elderly or vulnerable residents. Mears has 11,000 employees and a footprint all across the UK.


Mears Group has been recognised for its outstanding environmental, social and governance practices by gaining a place in the FTSE4Good Index – and places Mears in the top 9% of companies in the index. Social value runs through everything we do. We were one of the first companies to launch a social value board, chaired by our Executive Director Alan Long and made up of independent experts to scrutinise all of our social value output.


Our latest social value report is available here


Report Recommendations

The Government should revise the Social Value Act with a local element requiring councils to produce Community Value Charters to define goals and priorities for residents.


Community Value Charters should be publicly available and define where social value offers would be best targeted as an aid to both commissioners and contractors placing bids.


As with Local Plans, Community Value Charters should be open to public consultation and review.


Community Value Charters should also be consulted on with a representative number of stakeholders from SMEs as well as large partner businesses.


The Government should define a list of approved social value metrics for quantifying the social value element of a tender.


Community Value Charters should be approved by DCMS into the broader Civil Society Strategy.


Councils and contractors should set out a timeframe and measure for a re-evaluation of a social value initiative, with the possibility to break the contract if it is not being delivered.




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http://www.localis.org.uk 16 Apr 2020 01:05:01 GMT Business & Finance Charities & non-profits Construction & Property Coronavirus (COVID-19) Government Manufacturing, Engineering & Energy Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ New intake of Conservative MPs set out fresh ideas for new housing blueprint ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/new-intake-of-conservative-mps-set-out-fresh-ideas-for-new-housing-blueprint-82a075b5a3015ea9c03a4359d928f301/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/new-intake-of-conservative-mps-set-out-fresh-ideas-for-new-housing-blueprint-82a075b5a3015ea9c03a4359d928f301/ Monday 16 March, 2020

A group of ten Conservative MPs from the 2019 intake has today set out an ambitious blueprint for the future of housing to rethink the social and economic role of housing over the next decade.


The proposals are contained in a post-Budget essay collection entitled “Valuing Housing, Improving Lives’ and encompass how housing policy and the planning system could be directed to supporting the most vulnerable in society, provide more ladders of opportunity and prosperity and build homes that are beautiful and are supported by the right infrastructure - be that trees, schools or roads.


Contributions for supporting the vulnerable include proposals for a ‘preservation of life’ Act to tackle rough sleeping; support to victims of domestic abuse and extending the ‘housing first’ system to a ‘prevention first’ approach that sees additional spending allocated for frontline and preventative services.


Essays exploring the role of the planning system in creating successful and sustainable communities include arguments for:


a green belt levy with additional funding directed at brownfield sites in cities and towns to make up for shortfalls in urban areas;a call to power up strategic planning through integrated spatial and infrastructure modelling that is directed by community engagement;efforts to deliver infrastructure in line with growth – at the right time and in the right way;giving coastal and post-industrial areas greater support for economic and social regeneration; andbringing brownfield land back into use and creative use of public land and resources.

Natalie Elphicke MP said: “Housing has a fundamental social and economic role. It is a cornerstone of the safety net of the welfare state. It provides the ladders of opportunity and prosperity. Providing homes and supportive services is about so much more than bricks and mortar, it is about building the very fabric of successful and sustainable communities and supporting lives.”


Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “This paper rightly sets out considered proposals which prove how housing remains the single most emotive domestic political issue of our time - striking as it does at our sense of belonging, of identity as both an individual and as part of a wider community.


“These answers to local housing are inherently capable of being unlocked within the individual contexts of people and place, and will need a multi-layered and differentiating approach. An approach where local leadership and solutions can be supported and co-ordinated in line with national ambitions.”


ENDS





Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


The essay collection report is being launched in the Strangers’ Dining Room, Palace of Westminster on Monday 16 March from 16.00.

Minister for Housing, the Rt Hon Christopher Pincher MP will launch the event and the essayists will also speak about their individual contributions to the collection.


