The report outlines a number of pragmatic proposals that will enable city regions to lead the continued economic revival of their component cities and towns. It addresses whether there is a case for greater financial devolution from central government. It also looks at how powers and funding should be distributed between local, regional and central government, and how co-operation should be ensured. The report discusses how the freedoms, flexibilities and growth incentives should be applied to different cities and towns. Recommendations are made based upon research from Birmingham, Liverpool, and Barnsley.

The study was produced as part of the work of Centre for Cities, an independent research unit, based at the Institute for Public Policy Research, which is taking a fresh look at how UK cities work, with a strong focus on the economic drivers behind urban growth and change. The study was intended to make a number of proposals relating to the nature of devolution to city regions, and the findings will feed into the Lyon’s enquiry, the Local Government White Paper, and the Comprehensive Spending Review in the United Kingdom.

The research comprised a range of qualitative, quantitative and comparative evidence collected from desk-based research, consultation with national stakeholders, and detailed case studies of Liverpool, Birmingham, Barnsley.

The study concludes that the current level of centralisation is holding cities back, with consequences for the national economy as a whole. It outlines proposals for devolution to the Birmingham and Manchester city regions and sets out policy recommendations for all urban areas outside the pilot city regions.

Centre for Cities
Amanda Stanford (PA to the director of Centre for Cities)

01/01/2006

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Adam Marshall et al.

research

Urban Policy > Economy knowledge & employment

Urban economy