Member Article

It’s time to back this Commission and the case for cities

A new global picture of growth is taking place through the rise of cities and this is of major significance for those of us not living in London!

The City Growth Commission, an independent authority established last October for 12 months, is investigating how to enable the UK’s major cities to drive growth and respond to the fiscal and economic challenges of the future.

The Commission has published its first report this month ‘Metro Growth: the UK’s Economic Opportunity’ which can be downloaded at www.citygrowthcommission.com There will be further calls for evidence across the country as well as a dedicated research programme and a series of high level public seminars and private roundtables.

The issue is that the UK “is home to one of the world’s truly global cities. But too many of its urban areas outside London are failing to achieve their growth potential.” This emphasises that globally, growth is increasingly driven by cities.

The Commission recognises that very few cities in the UK are at the forefront of the nation’s economy and many are overly dependent on public sector funding. It makes clear that our centralised political economy is not fit for purpose.

In the North East, after the demise of the regional development agency ONE North East, we have been seeking new ways of achieving economic growth at a time of economic recession.

Having been involved in a number of recent strategic regional matters – such as the location of the new Enterprise Zones, the City Deal, European Strategy 2014/2020, and the recent draft North East Strategic Economic Plan – the new Commission is welcome.

It should put into context what is needed to make our city regions thrive and add to the richness of our knowledge, helping to secure much-needed jobs and wealth.

The Commission is looking at how complementary growth can be achieved between London and our other cities, what fiscal and governance arrangements are needed to deliver this, and how public service reform can start to make cities more fiscally viable. To do so, the Commission will focus on skills, infrastructure and the devolution of fiscal and policy-making powers.

The Commission defines the areas in which cities are located as ‘Metros’, and sets the scene by explaining that they drive much of our economic activity and shape how nearly all of us live and work. Metros are said not to be just city centres, but extend to suburbs and surrounding areas, as places of leisure and retail.

They go on to explain that many rural businesses depend upon Metros for accessing urban markets, customers and the connectivity cities provide to the rest of the UK and the world.

Clearly, cities and their economic success matter to us all.

In the North East, the Commission identifies two Metros; Tyne & Wear and Teesside. That means the City of Durham falls between two stools and is not included. In my opinion that’s a major omission as the City has many qualities that add to the richness of the region’s economic and cultural life. If added to Tyne & Wear, it would become the seventh largest Metro in the UK by population.

The City Growth Commission is building a strong argument for investing in city regions across the country – however, its location and its membership are very London-centric! While it would be churlish to read too much into that, it means the North East needs to punch above its weight (again!) to be heard. I urge all to get involved.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by JK Property Consultants .