The Local Government White Paper was published last week, setting out an ambitious plan to level up and transform our country. Our Conservative government recognises that national government alone cannot do this. That is why the White Paper details the largest devolution of power from Whitehall to local leaders across England in modern times.
We’ve had devolved government in the three smaller UK nations and larger urban parts of England for some time, with mayors like Andy Street in the West Midlands and Ben Houchen in the Tees Valley being notably successful in transforming their areas in a positive way.
The plan is that by 2030, every part of England that wishes to have a ‘London-style’ devolution deal will have one, including having a simplified, long-term funding settlements. It remains to be seen what this will mean for Crawley and West Sussex, but I do think we would have more effective and joined-up local government if everywhere in England was under a single-tier system. There is a definite trend in this direction.
The White Paper sets out the first steps the government is taking to achieve the transformation it wants to see. By 2030, local public transport connectivity across the country will be significantly closer to the standards of London, with improved services, simpler fares and integrated ticketing. We’ll also see nationwide gigabit-capable broadband and 4G coverage, with 5G coverage for the majority of the population. The government is also committed to building more genuinely affordable social housing.
A couple of things I think will be especially good for Crawley are that the Local Skills Improvement Plans will be rolled out with funding across England, giving local employer bodies and stakeholders a statutory role in planning skills training in their area, to better meet local labour market needs. Far too often, we’ve seen local employers not able to recruit enough people locally for high quality and skilled jobs in our town. The other is that the government will give local authorities the power to require landlords of empty shops to fill them if they have been left vacant for too long.
Councillor Duncan Crow, Leader of Crawley Borough Council Conservative Group
9th February 2022
