Can Thinking Regional Make a Reality Out of Levelling Up?

Recently I attended a debate at the Houses of Parliament where the focus was on how regional development can enact levelling up and in particular within Greater Manchester where devolution is seen by many as one of the solutions in delivering quality neighbourhoods and communities.

The debating panel was led by MPs Andrew Gwynne and Lisa Nandy alongside prominent figures from the built environment, including Charlie Norman, CEO at MSV who are at the centre of the Greater Homes for Greater Manchester initiative.

Whilst GM focussed, the issues are just as relevant in the Merseyside and Midlands regions so by way of introducing the issues touched on at the event - here is a quick summary!

Centralisation Isn’t Working

Trickle-down policies haven't worked for regional development. With the absence of sufficient help from either a centralised economy or government, expectations are now on levelling up funding.

The UK is the most centralised economy in Europe, which has led to significant regional inequalities. But there are also inequalities within regions.?

Therefore, there’s a degree of caution concerning levelling up and Greater Manchester’s devolution.

Greater Manchester’s 10 boroughs have individual needs and are divergent when it comes to size, economic development and wealth. The risk is, that with Manchester itself growing at such a pace, the GM region is prone to a kind of regional centralisation.

Demographic Impact Outside the Centre

There's a marked contrast between the centre and the suburbs. In many town centres, housing has kept pace with demand when it comes to younger workers. But in the suburbs, where there is an ageing population, appropriate accommodation can be problematic.

This challenges the scope of levelling up. Is it mainly economy-focused or should it look at the broader quality of life issues?

If we're serious about improving the quality of life for all, we need to address the need for different forms of accommodation that reflect the changing needs of an ageing population.

Another marked change is the decline of local economies and industries in outlying areas. The much-publicised death of the high street exemplifies this change.

Therefore, another task for levelling up is to fund plans to create jobs and support industries to reverse the decline of the periphery.

The aim should be to slow the movement of younger people out of these areas in the search for opportunities.

Affordable Housing and the Green Agenda

The average house price in the UK is now over ￡280,000. New homes need to be truly affordable.

But along with affordability, there must be a recognition of what communities want, in keeping with their existing character and environment.

This raises the issue of green belt development and delivering a green agenda across Greater Manchester.

Optimistically, the green agenda should be the key to unlocking recovery in the regions, but it will involve some tough decision-making around things such as zero-carbon targets.

What will improving value for residents look like? The green approach and affordable housing must answer this.

Vehicles for Recovery

Transport is another vital element in levelling up and regional regeneration.

Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, is spearheading a transformation in how public transport in Greater Manchester runs. This is a key part of levelling up, coming after more than 35 years of deregulation in the region.

Outside London, Manchester will be the first city region to have local control over buses.

The urban concentration of Manchester requires a density of bus provision but this shouldn’t be at the expense of outlying boroughs. As with industry and housing, levelling up with transport provision must avoid recreating centralisation at a regional level.

Places for Everyone

Places for Everyone is the spatial framework for Greater Manchester’s levelling up plan, submitted by nine local councils.

This joint development plan should decide on the type of developments that will take place in the nine districts involved. It aims to protect green belt land while maximising brownfield and urban resources.

This framework will require funding and suitable mechanisms for delivering it practically and realistically.

It aims to achieve the best possible social outcomes through the careful, strategic use of funding.

Supported by new infrastructure, the aim is to integrate these developments into GM's transport network, creating a sustainable and resilient region-wide recovery.

Just how can we deliver?

Perhaps what struck me most in the debate was the sheer number of conversations going on with regards to Levelling up, Devolution, New Build, Green Belt, Retro, Decarbonisation to name but a few of an incredibly long list.

We are at risk of losing the huge opportunities in front of us by allowing all of disparate threads of conversation competing for the same bandwidth regardless of how valid they all are when taken in isolation.

I truly believe that as a sector (and perhaps closer to home as an organisation) we need to create a single narrative that allows us to lobby for the power and funding to create quality neighbourhoods and communities - this we believe is likely to be driven by Social Housing and Care providers who can lead from the front and who can build in quality into the homes and neighbourhoods they are delivering.

This will need greater standards of design coupled with a greater understanding of the issues involved to demonstrate how strategic thinking and collaboration across the great powerhouses of the North West can offer a return on investment.

To do this, we need to take control of the conversation and responsibility for the development we are collectively involved in.?

How that happens - well perhaps that is the subject of another article!