- September 2024
- 33 mins
How can local and regional leaders attract investment into their communities? Around the world, cities continue to grapple with the legacy of industrial decline. In England, the devolution of planning policy to mayoral combined authorities has enabled regions like Greater Manchester to outpace national growth. Yet within these regions, some local areas still risk falling behind—highlighting the need for a joined-up approach to planning and investment.
In this episode, produced in collaboration with Engineering Matters, we explore how place-based strategies can unlock investment and drive inclusive growth. Drawing on the successes of Greater Manchester and Bradford, we examine how understanding the unique history and needs of local communities can help shape compelling investment propositions.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, and Susan Hinchcliffe, Leader of Bradford City Council, joined Tim Newns, Managing Director for Levelling Up at the UK Department for International Trade’s Office for Investment, and Richard Robinson, President, UK & Ireland at AtkinsRéalis, for a panel discussion at UKREiiF in May 2024. Together, they explored the critical role of place in planning and investment.
Following the event—and the 2024 UK general election—John Rayson, Managing Director of Northern Transformation at AtkinsRéalis, joined Engineering Matters to reflect on the history of devolution in England and to consider the potential impact of newly proposed devolved authorities.
Guests
- Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
- Susan Hinchcliffe, Council Leader, Bradford City Council
- Tim Newns, MD, Levelling Up, Office for Investment, UK Department for International Trade
- Richard Robinson, President, UK and Ireland, AtkinsRéalis
- John Rayson, MD for Northern Transformation, AtkinsRéalis
Downloads
Trade releases