Economic development news
Councils face pressure to fix high streets
Councils are told they can do more to prevent high streets becoming ghost towns in the wake of the recession
Regeneration programme under threat
The ongoing success of the government’s flagship regeneration programme is under threat from a public spending squeeze, according to a new report
Manchester city region dealt blow
Manchester’s city region project has been dealt a blow after two member councils abstained from a vital vote
City region plans mired in confusion
Confusion surrounds Greater Manchester’s city region bid, following fears the historic devolutionary deal could collapse
Jobs warning from English Core Cities
Group claims failure to devolve powers could cost one-third of a million roles
Norfolk and Devon set for unitary fight
Norfolk and Devon County Councils are confident they can defeat restructuring plans
Unitary Norwich 'will boost economy'
Norwich City Council’s leader claims a move to unitary status would boost the city’s economy and reduce waste
Shop vacancies up to one in eight
One in eight shops empty, new figures show, with some individual towns up to around one in four
Region launches debate over 20-year strategy
The South East England Partnership Board agrees its project plan and consultation programme for developing the region
Call to rethink Dungeness nuclear site
Shepway DC protests to the government against the exclusion of Dungeness from the list of possible sites for new nuclear power stations
Renewal shake-up needed to tackle inequality
“Startling” differences in the wealth of the richest and poorest areas are uncovered by the government’s National Equality Panel
Whitehall inconsistency 'impedes' MAAs
Multi-area agreements are impeded by a lack of co-ordination and consistency across Whitehall, a new report for the Department for Communities & Local Government warns
Jobs gap widens between English cities
The recesssion widens the gap between England’s richest and poorest cities
Ward announces BURA resignation
Michael Ward is stepping down as British Urban Regeneration Association chief executive
US-style schemes to be shelved
An innovative method of funding infrastructure projects is put on the back burner
City council leader slams development agency
The leader of Liverpool City Council dismisses the North West Development Agency as another “money-wasting bureaucracy”
Conservatives plan to strip RDA's powers
Conservative council leaders want to strip Yorkshire Forward of many of the regional development agency’s powers under a Tory government
Economic assessment guidelines unveiled
Guidelines for councils’ local economic strategies - a statutory duty from next year - are published
Economic focus for regions
New regional strategies might have to place a greater emphasis on economic development as a result of the recession
Quango groups in power struggle
A power struggle between two sets of quangos is threatening to derail local government’s new role in funding and commissioning training for young people.
Analysis, Opinion and Features
Time for change
The pace of change in the retail world means a new approach to the high streets is needed, says Retail Week’s Tim Danaher
The implications for those left behind
Norwich and Exeter insist their proposed new unitary structures can successfully co-exist alongside the remainder of their counties
Small can be beautiful 1
The chief exective of Exeter City Council says unitary status is something the city really cares passionately about
A tested method
Infrastructure is generally too long-term an investment to bring in much political benefit
New economic duty in the balance
Even before the banking crisis sent shockwaves through the UK’s economy, economic development was rising towards the top of local government’s priority list
Chance to rethink service delivery
Politics Matters looks at how local government can help the economy deal with the recession
The need for local economic activism
Neil McInroy believes we can learn from the experiences of local economies in the 1980s
Time to lay foundations for future growth
Jamie Martin, a member of the Northern Way’s Private Investment Commission, spells out what councils must do to attract businesses
