Give South East freedom to grow its own way, says report

Localis says that the government must rethink the assumption that merely directing investment away from an ‘overheated’ South East will cool intense living pressures affecting the region and benefit the rest of the country.

The think tank’s report makes the case that the inherent strengths of the region, which leads the country in export-led growth, demand a greater devolution of economic control, infrastructure investment and transport coordination.

Furthermore, a more nuanced devolution settlement for the South East would empower local councils to alleviate deprivation in parts of the region – especially coastal areas – which are as left-behind as anywhere else in the country, improve quality of life for residents and boost central government’s Net Zero and Global Britain ambitions.

Jonathan Werran, Localis chief executive, said: “Although the government has declared the levelling up agenda is not in the business of ‘decapitating tall poppies’, and paid lip service to the notion that devolution means doing thing differently in different places, there is a risk of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

“While it is not too late for government to correct devolutionary course, it is also incumbent on the south east’s local leaders to present the incoming Levelling Up Director with a unified and coherent approach to making the south east a champion of global trade, clean growth and improved transport and quality of life for residents – many of whom live in areas of deprivation which belie the region’s reputation as a land of plenty.”

Nicolas Heslop, chair of South East Councils, said: “South East England is the UK’s gateway to the world, positioned on the doorstep of the EU, with significant clusters of commerce and industry – long championing trade, the South East has been England’s highest exporting region.

“Crucially, the South East has been one of only two UK regions to be a net contributor to the Treasury. Ministers will want to ensure the South East has a secure economic foundation to meet challenges presented by pandemic impacts, the effects of climate change and a growing population which is set to reach 10 million people by 2030.”