Lee Pugalis

New directions in economic development: Localist policy discourses and the Localism Act:

Since entering office in 2010, a distinct grammar of localism has pervaded the UK Coalition Government’s philosophical outlook inflecting localist policy discourses and practice. This article, written in June 2012, considers the implications of this new grammar for the scope, organisation and mobilisation of economic development interventions, through a focus on the 2011 Localism Act, which applies to England and Wales. Interpreting these changes through a localist conceptual prism, which helps to refract varieties of localism, it raises some serious concerns regarding localism in action through exposing the controlling tendencies of central government. Analysis is also directed towards the uneasy relationship between centralised powers, conditional decentralisation and fragmented localism. Nevertheless, emergent practice serves to demonstrate how ‘constrained freedoms’ can be negotiated to undertake innovative actions. It concludes by suggesting some foundational elements that would support the notion of ‘empowered localities’ that may secure the government’s imperative to enable private sector-led growth.

Rebalancing England: sub-national development (once again) at the crossroads

Over the last two decades there has been continuous tinkering and wholesale review of the remit, governance and territorial focus of sub-national development in England. There has also been mounting agreement that subsidiarity will produce optimum material outcomes. It is against this background that we provide a critical reading of the UK Coalition governments 2010 ‘White Paper’ on Local Growth. Revealing the peculiarities of an economic transition plan which dismantled a regional (strategic) framework, we explore the opportunities that cross-boundary local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) may provide. After abandoning regions, LEPs have been promoted as the only possible ‘replacements’ for regional development agencies and, thus, a prime example of new ‘techniques of government’. We probe the potentials and pitfalls from the dash to establish new sub-national techniques of government, and crystallize some key implications that apply beyond the shores of England. Our key contention is that LEPs have designed-in just as many issues as they have designed-out.

Looking Back in Order to Move Forward: The Politics of Evolving Sub-National Economic Policy Architecture

Based on insights ‘in the English field’ over the past decade, I take a brief look back at New Labour’s economic policy architecture as a means to postulate on its reconfiguration under the incumbent Liberal Democrat-Conservative (Lib-Con) Coalition Government. In particular, I reflect on my time devising spatial policy, economic strategies and regeneration programmes at national, regional and local spatial scales, to consider the transition from a New Labour regionalist approach (epitomised by Regional Development Agencies) to a Lib-Con purported localism approach (embodied in the proposed Local Enterprise Partnerships). I conclude by expressing some personal concerns that the dismantling of existing regional economic architecture is akin to throwing the baby out with the bath-water. Alongside this, I contend that in the haste to set-up Local Enterprise Partnerships, the Coalition Government may be in danger of reinventing the wheel.

Rescaling of Planning and Its Interface with Economic Development

Abstract Following the installation of a UK Coalition Government in 2010, ways of governing the spatial organization of development have undergone far-reaching change in England. Within a context of austerity following the abolition of regional policy machinery, and an onerous national target framework, localities are entering a new phase of incentivized development. Consequently, local planning authorities are having to transfer part of their focus from governments ‘top-down’ requirements, as they come to embrace more adequately ‘bottom-up’ neighbourhood scale plans. Analysing the path of change, especially at the interface between planning and economic development, the paper draws attention to the dilemmas arising from these crucial scale shifts, and explores the potential of sub-national governance entities—Local Enterprise Partnerships—to help resolve the strategic co-ordination of planning.

English regions disbanded: European funding and economic regeneration implications

The investiture of a UK Coalition Government in 2010 heralded the (ongoing) production of new sub-national geographies of governance in England. Of primary concern is the disbanding of the English regions, outside of London, which were New Labour’s preferred scale for ‘managing’ economic regeneration during the 2000s. In a bid to roll back the functions of the state as part of their deficit reduction plan, the Coalition embarked on a political rescaling strategy resulting in various institutional reconfigurations. This rescaling of state power has significant policy implications in the context of European funding, which is the focus of this article. By analysing a field of policy activity during a period of significant motion, the intent is to highlight some notable dilemmas, aided by posing some practical questions, in order to prompt some much needed policy discussion and academic deliberation.

Trends in place-based economic strategies: England's fixation with 'fleet-of-foot' partnerships

The form of place-based economic strategy that is the focus of this paper is ‘fleet-of-foot’ partnership arrangements. Contributing to the theorisation of these institutional configurations, which are propounded by some as more flexible and responsive than democratic-administrative alternatives, the paper investigates the empirical situation in England that has unfolded over recent years. Tracing the recent historical evolution of sub-national structures that could be considered ‘fleet-of-foot’, the paper analyses the implications for place-based economic strategies at large. Through an analysis of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), the paper examines the extent to which the conceptual principles underpinning the notion of ‘fleet-of-foot’ arrangements have informed the configuration of LEPs, emphasising the importance of the legacy of past political constructions. Drawing attention to some of the primary weaknesses of ‘fleet-of-foot’ arrangements, the paper concludes that there are some inherent limitations to the present configuration of LEPs. These impede such partnerships in opening up space for a richer constellation of actors to participate in governance forums across flexible and functional geographies, or achieve efficient outcomes. More broadly, the paper contributes to the literature on place-based economic strategies and contemporary trends in economic development.

