Welcome to June’s edition of the LGA’s Devolution Bulletin.  

The LGA’s annual conference will be held in Bournemouth between 4 - 6 July 2023. There are still spaces for people to attend if you haven’t already booked on.

Two key sessions will be held on Wednesday 5 July with a focus on devolution. At 12.25pm in the Purbeck Bar there will be a discussion about Devolution deals: what have we learnt, and where next?, and at 4:00pm in the Exhibition Hall there will be a reflection on the lessons learned from the deals done to date and how we use devolution to drive growth and prosperity.

The LGA has just launched its sector support programme for 2023/24. This programme can be accessed through your local principal advisers and regional teams. The programme is available to all combined authorities and those authorities who are developing deals. Over the next few months, we will be tailoring some of the support so that it can better meet the needs of combined authorities.  

Devolution continues to be a priority for the Government with discussions taking in in Lancashire and Hampshire and also with East Riding and Hull.  

The Bunker has produced an interesting podcast of an interview with the Mayor of West Midlands Andy Street as he talks about the importance of place. Whilst the University of Birmingham is exploring ways in which local places can be empowered to meet the needs of their communities through the creation of a new hub. The Heseltine Institute explores the need for a national spatial plan for England and this  policy briefing by Rebecca Riley and Des McNulty explores the objective ‘pride in place’ from the perspective of the role universities could play. 

The LGA has published a policy position statement on green jobs and the Centre for Cities briefing paper on the Levelling Up White Paper proposes a way for streamlining local government grants. 

Devolution for East Riding and Hull takes new step 

The leaders of East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Hull City Council have agreed to hold talks with the Government to look at the option of an elected mayor  as part of a new devolution deal. 

Lancashire councils a three-month deadline in the push for a devolution deal.

Whitehall officials have set a September target for council leaders to come up with a framework needed for the extra devolution powers they seek. 

Unitaries push for ‘two-deal’ Hampshire devo solution (£) 

The three unitary leaders say they have been liaising with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) over devolution aspirations. 

Reflections on the trailblazer devolution deals 

Metro Dynamics in this blog have been asked by both GMCA and WMCA to support this next chapter in the English devolution story.  

Unlocked with Mayor Tracy Brabin 

Watch this video where Professor Anand Menon sits down with Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire to discuss her role as Metro Mayor, regional devolution and what 'levelling up' means to those in West Yorkshire. 

Stuck in the Midlands with you 

Listen now on The Bunker podcast to Mayor Andy Street on Levelling Up and wrangling with Westminster. 

The challenges of Levelling Up: a critical examination of funding and governance 

This blog summarises the evidence provided by the Productivity Institute to the ‘Funding for Levelling Up’ inquiry conducted by the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee.  

‘Place-based’ research  

The University of Birmingham has been awarded £3.6 million to create a new hub to explore ways in which local places can be empowered to meet the needs of their communities. 

Do we need a plan for England? 

The Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place explores the need for a national spatial plan for England. 

‘We haven’t got there on devolution’ (£) 

Cllr James Jamieson comments on his 'time in charge' as he prepares to hand over to the next chair of the LGA.  

DLUHC to focus on elected mayors for next devo tranche, leader claims (£) 

A Labour council leader has claimed that the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) is likely to focus on areas that want or already have an elected mayor in its next tranche of devolution deals. 

Winners of LGC Awards 2023 revealed (£) 

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) has won the technology award for its ‘Be more portal’ project. 

Building blocks of growth 

In a new report by the thinktank NPC, the issues of how a civil society can improve health and education in a community and in doing so, contribute directly to local posterity and economic growth are explored. 

Next steps in levelling up the former coalfields 

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Coalfield Communities has published the report of an inquiry identifying a contemporary agenda for the regeneration of the former coalfields in England, Scotland and Wales. 

What government needs to do to streamline local government funding 

The Centre for Cities briefing paper on the Levelling Up White Paper proposes a way forward, identifying persistent issues with the current grant system before setting out proposals for a new streamlined grants system.  

Regional labour productivity, UK: 2021 

Office for National Statistic release refreshed dataset on ‘Regional output per hour and output per job performance levels.  

Pride in place 

Pride in place is one of four overarching objectives in the Levelling Up White Paper as well as the least detailed of its 12 missions. This policy briefing by Rebecca Riley and Des McNulty explores this objective from the perspective of the role universities could play. 

Green Jobs: creating the workforce to deliver net zero 

Using the principles of Work Local, this policy position by the LGA sets out how through a national strategic framework and local delivery partnerships model, can enable councils and combined authorities to bring together skill providers, businesses, industries and other organisations to collectively develop the workforce needed to deliver net zero. 

LGA Annual Conference and Exhibition 2023 (in-person event) 
4 – 6 July 2023 | Bournemouth 

Join us in Bournemouth for the biggest event in the local government calendar, where we will be discussing the latest issues affecting local government. 

The role and future skills needs of councils’ economic development teams (webinar) 
11 July 2023, 2.00pm - 4.00pm 

This webinar will be relevant to anyone interested in understanding the role of councils’ economic development teams and the key skills they might need in the future. 

Health in all deals – putting health at the heart of devolution (webinar) 
19 July 2023, 11.00am – 12.00pm 

This webinar, organised by the LGA in partnership with the NISE network, will hear from leaders closely involved in local discussions about how best to ensure health is a core part of local devolution plans. 

Contact the LGA   

If you have any thoughts or ideas that you want to share with Jenni, the LGA’s Policy Lead on Devolution Support, regarding this bulletin or the types of support that the LGA offer, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via email jenni.french@local.gov.uk  

The LGA is always looking for opportunities for authorities who are already devolved, have a deal in place or are starting on that devolution journey to show case their work – especially where this activity will help inform others who may be experiencing similar issues.  

Please pass this bulletin on to any individuals or teams who you may think would benefit from it and if you are not already on our mailing list but would like to join, please go to https://www.local.gov.uk/about/news/e-bulletins and register your interest.