Eugene Minogue

A new report by Localis calls on councils to make use of the new Procurement Act, which comes into effect in February, to make better use of their collective annual £72bn spend on goods and services. The act stresses the importance of the ‘most advantageous tender' to unlock a wider concept of value for money that involves social prosperity and inclusive growth. Councils are also advised to use dynamic contracting, whereby local contracts are equipped with mechanisms that allow for the periodic review and adjustment of commercial terms to meet local needs. Key report recommendations for central government include: calls to conduct economic and social impact studies to better direct local strategic capacity; greater clarity on legal definitions and scenarios under the new legislation; supporting a local government capacity building programme for council procurement departments. https://lnkd.in/dHifuEM6

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National & local funding opportunities for charities: A round up of national and local funding opportunities for charities, from grants for climate action projects, to those to […]

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So here ends two years leading on green skills and business at Surrey County Council, so time for some achievements and reflections. Achievements: * Securing £1.1m in funding for green skills, as part of total £3.1m in funding securing for skills * Commissioning ~500 places on green skills courses including retrofit, green electrical and sustainability * Engagement with green businesses including organising two summits attended by over 200 stakeholders * Developed strategic frameworks for green and retrofit skills * Developed green careers and disseminated these to around 1000 schools in Surrey and beyond * Established a staff Active Travel Network to inform the Council's approach to encouraging more colleagues to travel my bike or foot Reflections: * There is a lack of understanding (not just at Surrey) about the potential of the 'green economy' - projections for green jobs in Surrey are for 8% annual growth in green jobs through to 2030 (that's double the growth of digital jobs in the 2010s!) * There is a need for (long term) funding for green skills provision, reflecting the transition required in the labour market to achieve economic and climate change commitments * Collaboration is key: between business and training providers to develop/deliver courses as well as deliver green careers, between colleges/training providers to share expertise, between businesses to share sustainability expertise within supply chains and across sectors There's a long list of people who have been part of the journey (so apologies to anyone I've missed): Jack Kennedy Tim Ridgway Robert Gibson Yuvni Hirani Stephanie Lawal Katie Sargent Isabelle Baverstock Jake Mitchell David Lewin Stephen (Steve) Farrow Terence Downham Georgina Angele Ladi Mohammed-Chapman🤝Ellie Smith Will Taylor Zoe Stirling-Wall AIEMA Will Waghorn Links in comments to key materials and resources.

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Great insights for local development planners from the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth https://lnkd.in/eCNeEh8M . Focusing on a limited number of interventions facilitates assessment, while using tested statistical methods provides the necessary evidence. Download the full report here: https://lnkd.in/ewcTPjQk #regions #localdevelopment #evaluation #assessment

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An important document for anyone living in Mayo to #haveyoursay!

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The new Fife Local Development Plan will be known as Fife's Place Plan. Place Matters, our call for sites and ideas for Fife's places, will commence on 18th November 2024. The call for sites and ideas event will run for 14 weeks from 18/11/2024 to Friday 24/02/2025 (this time has been extended because of the 2-week festive holiday period). For your site to be considered for inclusion in Fife's Place Plan it is essential that you complete our online form, once it goes live, providing as much information as possible. All sites and ideas submitted to the Place Matters process will have to be tested against our site assessment criteria. Guidance on the criteria to be used will be included alongside the form. Please note that sites included in the adopted FIFEplan will not automatically be carried forward and into Fife's Place Plan. LDP sites which have not progressed (i.e. are not under construction) will need to be re-submitted. This is to ensure that all sites can be considered against our site assessment criteria, which will examine sites against National Planning Framework 4 and our Strategic Environmental Assessment questions. Our website will be kept updated https://lnkd.in/ej7WMknT #Fife #PlacePlan #investinFife

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An update on progress to address council priorities for Dundee will be considered by councillors on Monday June 24. The City Governance Committee is to look in detail at the second yearly analysis of the Council Plan 2022-27. The five priority themes of the document are: Reduce Child Poverty and Inequalities Deliver Inclusive Economic Growth Tackle Climate Change and achieve Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2045 Build Resilient and Empowered Communities Design a Modern Council Read more here https://bit.ly/45zy3We

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🤝 Apply now for a strategic grant! Our strategic grants fund is designed to support not-for-profit organisations in making positive improvements to our local communities. There are two types of funding available: 1️⃣ Project funding of up to £10,000 for organisations looking to deliver projects that align with one or more of our priorities  2️⃣ Core funding of up to £4,000 for organisations whose objectives meet one of our priorities. Core funding could be used for non-project-based activity such as back-office expenditure including day-to-day management, utilities, office support and regular staffing Our priorities are: ✅ Intergenerational initiatives between adolescents and elderly residents to tackle negative perceptions and build social cohesion  ✅ The cost of living - supporting people in need of food, warmth and benefits  ✅ Tackling loneliness and social isolation in the elderly population  ✅ Providing advice and guidance for people tackling substance abuse  ✅ Young people - activities promoting self-esteem, creating a greater sense of belonging and preventing antisocial behaviour Apply by midnight on Sunday 23 June via the link in the comments. Image: Beach Creative CIC #Funding #Grants

