Innovacion

Outer London Commission: Geography matters

So the long awaited final report from the Outer London Commission (OLC) has now been published (25 May 2010). We produced a range of economic policy papers which formed the LDA's input into the ruminations of the OLC. Overall the report generally takes a fairly realistic view of the economic potential of Outer London across a wide range of issues - some of which sit uneasily together. With this wide remit it is inevitable that some areas are covered more convincingly than others. The consideration of the scale and nature of office development in Outer London sensibly concludes that aspirational super hubs are exactly that. Increasing development through public sector investment in higher and further education, hospitals and civil servant relocations by expanding the existing 'star and cluster' spatial structures is a realistic way to try to drive change.  

In other areas the ideas are more debatable. It is not clear why a high value service firm would want to use a local suburban library for meetings, even if it is renamed as an ICT hub. Today's launch of Apple's iPad is likely to be another uptick in what mobile working actually, rather than theoretically, means. Our hunch is that a greater freedom in where you work means that the importance of the other factors that make up desirable places actually increases. The result isn't a levelling the playing field effect but a concentrating effect. Desirable places become even more sought after: less desirable places even less so. While the report also suggests that putting firms together in an innovation park means they will work together these sort of developments have a pretty chequered history in the Capital.  In many sectors service firms will work the firms they need to rather than they are near to. Our survey partner is in Yorkshire. Our IT services come from San Francisco and Lancashire. Our accountant is in Cambridge.  

One overriding feeling remains.  While the OLC chose to look at the different rings around London the bigger and more meaningful economic difference is still that between east and west London extending out from central London and into the Greater South East mega-region.  So while the Crossrail benefits concentrate along an east-west axis they also spill out along radial links into Outer London. You can't change hundreds of years of geography that easily...

Outer London Commission Final Report (Pre-publication, May 2010)

Making sense of community engagement: best practice from CAA Green Flags Local Authorities

Following an increasing policy focus on community engagement and empowerment over the last 5 to 10 years, a new Duty to Involve came into force for all local councils in April 2009. As well as the policy thrust, effective community engagement and empowerment makes sense for councils as it helps to build trust and to improve community relations. Three CAA Green Flag authorities (Lewisham, Wiltshire and East Riding) have been undertaking a range of innovative approaches to develop active citizens, strengthen community groups and improve their partnership working. These have included Area Boards and Local Assemblies, a Resource Advisory Group, long term relationships with the third sector and a Young Mayor programme. As a result increasing numbers of local people and partners have been involved in more devolved budget setting, service planning and agenda setting.

Download the case study produced by Innovacion for IDeA from the Work Together site