[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_team_member name=”Nick Plumb” position=”Policy and Public Affairs Manager” image_url=”https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Power-to-Change__Nick-Plumb-e1634573453356.jpg” twitter_url=”https:\/\/twitter.com\/NicholasPlumb” _builder_version=”4.14.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”||||||||” body_font=”|||||on|||” position_font=”|||||on|||” position_text_color=”#1E2D5A” text_orientation=”left” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”bottom” animation_delay=”200ms” animation_intensity_slide=”4%” custom_css_member_image=”max-width: 150px;” border_radii_image=”on|50%|50%|50%|50%” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_team_member][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.14.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]Amid the political theatre and turmoil we\u2019ve seen in recent weeks, there\u2019s still the question of the whereabouts of the government\u2019s long-awaited Levelling Up White Paper. Mid-February is the most recent estimate but whenever it should finally arrive there are four things I\u2019ll be looking out for which are vital if the government is serious about creating a fairer, more equitable Britain.<\/p>\n
Pride in the places where we live has long been cited as one of the four pillars of levelling up, including by Michael Gove in his Conservative Party conference speech<\/a> last year. So I\u2019m keen to see what interventions will be in the White Paper that will enable local people to feel that pride once again.<\/p>\n Securing a future for local high streets – the social and economic centres of our communities – will play a huge role in returning people\u2019s sense of civic pride. Shuttered buildings, betting shops and payday lenders are very tangible symbols of decline. And high streets matter to local people. The decline of high streets comes up time and time again \u2013 unprompted \u2013 in the focus groups run by Public First<\/a> when people are asked what change they expect from levelling up.<\/p>\n While cosmetic changes are important, the challenges facing our high streets won\u2019t be solved by quick fixes. The move to online retail, and the growth of out-of-town shopping before it, mean the current, retail reliant model is broken. I\u2019ll be looking for measures which engage with this reality and aim to diversify the mix of owners and occupiers on the high street. For measures which shift the dial in terms of who has a say over how town centres develop. And for an approach which recognises the bigger role communities need to play building these thriving civic high streets of the future. The introduction of new county mayors, governors and city regions have dominated the speculation, leaks and pre-briefing that has surrounded the Levelling Up White Paper. Power to Change has long-argued that power in this country is too centralised, and this leads to a worsening situation on the ground, in communities.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll be looking for signals that the government understands any devolution needs to push power to the most local level, not just new regional structures. Indeed, IPPR North recently made the case that devolution needs to be broadened and deepened<\/a>, including new community partnerships between local government and communities.<\/p>\n We\u2019re Right Here: the campaign for community power<\/a> that Power to Change is part of, is also calling for something similar. It argues that neighbourhood-level power-sharing agreements \u2013 Community Covenants \u2013 should give community organisations and local people access to significant new powers. It is calling for a bold, new Community Power Act to enable this and provide communities with a legal right to self-determination. This is the argument that policy should, essentially, be local by default. Only when something can\u2019t be delivered at the neighbourhood level, should local, regional and national approaches be considered instead. So, I\u2019ll be assessing the extent to which any devolution proposed through the White Paper matches up with these ideals.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Any attempt to level up \u2018left behind\u2019 places has got to meet people where they\u2019re at. There is power and strength in every community, but these strengths don\u2019t always align nicely with skills needed to access and make government funding such as bid writing and legal expertise.<\/p>\n For communities of all shapes and sizes to benefit from funding and programmes delivered under the banner of levelling up, there needs to be serious investment in the day-to-day capacity, resources and skills of people and organisations that have historically missed out on regeneration funding.<\/p>\n Will the Levelling Up White Paper focus on this less headline grabbing end of investment? It might not deliver a shiny, new bridge, but it will enable places to ready themselves to make the most of future investment and opportunities.<\/p>\n While last year\u2019s launch of the Community Ownership Fund (a \u00a3150m pot to support communities to purchase and manage important local buildings) was a great moment of celebration for us, there\u2019s real risk it\u2019s already failing to live up to its potential.<\/p>\n In recent months, Power to Change has raised concerns with government that people in more economically deprived communities may struggle to access the fund. The blanket requirement for every project to match government funding pound for pound risks benefiting those places with deeper collective pockets. The current lack of early-stage support to get groups ready to bid risks compounding this further.<\/p>\n I\u2019m hoping that the White Paper provides us a signal that there\u2019ll be more flexibility baked into the criteria for future funding rounds. Targeted policy change focused on high streets and community ownership is important, but we\u2019re also hoping for a bigger shift in approach. So far, the agenda has been characterised by centralised, competitive and fragmented funding pots. This wastes time and energy, as organisations and local authorities bust a gut to apply to various short-term funding programmes. Instead, a more coordinated, place-led and patient approach to levelling up is needed.<\/p>\n This is a big moment for the UK. Levelling up will likely shape how the Boris Johnson administration is remembered by history. More importantly, done right, it could be the start of a new approach to tackling regional inequality and long-term decline that puts communities in the driving seat. The moment demands no less.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Power to Change\u2019s Nick Plumb outlines the four things he\u2019ll be looking out for in the Levelling Up White Paper when it publishes in the coming weeks <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":21860,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" by Vidhya Alakeson, CEO of Power to Change<\/strong><\/p> The pandemic has woken us up to the power of community. We saw communities pull together in moments of crisis to get through, stay connected, and begin to bounce back.<\/p> We know this proactive response by local people to their communities\u2019 needs isn\u2019t new. People have always been there, working together to support one another, create good local jobs and improve where they live. In doing so they tackle the biggest challenges of the day \u2013 whether that\u2019s loneliness or mistrust, the climate crisis or local decline. What is clear is that when communities step up, they make a difference.<\/p> Through the work we do at Power to Change to support community businesses across England, we see the potential of communities every single day. We also know that too often communities face an uphill struggle. Pots of funding are available but accessing them can be complicated and hard to navigate and rights that communities can theoretically exercise to make changes in their local area are, in actual fact, almost impossible to use.<\/p> Too often the places impacted by initiatives, investment and programmes are often the last consideration. This is because power is too remote; decisions are made behind closed doors far away from the people affected by them. Research from Power to Change and the Cares Family<\/a>, found that 71% of people in the UK felt they lacked control over the important decisions that affect their neighbourhood and local community. We need a new approach. We need to put power and control in the hands of our communities.<\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[340],"tags":[338,412,415,350,349],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37340"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37340"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37340\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37340"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37340"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37340"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nOnward devolution?<\/h3>\n
<\/h3>\n
Giving people the tools needed to do the job<\/h3>\n
Community Ownership<\/h3>\n
\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.14.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nBig picture<\/h3>\n
\u200b<\/h3>\n