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Of course I am biased, but there's a fabulous line up for #IEDConf2024 this November, at a pivotal time for the #econdev profession in delivering HM Treasury's "Mission Growth". Get involved via details below>> #localgov #growth #regeneration #investment

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A new report by Alice Pugh for the Local Innovation Policy Partnership Hub identifies key themes and issues local partnerships should consider when designing interventions to improve inclusive and sustainable local economic performance. Read the report - https://shorturl.at/lLOlJ Policy context: Challenges, complications, and instability in place-based economic development strategies at the national level can disrupt progress at the subnational level. In addition, subnational institutions often lack the evidence base, incentives, resources (including funding), capacity and capability, to develop effective long-term place-based policy. Despite these challenges, subnational institutions are often best placed to tackle the unique needs that face their place. Greater devolution of powers and funding is needed to support place-based organisations achieve this. Complex geography: Some geographies have very little capacity and capability, struggling to produce any change, and other geographies with numerous institutions often face overlapping responsibilities, duplication, lack of accountability and inefficiencies. Policymakers need to focus on improving the structure, funding and resources of devolved national and sub-national governments to ensure that they have the capacity and capability to create effective change. Partnership is key: The key to building capacity and capabilities in place is collaboration and partnership. This requires engagement from devolved national and subnational governments, businesses, local educational institutions and local people. Read the report - https://shorturl.at/lLOlJ #LocalEconomicGrowth #Inclusivegrowth #devolution #sustainablegrowth

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Want to find out about the latest public sector funding schemes available in Wales? With our new webpage, you can learn more about the latest... 📢 Public Sector Funding Schemes 📢 Scheme guidance notes and FAQs 🎫 Events coming up in Wales 🎫 News, case studies, insights & more (see link in comments) #wales #psds #decarbonisation #publicsectorfunding #netzero

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Catch up on the key points from the proposed updates to the National Planning Policy Framework yesterday: Strategic planning to be ‘universal’ https://lnkd.in/eYb5D9hu Householder planning application fees could be doubled https://lnkd.in/e7-MGAZU ‘Grey belt’ defined in proposed planning reforms https://lnkd.in/emh-g34T Housing targets to fall in London but rise everywhere else https://lnkd.in/e-ApxXwR

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Inclusive and Sustainable Local Economic Performance Evidence Review This review by Alice Pugh identifies key themes and issues local partnerships should consider when designing economic interventions at the local level. Read the report - https://shorturl.at/lLOlJ

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If the new UK government is to prioritise step-change improvements in the resourcing of place-based development, what types of reforms need to be put in place, and how can local and regional institutions improve their capacities and capabilities to make the most of them? 📖 Read Insights North East's latest paper that draws on research and practice discussed at one of our seminars exploring the current state of local finance and investment for place-based development: https://lnkd.in/ezyUKTPc

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Our new report, Empowering Healthy Places, is out. The guide aims to empower councils to take the lead in developing healthier communities and support wellbeing. It includes valuable case studies, exploring how #LocalGov is working to create healthy neighbourhoods in different ways 👇 https://orlo.uk/hJueE

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Unless #Labour frees up local authorities and devolves key powers, there is a real danger that any drive for #growth comes to a halt before it begins. Read this LocalGov piece for more on what we're calling for: https://lnkd.in/e_BT2aDF Or read the report in full! ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/ee_b8T-S

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Since being in post, it's been a priority as a Department to work closely with our Planning Committee Members, who are all committed to making sound decisions. We've actively looked to support them, provide learning opportunities, and be accessible to discuss anything planning. We have been candid about the implications of housing land supply, the clear 'direction of travel' from Government, and provided analysis and findings from Appeal decisions in District and further afield. We have in particular explored 'what's the harm' and planning balance weighting. Here's the result of those efforts when presented with a quality, albeit challenging proposal (in terms of its scale vs size of host settlement combined with a unique contextual situation). Members recognised the careful response to context, locational sustainability, and comprehensive set of wider community gains the development will deliver in their supporting of the Officer recommendation. #developmentmanagement #lpa #planningcommittee #housing #housinglandsupply

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Community workshops bring people together to learn, collaborate and work towards shared goals. When community members, organisations and government agencies unite, they can design and implement effective workshops that reflect and support local needs. Read more about the importance of these workshops: https://lnkd.in/eUxhmGNc #Community #Workshop #Inclusivity #Engagement #Planning

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