Press places are available upon request or sign up here:


A full copy of the embargoed essay collection can be downloaded here:

Valuing Housing, Improving Lives


Key Principles:

Part A: The Role of Housing in Supporting the Most Vulnerable in Society


Preservation of Life: a new ‘preservation of life’ act should be considered. This would prohibit a ‘walk on by’/‘live and let die’ response to rough sleeping, with new responsibilities and powers, as well as funded support services.From broken lives to new beginnings: families who have suffered domestic abuse should be prioritised for re-housing so that those affected can move forward from the strongest foundation - a safe and stable home. A new focus on the ‘housed vulnerable’ is needed to give greater protection for people targeted in their homes by gangs and organised crime, such as county lines.Housing First, Prevention First: ‘Housing First’, a programme that tailors services, such as mental health and addiction support, around a stable new home, is highly effective at helping vulnerable people. This approach should be extended to a ‘Prevention First’ system which funds additional front line and preventative services to tackle root causes that lead to destitution and homelessness in order to build a stronger, healthier and happier society

Part B: The Role of Housing in Promoting Opportunity and Prosperity for All


Coastal and Growth Funding: Recognising the role that housing has in supporting economic success as well as strengthening post-industrial and coastal communities. Greater weighting could be given to the economic, social, regeneration and delivery certainty returns in such communities. In particular funding to support bringing brownfield and factory/warehousing land back into use, as has happened in central London.Levelling up the housing market: Over the last 15 years more than 2 million homes and around 6 million people have been displaced into private rented housing from the traditional tenures of home ownership and social rent/affordable housing. The next decade is likely to need a rebalancing towards home ownership, with social and affordable housing continuing to be an important part of the tenure mix.Making rent fair: It is time to look again at how rents are assessed and set in areas with a higher concentration of poor quality private rented housing so that tenants and taxpayers alike pay a fair, and not excessive, price for rented property.Creative use of public land and resources: Examples from the London Borough of Hillingdon show that public land can be used much more creatively and economically – for example, a library that is re-built to provide a modern library with housing above provides new facilities, additional housing, and funding to pay for the library and other services. It’s time to use all land creatively, to meet local needs and fund services too.

Part C: The Role of Planning in Creating Successful and Sustainable Communities


Pay Green to go Brown: too often the green belt is being used to make up for shortfalls in cities and towns. A green belt levy with additional funding directed at brownfield city and town sites could help address the towns’ deficiency and ensure that more homes were built within towns and cities to meet their identified housing needs.Powering up strategic planning, sharing the value of growth: in order to grow communities and regions holistically it is important that there is integrated spatial and infrastructure modelling supported by regional spatial planning. Such planning and modelling needs to be directed by local community engagement, with more of the land value uplift from planning gain being directed for the benefit of community infrastructure.Delivering infrastructure at the right time: it is not enough securing funding or commitments to delivering infrastructure, the infrastructure needs to be actually delivered at the right time. That means schools, doctors, roads and rail delivered on time and in line with growth. That isn’t always happening now and that means that some communities who have grown are becoming resistant to further housing growth. It doesn’t need to be that way if infrastructure can be delivered at the right time and in the right way.
“Valuing Housing, Improving Lives” – List of Essayists and Contributors

Nickie Aiken MP, Member of Parliament for Cities of London and Westminster


Rob Butler MP, Member of Parliament for Aylesbury


Natalie Elphicke MP, Member of Parliament for Dover & Deal


Simon Fell MP, Member of Parliament for Barrow and Furness


Jane Hunt MP, Member of Parliament for Loughborough


Jerome Mayhew MP, Member of Parliament for Broadland


Robin Millar MP, Member of Parliament for Aberconwy


Joy Morrissey MP, Member of Parliament for Beaconsfield


Dean Russell MP, Member of Parliament for Watford


David Simmonds MP, Member of Parliament for Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner


About Localis


Who we are


We are an independent, cross-party, leading not-for-profit think tank that was established in 2001. Our work promotes neo-localist ideas through research, events and commentary, covering a range of local and national domestic policy issues.


Neo-localism


Our research and policy programme is guided by the concept of neo-localism. Neo-localism is about giving places and people more control over the effects of globalisation. It is positive about promoting economic prosperity, but also enhancing other aspects of people’s lives such as family and culture. It is not anti-globalisation, but wants to bend the mainstream of social and economic policy so that place is put at the centre of political thinking.


In particular our work is focused on the following areas:


• Reshaping our economy. How places can take control of their economies and drive local growth.


• Culture, tradition and beauty. Crafting policy to help our heritage, physical environment and cultural life continue to enrich our lives.


• Reforming public services. Ideas to help save the public services and institutions upon which many in society depend.


What we do


We publish research throughout the year, from extensive reports to shorter pamphlets, on a diverse range of policy areas.


We run a broad events programme, including roundtable discussions, panel events and an extensive party conference programme.


