Briefings and responses

National economic growth can only be achieved if every local economy is firing on all cylinders. Councils need the right powers and adequate long-term funding to play a lead role in unlocking the labour market, creating jobs, plugging skills gaps and delivering for all our communities.

The Bill requires councils to produce improvement plans for some of their high streets at the same time as the tools available to them to make improvements continue to be blunted because of the continued erosion of planning controls.

As we leave the European Union, the Government’s industrial strategy provides an opportunity to drive the creation of a successful, world-leading economy. We welcome the strong focus on place as one of the five foundations of productivity and the building block of local industrial strategies.

Councils are best placed to safeguard the future of high streets. As leaders of place, councils have shown innovation in repurposing their town centres and responding to longer-term trends in how our high streets are used.

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill aims to drive local growth, empower local leaders to regenerate their areas, and ensure everyone can share in the United Kingdom’s success.

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill acts upon long running asks from councils and the LGA for further devolution in England.

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill acts upon long running asks from councils and the LGA for further devolution in England. We are pleased that the Government has proposed to speed up the process and make good on its commitment to offer all of England the opportunity to benefit from a devolution deal by 2030. It is also important that councils of all sizes are engaged in the devolution process.

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill acts upon long running asks from councils and the LGA for further devolution in England.

This briefing summarises the main announcements in the industrial strategy of relevance to local government and sets out the Local Government Association’s response.

The Government’s industrial strategy provides a critical opportunity to drive the creation of a successful, world-leading economy and the LGA welcomes the Government’s ambition to drive growth and tackle the economic imbalances in different parts of the country.