Welcome to October’s edition of the LGA’s Devolution Bulletin.
The Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 has finally achieved Royal Assent. This will now (amongst other things) enable all the areas identified in the Levelling up white paper and who have confirmed Devolution deals with Government to complete the final legislative stages to finalise their deal arrangements. The completion of this Act will also pave the way for areas such as Dorset Council along with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council and Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to pursue a potential devolution deal and Leicestershire County Council, Leicester City Council and Rutland County Council to further their development of a level two deal.
The LGA has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer in advance of the Autumn Statement due to be announced in November raising concerns about the current financial settlements for local government and the additional pressures that they are under.
Fifty-five towns have benefitted from a £1.1 billion funding from the Levelling Up Towns Fund. With Sandwell and Hull being two of the first to set up a Levelling Up Partnerships to develop tailored regeneration plans. West Yorkshire Combined Authority has announced that it will be returning significant funding to council budgets.
Speaking at the Solace Summit, the permanent secretary of the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Sarah Healey warned council officers how interventions into local authorities is affecting the enthusiasm of ministers to hand over further powers. Whilst Levelling Up secretary Michael Gove listed devolution as one of the key achievements of the Conservative government.
The Urban Futures Commission has published a report that seeks to practical and implementable answers to help answer the question of ‘Are cities magnets for skills and culture, business and growth.’ The Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government have produced working paper looking at lessons learnt to help address regional divides.
Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill
Autumn Statement 2023
Ahead of the autumn statement due to be announced in Parliament on 22 November the LGA have written to the Rt. Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer highlighting the current financial pressures facing councils.
Dorset seeking ‘multi-authority’ devolution deal
Dorset Council is seeking talks with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council and Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to pursue a potential devolution deal.
Leicestershire County Council signs a devolution deal
Nick Rushton the leader of Leicestershire County Council said the authority had joined Leicester City Council and Rutland County Council in bidding for a level three deal - the top tier. However, he said they had chosen a level two deal as it did not require an elected mayor for all three areas.
Levelling Up towns funding
The LGA provide a response to the news that 55 towns to benefit from a £1.1 billion levelling up investment, to be spent on local priorities including reviving high streets, tackling anti-social behaviour, improving transport and growing the local economy
New regeneration plans announced to level up Hull and Sandwell
Levelling Up Partnerships (LUPs), announced in the Spring Budget, will see tailored regeneration plans rolled out across twenty of England’s areas most in need of levelling up. Sandwell and Hull are some of the first areas to benefit from new major bespoke regeneration projects. The areas have been selected based on analysis set out in the Levelling Up White Paper which considered places against metrics such as educational attainment, gross pay, and life expectancy.
Top civil servant warns ‘failures’ mean devolution chances ‘suffer’.
Speaking at the Solace Summit, the permanent secretary of the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Sarah Healey warned councils officers how the intervention into local authorities is affecting the enthusiasm of ministers to hand over further powers. Local government is making “headlines for the wrong reasons” which is not helpful for those making the case for further devolution.
Major council support in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire Combined Authority has announced that it will be returning significant funding to council budgets. Working together with leaders of the five local councils within West Yorkshire, the Combined Authority will use £51 million to boost budgets.
Gove: ‘devolution has been delivered’
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove listed devolution as one of the key achievements of the Conservative government when he delivered his conference speech at the recent Conservative conference.
Polling finds public open to further devolution
Almost half the public back greater devolution of powers to local government with significant support for a local income tax, according to exclusive polling carried out for the Local Government Chronicle.
Publications
Unleashing the potential of the UK's cities
Our cities are magnets for skills and culture, business and growth. This report seeks to provide practical and implementable answers to that question. It is the culmination of 12 months’ work by the Urban Futures Commission, drawing on contributions from an outstanding set of fellow Commissioners, partners and staff, in a joint initiative between the RSA and Core Cities UK.
Britain’s growing regional divides
The Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government have produced working paper that summarises practitioners’ views on the lessons that can be learnt from past efforts to address to address regional divides. The paper can be accessed here.
Sharing ideas
The role of universities in devolution
The National Civic Impact Accelerator aims to increase connectivity, momentum, and effectiveness of the HE sector’s civic activities for local societal, economic, and environmental benefit and maximise the contribution universities make towards addressing societal challenges and responding to policy priorities. The Co-commissioning Panels will bring together thought leaders from universities and anchor institutions (local government, health, private sector, key national organisations) to review the research we have undertaken and guide us on what future research the project should undertake.
Each panel will have its own unique thematic theme:
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social and cultural contribution
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health and wellbeing
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environment, climate, and biodiversity
Good guide to governance and finance in combined authorities
Recently Grant Thornton contacted all the combined authorities regarding research that the LGA have commissioned into governance and financial management within combined authorities. Although they have had a good response, they are still seeking further participation from officers within Combined Authorities or constituent Authorities.
We would like to thank those of you who have participated in the research by responding to the surveys that were distributed.
If you have not yet participated and you would like to complete the governance survey and the financial management survey, please could you respond by Friday 3rd November 2023.
In addition, if officers from combined authorities or constituent authorities would be happy to participate in a short interview during November to discuss either of these areas in further detail, please contact gareth.turner@uk.gt.com to indicate your availability.
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 to hear from authorities who already have a devolution deal in place or are starting on their 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. If you are not already on our mailing list but would like to join, please register your interest.
For wider LGA support, please contact your regional principal adviser.
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