We also run a membership network of local authorities and corporate fellows.


www.localis.org.uk


About the HFI


Who we are: The Housing & Finance Institute was established in 2015 with the support of UK Government, businesses and councils. Its creation was a recommendation of the Elphicke-House Report 2015. The HFI is a not-for-profit organisation.


What we do: The Housing & Finance Institute acts as an accelerator hub, to increase knowledge and capacity in order to speed up and increase the number of new homes financed, built and managed across all tenures.


How do we work: At the HFI, we do the following:


share best practice through workshops, networking and our landmark ‘Housing Business Ready’ programmes, that support capacity building in councils to explore the housing their communities want and need

• publish policy papers


• engage across a range of stakeholders.


The HFI is not politically affiliated with a particular party or business/industry. The composition of our board of directors and stakeholder groups reflects this balanced and diverse approach.




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http://www.localis.org.uk 16 Mar 2020 00:00:03 GMT Construction & Property Environment & Nature Government Opinion Article Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ Local areas will miss opportunities of net zero goals unless Government turbocharges local industrial strategy ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/local-areas-will-miss-opportunities-of-net-zero-goals-unless-government-turbocharges-local-industrial-strategy-89fecbd4a1ffebf9fd5e8eba4b9fd2ee/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/local-areas-will-miss-opportunities-of-net-zero-goals-unless-government-turbocharges-local-industrial-strategy-89fecbd4a1ffebf9fd5e8eba4b9fd2ee/ Wednesday 23 October, 2019

Government must support ambitious local industrial strategies, backed by new funding and devolved powers, to help local areas play their part in moving the UK to a zero-carbon economy, says a joint study by think tanks Green Alliance and Localis.


Although more than 230 English local authorities have declared climate emergencies in the past year, most have only just begun to consider the changes that will be needed to local energy and transport systems, and to transform the buildings and industries in their areas.


Local industrial strategies, supported by national government, through which local areas can plan to both improve productivity and meet net zero goals, are the most obvious route to change, the report argues.


However, the slow rollout of local industrial strategy is putting local areas with the greatest need of economic revival at risk of missing out on clean growth development opportunities and imperilling the national net zero target.


Entitled ‘The route to clean growth – using local industrial strategies to drive change’, the report calls for the government to reaffirm its commitment to local industrial strategies with clean, climate-resilient growth at their core.


It suggests, for example, that local and combined authorities should have more powers to mandate greener building projects, contrary to the government’s renewed threat to ban them from doing so. They should also be able to use council tax and business rates to meet clean growth objectives.


The think-tanks propose that a proportion of the forthcoming Shared Prosperity Fund is ringfenced for projects that enable clean growth by, for instance, supporting the grid infrastructure needed to expand renewable energy or improving public transport.


If local areas had more scope to take the initiative, as high levels of public concern about climate change suggest their residents want them to, they could futureproof existing areas of strength and build strengths in emerging fields like smart energy systems and offsite construction.


The report cites a number of examples of good practice, including Bristol’s pioneering CityLeap project, which is creating new local opportunities by attracting private investment in local energy systems, and the West Midlands, which has put the move to electric vehicles at the heart of its recently published local industrial strategy.


Green Alliance’s head of policy, Roz Bulleid, said: “The impact of the climate challenges facing us are acutely felt at the local level. Some areas could lose jobs in high carbon industries while others are benefiting from new opportunities such as offshore wind.


“Local policy makers should be building clean growth into the heart of their economic strategies to attract the industries of the future and ensure local resilience in a world increasingly affected by climate change.”


Localis head of research, Joe Fyans, said: “The clean growth challenge is to make the best use of local resources and powers to drive change across the country and at a much more rapid rate than previously.”


Nicola Yates OBE, CEO of Connected Places Catapult, said, “Pioneering place leaders are right to be looking at how their Local Industrial Strategies can foster both local prosperity and environmental sustainability.


“Luckily for all of us, the UK has a wealth of brilliant businesses offering innovative solutions and services that can help councils realise their plans for clean local growth. We hope to see more places taking an ambitious approach to delivering clean local growth – and working with the market to achieve those ambitions.”


Leader of Cornwall Council, Julian German, said: “As the first rural authority in the country to receive a Devolution Deal giving us more funding powers and the opportunity to co-design policy to deliver local services, we back this call for central government to support local industrial strategies with new funding and devolved powers.


“Our New Frontiers proposal and Carbon Neutral Cornwall Action Plan set out our asks of Government outlining future funding requirements and policy changes required to develop clean growth and resilience. We are currently leading a planning shake-up to promote renewable energy, environmental growth and energy-efficient homes and working to further develop the concept of a rural energy innovation zone.”


