The Future of Local Democracy – Devolution and the Need to Empower Town and Parish Councils
Dr Amy Burnett (LPIP Place Fellow), Dr Jason Leman (Citizen Network) and Dr Daniel Ozarow (Middlesex University) examine how town and parish councils could play a central role in making devolution work for communities. This discussion paper was developed following the National Association of Local Councils’ Power Shift Conference and responds to the English Devolution […]
Community Empowerment and Living Heritage in 2026: Community-Owned Culture and Heritage in Local Growth Plans
This briefing paper was written at the advent of the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill coming into action in the UK. The paper provides an initial provocation as to whether 2026 could provide the strongest mandate yet for valuing community culture and […]
Business Cases and Place-Based Funding
This report critically examines the application of the Better Business Case Green Book model by practitioners when seeking to secure past place-based economic development funding. The business case framework is used to appraise and manage the development of an intervention, as set out in the HM Treasury’s Green Book guidance. The report systematically reviews and […]
Valuing What Matters: Reclaiming Social Value for System Change
This policy brief argues that social value must be reclaimed as a driver of system change rather than reduced to compliance exercises. It outlines a stewardship approach across three dimensions – procurement, governance, and community voice – demonstrating how public spending can serve as anchor investment, align decision-making around a shared purpose, and empower citizens […]
Collaborative Innovation in Employment Policy: A Liverpool City Region Case Study
This policy briefing explores how the Liverpool City Region has sustained employment policy innovation across decades of national change. Drawing on programmes such as the City Strategy Pathfinder, Youth Employment Gateway, and Households into Work, it shows how trust-based relationships, boundary-spanning roles, and collaborative governance have acted as an ‘invisible thread’ maintaining local capacity for […]
A Long-Term Strategy for Housing: Lessons Learned on the Role of Institutions and Governance
The UK Government has announced a £39 billion funding package and five-stage plan for social and affordable housing in England, with a comprehensive 10-year strategy due in 2025. This report reflects on the housing contexts of Scotland and England, drawing comparative lessons to strengthen institutional design, governance, and long-term planning for England’s housing policy. It […]
The Seven Essentials of Effective Place-Based Growth: What Can the Government Learn From City-Region Mayors and Devolved Nations?
As the UK faces persistent regional inequalities, economic uncertainty, and the urgent need for a just transition to net zero, the case for a more empowered, locally driven approach to growth has never been stronger. This briefing sets out seven essential principles for effective place-based growth, drawing on the lived experience and emerging evidence from […]
Exploring the Concept of Governance Capacity
This short report summarises the findings from a Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) Hub workshop carried out to explore the concept of governance capacity as a critical enabler of effective regional development and inclusive growth. Hosted by the LPIP Hub and led by Dr Charlotte Hoole, the session brought together stakeholders from across the UK’s […]
Balancing the Economic and Environmental Impacts of Net Zero: An Environmentally Extended Input-Output Approach
A new study published in Environmental Research Communications reveals four lessons for regional policymakers. Dr Matt Lyons examines the balance between environmental and economic impacts of net zero when pursued by a demand management approach. In the article an environmentally extended input-output model for the UK is used (UKEIM). A series of scenarios are developed […]
Advancing People-Centred, Place-Based Approaches
As part of the Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) Hub work, we are collaborating with partners working on areas covered by the LPIP themes. For the Felt Experiences theme, we are collaborating with the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Place Programme, based at the University of Glasgow. The programme, led by Professor Rebecca Madgin, a […]