GROWTH BEYOND THE BIG CITIES Background and purpose of the day Steve Fothergill Alliance National Director

“Cities drive economic growth”

Lord Andrew Adonis Author of Labour’s review of local economic growth

Some practical manifestations……. ● Establishment of ‘city regions’ ● Skewing of Local Growth Fund allocations to the English big cities ● Giving big cities preferential treatment in the devolution of powers and responsibilities ● Investment in high-speed rail connections between the big cities ● George Osborne’s ‘Northern Powerhouse’

What about the rest of us? In Northern England for example: ● Only 20% of the population lives in the five ‘core cities’ ( Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle) ● Only 40% in total lives in the core cities’ wider urban area

What’s to become of the places beyond the cities? ● Dormitories for commuters? ● Beneficiaries of ‘trickle-down’ or overspill? ● Are big cities really ‘predators’, and their neighbouring areas ‘victims’? ● And what about the places way beyond the cities?

Is it really true that cities are the motors of growth? ● Pre-1990s, the big cities were the major centres of economic decline ● Are we being misled by London’s success? ● Empirical evidence on growth of cities is actually very mixed

Some very recent figures Growth in total employment, England, London525,500 Metropolitan counties185,800 Non-metropolitan areas543,600 Source: LGA based on ONS

Can growth be promoted away from the big cities? ● What are the distinctive assets of smaller places? ● What is the role of regional economic policy? ● Local v. central government responsibility? The Alliance does already have a clear view here……… ………see the Ten Point Plan

Beware the pitfalls! ● Not against growth in cites ● England, Scotland and Wales! ● Devolution of power is not the same as promotion of economic growth ● We’re not talking Whose Recovery? today

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