Nicola Lovett, CEO, ENGIE UK, said: “This report highlights the key role that local and regional authorities can play to unlock new potential by promoting clean growth - which will in turn accelerate the UK’s journey towards a net-zero future.”


Matthew Rhodes, Chair of Energy Capital, part of West Midlands Combined Authority, said “Energy Capital has been advocating stronger linkage between local industrial strategy and clean growth, and particularly local control over energy infrastructure development, for a long time.


“We’re pleased to support this report and excited to be working with Transport for West Midlands and constituent local authorities across the West Midlands to support low carbon opportunities and the move to low emission vehicles.”


ENDS


Press enquiries:


Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis


(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


Roz Bulleid, head of policy, Green Alliance


(Telephone) 020 7630 4526 / (Mobile) 07815 119747 / (Email) rbulleid@green-alliance.org.uk


Notes to Editors:


The report will be launched from 10.00am on Wednesday 23 October at the Urban Innovation Centre, Connected Places Catapult in Farringdon. Limited press places are available – please email: jonathan.werran@localis.org.uk


1. A full copy of the embargoed report can be downloaded here: The route to clean growth: Using local industrial strategies to drive change


2. Recommendations


Recommit to green local industrial strategies


A requirement to pursue clean growth should be written into the local industrial strategy policy prospectus so that each area begins to identify opportunities for achieving returns on low carbon investment. In approving strategies, the government must also consider whether local areas are supporting a just transition to a decarbonised economy.


Provide expert advice and targeted financial support


Support for clean growth should not end with the publication of a local industrial strategy. The government should collate data on the success of local projects and clean growth strategies and publicise the lessons learnt. It should also provide targeted expert support for local authorities at the earliest stage of developing the strategies, building on the experience it has gained from local energy hubs. It should roll-out matchmaking services for local authorities looking to attract private finance.


Offer new sources of finance


The government should ringfence part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund for projects with local public and private investment that deliver the infrastructure and supply chains necessary to drive decarbonisation. This match funding would be for projects where local authorities and private sector work together to address issues such as electricity grid constraints or poor public transport infrastructure. At the same time, local areas should use Stronger Towns Fund money for capital investment in clean growth-related projects rather than as a one-off boon, enhancing a projects’ ability to raise debt capital and scale up.


Devolve more powers


The National Planning Policy Framework should give local authorities explicit permission to set more challenging low carbon standards for new homes, enabling faster transition towards the Future Homes Standard and integration of additional, locally sensitive, requirements. The new standard should enter force for all new buildings from 2025, regardless of when they achieve planning permission and help to expand the market for low carbon building materials, such as cross-laminated timber. Local authorities should also have more flexibility to modulate business and council tax rates to stimulate improvements in existing building stock in a locally appropriate manner and raise funding for targeted support.


Embed net zero in local planning


In approving future local industrial strategies, government should seek evidence that LEPs have worked co-operatively with their neighbouring areas to ensure co-ordination around low carbon infrastructure and natural capital reserves. Local authorities should align their plans with the net zero goal and make sure that neighbourhood planning forums also consider the transition to net zero in developing neighbourhood plans, for instance, they could consider options for local heat networks.


The key to achieving clean growth whilst reducing regional disparities and delivering on the goals of the industrial strategy is providing the right policy at the right scale. National policy will be key to realise opportunities across some sectors (especially manufacturing and housing). The ambition of local authorities to decarbonise should not be limited to national goals – on the other hand, empowering local authorities should not come at the expense of national ambition. Broad and ambitious national policy must mark the road to clean growth, with local authorities of all kinds acting to the full extent of their jurisdiction to build momentum in a locally-specific manner. The aggregated effect of this local action, supported by overarching national strategy, is a drive to more sustainable forms of business which raises prosperity and quality of employment across the country.

About Green Alliance


Green Alliance is a charity and independent think tank, focused on ambitious leadership for the environment. With a track record of 40 years, Green Alliance has worked with the most influential leaders from the NGO, business, academic and political communities. Our work generates new thinking and dialogue, and has increased political action and support for environmental solutions in the UK.


About Localis


Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.




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07967 100328

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http://www.localis.org.uk 23 Oct 2019 01:05:01 GMT Business & Finance Construction & Property Environment & Nature Government Manufacturing, Engineering & Energy Public Sector & Legal Transport & Logistics