Lessons in local growth
Think tank: Power to Change
Author(s): Jessica Craig; Natalie White
June 5, 2025
This report from UK think tank Power to Change examines how strategic authorities can achieve inclusive growth in England’s regions with the social economy.
The Prime Minister has made strategic authorities a key part of his plans for national economic growth, asking metro mayors to produce Local Growth Plans for their regions. Power to Change’s new report, ‘Lessons in local growth’, argues that alongside boosting sectors of the economy with ‘high growth potential’ (a direction set by the Industrial Strategy Green Paper) these growth plans provide a timely opportunity to create local growth that everyone can feel, by working with organisations in the social economy.
The report highlights how strategic authorities can harness the power of the social economy (businesses like community businesses, co-operatives and social enterprises that trade for community benefit) to drive inclusive and sustainable economic growth and ensure no communities are left behind in the pursuit of it.
The report takes learnings from Power to Change’s partnerships with the West Midlands, North East and Liverpool City Region combined authorities and from new research with officers in eight combined authorities to set out ten practical lessons for growing regional social economies, through Local Growth Plans and beyond.
