Investment and infrastructure

Partnerships are key to helping communities thrive

From planning and housebuilding to enabling inclusive and sustainable growth through education and skills, councils are central players in how places, economies and communities thrive.

That’s why I was delighted to lead an LGA team attending the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF), which took place in Leeds in late May.

The LGA – along with many of our member councils – contributed to, or led, the conversation at a number of events at the forum, such as on local leadership in economic transformation, housing and the impact of devolution.

Our team – including LGA Senior Vice-Chairman Cllr Kevin Bentley, LGA Chief Executive Joanna Killian, and Eve Roodhouse, our Director of Strategy and Policy – also met ministers, mayors, investors, and other stakeholders, to make the continuing case for investing in councils as economic growth partners.

Local authorities are the leaders of place and at the forefront of enabling regeneration projects that breathe new life into town centres, provide affordable housing and create green public spaces. 

They are vital in the maintenance of our roads, are the largest public funders of culture, sport and leisure in England, and are big players in the wider economy and workforce too – employing 1.3 million staff, delivering 800 different services, and responsible for £130.8 billion of spending every year. 

We went to UKREiiF because we know that, to help communities thrive and to deliver the high-quality and essential services residents rely on, we must work in partnership with ministers, mayors, and the wider public, private and third sectors. 

In their turn, councils are critical partners – for the Government to deliver its missions and for mayors to achieve their  regional goals. 

As Local Government Minister Jim McMahon told delegates: “Councils are the bedrock of our state.”

However, we need the resources and flexibility to work with partners to invest in local infrastructure and support local growth in a way that recognises the unique challenges and opportunities each place faces. 

Devolution should be based on the principle of subsidiarity, with clear opportunities for powers and responsibilities to be devolved down, and a defined role to co-design and co-deliver services with mayors. 

Partnership working is essential and was fundamental to conversations at UKREiiF. By fostering stronger connections, local government can harness cutting-edge solutions, leverage agile expertise and build thriving, resilient, and empowered communities that are built on high-quality services.

• Please see the LGA’s LinkedIn and social media accounts to find out more about some of the discussions that took place at UKREiiF

The Great North

A new partnership of northern mayors aims to unlock jobs, opportunity and prosperity for the North of England.

Launched at the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) in Leeds, The Great North will lead international trade missions on pan-northern investment propositions and host a new Northern Investment Summit to champion opportunity and the potential of the north’s 15 million people.

Kim McGuiness, Mayor of the North East, who is chairing the partnership, said: “The time has come for a resurgent north to unite and proudly lead the way to a fairer, more prosperous UK, and The Great North is our vehicle for change. 

“This country needs a northern story written by northern minds, not one handed to us by Whitehall, and this Great North partnership puts us on track to write it.

“Whether it is powering the nation’s homes or powering its imagination, this is the north that will lead the way, building on a great legacy. The opportunity is immense, and we are ready to work with anyone who is equally determined to create good jobs.”

Elsewhere at UKREiiF, Mayor McGuiness joined Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire, and LGA Chief Executive Joanna Killian (pictured), for a panel conversation that emphasised collaboration not competition.

Ms Killian, reflecting on the launch of The Great North, said: “While different areas will have strong views on the Government’s devolution agenda, genuine devolution has the potential to play a huge role in promoting inclusive economic growth, creating jobs, and improving public services. 

“In what is a very centralised country, moving funding and power from Whitehall to local leaders is needed, and must be done in a way that empowers councils and the communities they serve.” 

Ms Killian outlined peer-led LGA research, on how councils can be effective members of combined authorities, involving a team of councillors and officers interviewing fellow council leaders and chief executives across all tiers of local government. 

Based on this work, a learning report, including reflections and recommendations on devolution for the sector, is set to be launched at the LGA’s annual conference in Liverpool from 1-3 July (see www.local.gov.uk/conference).

How devolution can help deliver homes

Thriving communities need good homes, but we all know the scale of the challenge we face when it comes to building enough housing.

More than 26,000 households were made homeless last year by ‘no fault’ evictions, and over 123,000 families are stuck in temporary accommodation. Rents and house prices continue to rise much faster than wages, making home ownership ever harder. 

However, by shifting power closer to people, devolution lets local leaders tailor housing and planning to their area’s needs. 

We’ve already seen positive results; where devolved powers have been used effectively, there are promising signs of stronger regional economies, improved housing delivery, and enhanced local decision-making. 

That’s why the Government’s commitment to greater devolution in England is essential; it aligns with the LGA’s long-held ambition that every area can secure a deal that works for their local economy and residents. 

But devolution must be backed by proper support. Local leaders need the resources and frameworks to make new powers work. The LGA has called for national housing funds to be channelled into multi-year, place-based settlements, so councils have certainty to plan long-term housing pipelines. 

Councils also need a multi-year council housebuilding support programme and powers to buy and prepare land for homes. 

I was delighted to chair a panel at the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) exploring the roles of devolution in delivering those homes, and to take part in another session on business-led solutions to the planning crisis.

We can’t build homes, drive economic growth, or deliver infrastructure without an effective and well-resourced planning system. That’s why the recent Planning and Infrastructure Bill is so important for councils. 

The bill includes a long-standing LGA priority – allowing councils to set their own planning fees locally, fully covering the true cost of processing applications – as well as stronger compulsory purchase powers to bring forward stalled or underused land.

To truly build our planning capacity, we also need targeted investments in skills and recruitment – such as the government-funded Pathways to Planning, the LGA’s graduate initiative that places talented young planners directly into council planning departments. 

When we invest in planning, we’re not just speeding up development – we’re investing in the places people call home, in healthier lives, and in communities where all can flourish. 

As ever, success depends on implementation, and ensuring these devolution and planning changes go hand in hand with the right resourcing, flexibility, and continued local democratic oversight.

“The LGA, working with the District Councils’ Network and the County Councils Network, makes sure that the voice of local government is heard by national politicians… because local government is the part of society that keeps the country going” Councillor Kevin Bentley, LGA Senior Vice-Chairman, speaking at UKREiiF