Storming or performing? Local Enterprise Partnerships two years on

Local Enterprise Partnerships are a key feature of the Coalition Government’s attempts to support economic growth. In light of each of the 39 Local Enterprise Partnerships reaching their second birthday by 2013 there is merit in considering what advances have been made in the intervening period. Viewed by the state, amongst others, as the latest intended policy fix in a complex lineage of ‘adjourned’ agencies, the article looks at how they might evolve over future years, including analysing whether they will survive institutional oblivion beyond the next general election. It is clear that each Local Enterprise Partnership is at a different stage of development, but why is this so? The article utilises Tuckman’s theory of group development to explore the characteristics of economic partnerships and provide some explanations pertaining to their varied development trajectories. It concludes that if Local Enterprise Partnerships receive more tangible responsibilities and resources over the coming years then, in order to perform, some may deem it necessary to establish more formal arrangements, not too dissimilar to the ‘economic development agency’ model. Yet for those economic partnership configurations that remain mired in the ‘storming’ phase, they may need to consider ‘adjourning’ and/or ‘(re)forming’.

Leadership and systems of governance: the constraints on the scope for leadership of place-based development in sub-national territories

ABSTRACT Leadership and systems of governance: the constraints on the scope for leadership of place-based development in sub-national territories. Regional Studies. A triadic conceptualization of leadership, governance systems and central–local relations is constructed in order to aid understandings about the influence of systems of governance on the scope for place-based leadership. Deploying the dual concepts of ‘permissibility’ and ‘acceptability’ provides an innovative analytical device for deciphering the actually existing nature of place-based leadership. Recently initiated public–private partnerships in one of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) most centralized countries are analysed to articulate characteristics of controlling mechanisms of the national system of governance which shape the degree of autonomy of leadership of city and regional development in sub-national terrains.

Shifting paradigms: People-centred models, active regional development, space-blind policies and place-based approaches

There is gathering academic and policy momentum, although not without challenge, critique and ferocious debate, that an apparent ‘place-based’ mode of activity has emerged. Such a paradigm shift may in part be explained as a response to the deficiencies of ‘people-centred’ models, active regional development and space-blind policies. This article critically reviews some of the primary literatures relating to these competing, contradictory and also complementary methods of development. The place-based mode of working can be conceptualised as potentially offering the scope, through supportive institutional frameworks and collaborative means of governance, for developing embedded, multi-scalar and multi-annual strategies that are tailored to the complex geographies, capabilities, knowledge-sets, assets and resources of particular places (and networks of places). Whilst appearing to offer a panacea for securing economic growth in a sustainable and socially inclusive manner that releases the potential, creativity and knowledge of local actants, the dominant narrative associated with the place-based approach has not escaped critique and controversy. It is our contention that place-based thinking reflects the continual search for solutions to address territorial, social and economic inequalities and development capacities. Whether it provides a workable policy solution will be contingent on a number of factors, not least spatial context in terms of social, cultural, economic and institutional characteristics. Reflecting the multiplicity of places, place-based approaches, in raising questions about the relationship between scales of operation and institutional structures, are a subset of broader debates and issues concerning not only what works but also where.

Economic development 2010–2013: A mid-term assessment

The primary aim of this Special Issue of Local Economy was to examine UK economic development under the Cameronled Coalition Government. Since the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats struck upon a deal to forge a coalition in May 2010 how we had come to understand local and regional economic development has had to be reconsidered. In the words of Rob Huggins and Piers Thompson, ‘the spatio-political economy of Britain has undergone significant change’. Similarly, Sarah Ayres and Graham Pearce noted in their article that ‘the scale and speed of change in sub-national governance in England over recent years has been remarkable’. The spirit and character of local economic development practice has undoubtedly been transformed. The extent of these alterations remains open to debate and conjecture, influenced in part by specific initiatives and geographies under scrutiny. The 2010 UK General Election may come to be viewed as a landmark moment in the trajectory of UK economic development and policy, especially as this signalled an abrupt shift in political ideology and policy discourse from previous governmental regimes. Nonetheless, there is a strong flavour of policy continuity as well as some modest shifts in the design of particular initiatives, which should not overshadow the appeal of transfigured ‘newness’ and ‘radical change’. In this respect, the Special Issue has sought to examine some of the major inconsistencies and contradictions that are secreted in sub-national economic development policy. Upon entering office, the Coalition Government embarked on an adventurous programme of political renewal and policy reform that attempts to recast relations between state, business and society. At the time of writing, in August 2013, this is by no means cohesive or indeed complete; the project remains ongoing although some of the many shifts to date have been no less dramatic. Institutional reconfigurations are a defining feature of economic development under the Coalition Government, specifically, though not exclusively limited to the demise of Regional Development Agencies