New UK government: actions you can take now for local growth

Get your investment-ready local growth projects ready

The Labour Party is going for growth. They say they want to do this by levering in private investment. The clock is ticking It’s time to prime your growth projects for government money.

Why the urgency? Quite simply, the Labour Party are already thinking about the next general election and to win it they need to make visible impacts on growth by 2029. There’s definitely a need for stability and long-term policies and improvements, but there is also an urgent need to fund investable growth propositions in local areas.

To credibly make inroads in localities throughout the UK this will involve funding project concepts and plans that are already well advanced; or fast-tracking project design, specification and appraisal.

Working with George Bennett at Hewdon Consulting , we can offer bespoke project concept, design, specification and appraisal services to help build a convincing business and economic case that will pass muster with the UK government.

What does an investment-ready growth project look like?

• Can facilitate significant jobs or housing growth
• Already got the concept in place with strong local support
• Private sector partners and contractors on board
• Planning and highways permissions in place
• Economic case stacks up – high additionality, low displacement, high pent-up demand, good sector/ industry specifics, market demand studies and appraisals done
• Business case stacks up – proposed investment will yield the impacts promised; delivery body has a strong track record; and teams available for both construction and delivery phases
• Land secured or options agreed

Making your case to the new government

You might have mastered Power BI or got some fancy new data dashboard online but does it really tell you anything?

If it doesn’t tell you anything then it won’t tell the new UK government anything.

Have you analysed what the data means, what the critical local context is, and what your story or pitch to the new UK government is?

What story can you tell? – is it a story of growth; or a story of need?

Do you have the evidence to show how you are about to unleash economic growth; or does your evidence place you in the top 10% of localities for socio economic needs?

We are consultants that specialise in using evidence to craft the narrative and pitch to central government. We can help to give you a distinct voice and role within the new government agenda.

A couple of days ago I was called an uber-consultant! Yes, we are amongst the best at:

• Economic analysis
• Explaining the key implications of evidence and data
• Understanding local economic development policy and practice, and applying it locally for clients
• Giving clients informed choices about what to do next
• Strategies with long-term vision but also short-term actions
• Using evidence and strategies as collateral for investment attraction and advocacy campaigns to central government
• Developing your unique local area proposition based on evidence and insight that stands up
• Producing Treasury compliant ‘green-book’ business cases
• Assessing Subsidy Control issues (formerly known as state aid)

Need help? get in touch

I help build great economic development organisations

Glenn Athey is a leading economic development and regeneration professional and senior executive with a 30-year track record of successful leadership, delivery, networks, and practical knowledge acquired working in senior roles in government agencies, partnership organisations and UK think tanks.

Glenn helps local leaders translate their economic ambitions into winning advocacy and solutions that get funded.

George Bennett is Director of Hewdon Consulting , specialising in project concept, planning, appraisal, grant applications, subsidy control and all aspects of capital projects.

Get in touch via LinkedIn messaging or call 07799880137. Full contact details here .

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