This report from UK think tank Power to Change looks at how communities are reimagining a national institution. Once a destination for generations of shoppers, department stores are on the decline. There’s been an 85% decrease in the number of department stores on Britain’s high streets over the past decade, with many well-known brands leaving...

This report from UK think tank Reform argues that only a whole-system approach can deliver a sustainable path forward. Local authorities are not just administrators of public services. They are crucial agents of social and economic stability within their communities. However, their ability to fulfil this role has been severely compromised. Local government in England...

This report from UK think tank Localis examines the critical challenges facing local authorities in the South East and advocates for targeted strategies that align with the region’s unique needs. The South East of England, often perceived as a beacon of affluence and economic success, presents a paradoxical challenge to policymakers. Beneath its reputation as...

This report from UK think tank Localis assesses the current state of local government financial governance and sustainability to ask what the case for reform might be. In English local government, the ‘golden triangle ‘of chief executive, monitoring officer and chief finance officer – who exercise their leadership responsibilities to own and champion good governance...

This report from UK think tank Localis explores funding local government in this Parliament and beyond. The financial problems facing local government in England are well rehearsed. The deteriorating impact of shrinking budgets on public services and the state of the public realm formed an important part of the Labour Party’s platform of ‘change’ in...

This report from UK think tank City-REDI summarises skills policy across the UK, focusing on devolution, local skills ecosystems, and the role of higher and further education in supporting skills development. This evidence review summarises skills policy across the UK, focusing on devolution, local skills ecosystems, and the role of higher and further education in...

This report from UK think tank Centre for Cities states that an economic geography approach to English devolution would be the most pragmatic. The forthcoming English Devolution White Paper will be an important milestone for economic growth and public service reform. The Government is correct to see devolution within England as a priority, and the...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government recommends a range of steps that government can take to make youth work more accessible and sustainable. Youth work is proven to have positive outcomes for young people in the short term – including improved mental health, educational attainment, and reduced crime and antisocial behaviour....

This report from UK think tank City-REDI aims to inform the development of inclusive and sustainable local economic partnerships. This evidence review summarises key policies and research related to inclusive and sustainable local economic performance, focusing on strengthening economic development partnerships within place. It examines inclusive and sustainable local economic performance, national and local policies,...

This report from UK think tank IPPR calls for an end to the ineffective use of resources on unsuitable accommodation and proposes a reimagined approach to asylum housing. Asylum accommodation costs have soared in recent years, with billions of pounds being spent on housing people in inadequate conditions, which is both a waste of public...

This report from UK think tank the Institute for Government lays out the steps the government should take to make local growth plans as effective as possible. The government has recognised the role metro mayors across England will have in realising its mission to increase growth across the country. It has asked local leaders to...

This report from UK think tank New Local argues that the key to unlocking our fraught planning system is to give communities more power and influence to shape local development. Our country needs to build more. More houses are required to meet current and rising demand. High streets and town centres need regeneration. Our infrastructure...

This report from UK think tank Future Governance Forum calls on the government to introduce a new, localised model of employment support. Supporting more people into fulfilling, sustainable work will be crucial to tackling Britain’s economic inactivity crisis and advancing the government’s growth agenda. However, many of those out of work feel the current employment...

This report from UK think tank Localis calls on councils to make use of the new Procurement Act to drive social prosperity.  In the context of an evolving public procurement landscape, local authorities in England are grappling with multiple challenges and opportunities. An increasing strategic turn in procurement is being reflected by legislative reforms, notably...

This report from UK think tank Localis looks at planning for flood resilience. In autumn 2021, Localis published ‘Plain Dealing – building for flood resilience’. The study took for its context the sense that development on flood risk areas sits at the intersection of the housing and climate crises. In the three years since publication...