Planning, LEPs and local economies – the strategic context Presentation to: Economic Growth – the value of planning Name David Marlow Third Life Economics Date 24 February 2015

Introductions and agenda for session...  A bit about me...  Three subjects to discuss and develop  Where does ‘good local economic growth’ come from?  How far will LEPs provide leadership of local economic growth  What issues does ‘LEP-land’ raise for LPAs  Not a lecture – nor a PhD – lets work through the topics together

Icebreaker...  A ‘good’ example of planning-led local economic growth in the last decade:-  What it is?  What were the key ingredients of success?

Where does ‘good’ local economic growth come from?  Context...  Content...  Process...  A local growth road map..  Strategic planning and local planning...

Challenges of ‘big picture’ change....  Demographics and social innovation  Science and technological innovation  Globalism and looking outwards  Public sector austerity and reforms  Localism and complexity...

The content of local economic growth  Physical investment-led  Enterprise, innovation, and creativity-led  Community regeneration-led  Positioning and branding approaches  Integration with LCD and sustainable communities

The processes of local economic growth...  Leadership and building the leadership team...  Partnership and collaboration...  Capacity and capability for effective delivery management...  Working across boundaries  Professional  Sectoral and institutional  Geographical

The England ‘instruments’ of local growth...  New partnerships – LEPs, LTBs, LNPs etc., and local authorities  New policies – NPPF and planning reforms (CIL, NHB etc), EZs, etc.,  New funding instruments – RGF, GPF, LGRR, TIF, LGF, ESIF etc.,...  New sub-regional instruments – CAs; city deals - wave one, two; local growth deals;  New local instruments – community and neighbourhood planning and budgets  Renationalised E&I functions  BUT “let’s party like it’s ”

The local growth road map?

What does this mean for local planning and the professional LA planner?

The LEP Story I - an ‘unusual’ birth...  An ‘invitation’ to business and civic leaders – but NOT a requirement/voluntary  No specific roles and functions beyond ‘strategic leadership’  Ideally but not necessarily FEAs  No resources

LEP story II – From Year Zero to Year One....  From voluntary to universal coverage  Hugely diverse pattern of economic geographies  Given some start-up funding  Given something to do – RGF, EZs, GPF etc.

LEP Story III - The Heseltine approach and government response...  No stone unturned:-  Government ‘system’ too Piecemeal Centralised  Decentralise through LEPs and create SLGF  LA reform and metro-mayors  Government response  LEP SEPs and SIFs and LA delivery bodies  The 15% LGF(s) but still £2bnpa  ‘Initial’ guidance and ESIF partial, top down opt-ins

LEP Story IV - the LEP/LA agenda to  Meeting very significant and complex government expectations, EU compliance and over £12bn of public funding  The opportunity to genuinely build a strategic economic leadership team, shared vision, and intervention strategies  ‘No LEP is an island’... ...and neither is economic development ...and a word about HEIs and the ‘missed’ Witty opportunity

LEP story V – the LA response...  Founder members  Accountable bodies (and scrutiny)  Major funders (maybe) – including twin-hatted officer teams  A potential strategic economic leadership team  Governance reforms  CAs, EPBs, Joint Statutory Committees, Leaders Boards etc  BUT...major questions  District councils/’county regions’  LEP/LA relations and intra-LEP decentralisation  ‘In a box’ or ‘out of the box’  devolution ambitions? A sign of strength or of weakness?

What has your LEP ever done for you?

Planning in LEP-land I: A LEP perspective  The logic of strategic economic leadership of place  Planning necessary  The underpinnings of sustainable local growth...  Linking housing to employment growth and vice-versa  The principles of coherent local growth  Operates across functional economic market areas  The practice of SEPs  Major infrastructure and employment investments (including some housing)

Planning in LEP-land...II: A LA perspective  The principles of local leadership of place and planning decision- making  Statutory process  Democratic accountability and legitimacy  The practice of local planning  Long-run, evidence-based  Based on LA administrative geographies with ‘duty to cooperate with neighbours  The concerns about LEP-land  To whom are they accountable?  Are they really FEMAs/places?  Do they have capacity and capability to deliver?

Planning in LEP-land III – playing the ‘whole council’ role well... Doing ‘business as usual’ agendas really well Getting planning, delivery management, housing, infrastructure and other services right Excellence in business relationship management, signposting & brokerage Really knowing your ‘places’ – cities, town, villages/neighbourhoods – at a granular level Focusing on a small number of transformers Identifying a manageable number of ‘big ticket’ changes you want to achieve – major capital investment projects or perhaps addressing a key business, skills or social issue Promotion, lobbying and advocacy of your place(s) consistently and distinctively Refreshing partnership working Partnerships with LA neighbours; LEP-level; business and third sectors relationships Building the ‘right’ place-based leadership team(s) Institutional architecture and resourcing Ensuring ‘whole council’ cultureis ‘fit for purpose Allocating distinct capital and revenue resources for growth and development, including new financing mechanisms

Planning in LEP-land...IV: ‘Difficult issues’ not yet resolved  What is/should be the national spatial strategy?  Implicit/explicit  Rebalancing/market-led  What is the legitimate and appropriate role of an intermediate tier of governance?  In general  In planning  How to make the ‘duty to cooperate’ effective  Dealing with commuting  Future of LEPs  Form and functions  Inevitable variabilities  National and devolution agendas  Government...intermediate...LA  Neighbourhood  Competitive or strategic/collaborative  Unknown/unknowns e.g.  UKIP, EU referendum  Genuinely unexpected shocks

Questions, comments and discussion...  How do we deal with and resolve these agendas?  What have I omitted?  Other comments...

Review and reflections...  What has been helpful and less helpful about the session?  Is there anything that hasn’t been covered, that you wish we had addressed?  What changes or considerations will you think about exploring further when you return to your LA next week?

Thank you