Agenda item

a)    Streamlining funding – (Verbal Update)

 

b)    UKSPF – (Verbal Update)

 

c)     Projects to help local government deliver economic growth

 

d)    Councils’ Future Role in Driving Growth and Prosperity

a)    Streamlining funding – (Verbal Update)

 

Philip Clifford, Senior Adviser, updated Members on streamlining funding. Key points included:

 

·       The report by Shared Intelligence, which captured the findings from the last 20 years of place-based pilots, was discussed at the Board meeting in November.

·       At that meeting, Members of the Board suggested including A Better Start, a Heritage Lottery Fund programme that had recently concluded.

·       Shared Intelligence were contacted about this and will now add an appendix that will be completed by the end of January. Once completed, the paper will be published.

 

Members noted the update.

 

 

b)    UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) – (Verbal Update)

 

Paul Green, Policy Adviser, provided an update on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to the Board. Key points he made included the following:

 

·       Following LGA lobbying, DLUHC announced that there will be flexibility between year spending, depending on lead authorities presenting government with a credible plan

·       The DLUHC led officer taskforce, which had representation from London Councils, Core Cities, the District Councils' Network (DCN) and County Councils Network (CCN), continues to meet.

·       The LGA has commissioned Shared Intelligence to deliver action learning sets to support lead authorities in developing and delivering UK Shared Prosperity Funds.

·       Members to continue to feedback how UKSPF is being introduced in their councils.

 

Members noted the update.

 

 

c)     Projects to help local government deliver economic growth

 

Jasbir Jhas, Senior Advisor, introduced the paper, which provides an overview of two projects to help local government deliver economic growth which are being delivered by Shared Intelligence (Si) as part of the LGA’s Government-funded support offer.

 

She discussed the first project, which explores the future skill needs of councils’ economic development teams. Key points raised included:

 

·       Councils have a great role in promoting prosperity for communities, residents, and businesses.

·       The first project with Shared Intelligence explores the future capacity and skill needs of councils’ economic development teams.

·       The project feeds into a wider piece of work that Heather Wills is leading on around workforce capacity challenges, which will be brought to the Board at a later date.

 

Esther Barrott, Adviser, updated Members about the second project, which focuses on supporting the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) integration process, before introducing Ben Lee and Lisa McCance from Shared Intelligence to present their emerging findings. Key points from the presentation included the following:

 

·       Shared Intelligence was involving offices and Members through interviews and working groups, with LEPs and local government, including combined authorities.

·       Risk mitigation, in terms of councils taking advantage of opportunities, was discussed.

·       Members were asked if they had identified any core opportunities to LEP integration in their council areas.

 

Members made the following comments:

 

·       A Member asked for caution to ensure central government does not conclude that councils and devolved authorities do not have the capacity to do carry out their role.

·       It would benefit the research to show some individual cases of what local authorities are doing to regenerate and develop, with a focus on what councils can do better than central government.

 

 

Decision:

 

Board Members noted the two pieces of commissioned work: the future skill needs of councils’ economic development teams (paragraphs 2-10); and the integration of LEPs (paragraphs 11-19). The Board considered the questions posed at the end of the report to aid discussion with Shared Intelligence (paragraph 20).

 

Action:

 

LGA officers and Shared Intelligence will incorporate Members’ perspectives into the two projects and have asked Members to email them directly if they would like to be involved in further discussions about LEP integration.

 

 

d)    Councils’ Future Role in Driving Growth and Prosperity

 

Philip Clifford, Senior Adviser, introduced Steve Hughes,

Associate Economist at WPI Economics, to say a little bit about the organisation’s experience of working with the LGA.

 

Steve made the following points:

 

·       WPI Economics, an economics consultancy and public policy consultancy, has previously worked with the LGA on matter such as fiscal devolution and urban cost pressures.

·       One of the key things that WPI Economics recognises will underpin the entire research is the concept of additionality in designing local growth interventions.

·       There should be consideration of the roles local government plays uniquely in the delivery of growth and prosperity.

 

The Chair made the following observations:

 

·       He asked if there was a specific civil servant, minister, shadow minister or journalist being targeted with this piece of work.

·       Key people from the main parties need to be considered as well as the Civil Service.

 

Philip said in reply:

 

·       The next general election and its potential outcome were factors in the current thinking around this work.

·       He clarified that it was a wide-ranging and long-term project.

·       He said that there was interested in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in the governing capacity and the role of local authorities in driving forward growth.

 

 

Decision:

 

Members noted the decision to commission a piece of research into councils’ future role in driving growth and prosperity. Following a successful procurement, the chosen supplier will attend the Board meeting to take an initial steer from members.