The UK Experience by Malcolm Morley*
In launching the Sub-National Review of Economic Development and Regeneration, it was announced that Regional Assemblies, bodies that have responsibility for the development of regional planning policies, are to be phased out. Their planning responsibilities are to be given to Regional Development Agencies (RDAs).
As the Chair of one Regional Assembly stated:
“It is hard to see how the shift of planning powers from a Regional Assembly with 70 per cent elected Councillors to a quango (quasi non-governmental organisation) of Government appointed representatives with no local democratic mandate can improve accountability and buy in from local communities.”
Central Government believes that there should be a single integrated regional strategy that sets out the economic, social and environmental objectives for each region. To achieve this it believes that the role of the RDAs should be strengthened at the expense of the Regional Assemblies.
To maintain local democratic input it is proposing that Councils, acting together at a regional level, should scrutinise and sign off the draft regional strategy. How this is to work is yet to be developed.
This raises three very important strategic issues for Councils. The first relates to holding to account, the second to accountability and the third to deliverability.
Taking each in turn:
Regional strategies should represent a prioritised aggregation of sub-regional requirements that in turn should be an aggregation of prioritised local requirements. They should not represent a ‘top down’ imposition of regional priorities.
If RDAs are to remain accountable to Ministers, will Councils be able to hold them to account? Under the new arrangements, what will happen if Councils, carrying out the scrutiny process proposed, do not agree with the draft strategy proposals for the region as a whole or for their sub-region or locally and decline to sign it off? Holding to account is only effective if it is accompanied
with implications for the organisation held to account.
In the absence of RDAs being held to account locally there is a danger that Councils will be held to account for decisions and resource allocations made by the RDAs.
Councils should only be held to account and responsible for decisions that they take.
RDAs are accountable to Ministers. Responsibility and accountability go hand in hand. Economic development and regeneration are vitally important to local communities and their Councils should be accountable for them.
This can only be the case, however, if Councils have authority to decide and to act.
While delivery can be achieved through a number of mechanisms, it is vital that Councils are in a position to generate the confidence to invest that others require. This means that they need to be full partners in economic development and regeneration.
While there are some investments that have to be looked at from a regional perspective, such as for major transport infrastructure, most investment is local. It will be interesting to see if Councils are allowed to play the leading role in deciding what this investment should be.
Community leadership is the core role of Councils. Reviews and initiatives need to identify how Councils can be further empowered to play that role.
Without this there is a danger that initiatives will not fulfil their potential and that Local Government is undermined.
*Malcolm Morley is Chief Executive of Harlow District Council and can be contacted via the Editor, email info@lgfocus.com.au
The views expressed in this article are not necessarily those of his employer.
