Why the UK’s new towns must have high quality design at their core BY DAVID PENDLEBURY, BENEDIKT STRANAK Keir Starmer has made a bold promise: to build 1.5 million new homes in five years. Recent times have witnessed a glut of big… Read more »
Central and local government
LEVELLING UP THROUGH POLITICAL UNCERTAINTY
Regional and local governments have been buffeted by a series of crises – austerity, the pandemic, and more recently, the cost of living and stagnant growth. This has made the already difficult task of tackling inequality between, and within places… Read more »
A green economic recovery strategy for Hampshire
Hampshire County Council commissioned the consultancy of the New Economics Foundation to support creation of a strategy for green economic recovery that: We explored what a green economic recovery means for Hampshire, identified and assessed priority areas, and then brought… Read more »
CREATING AN INCLUSIVE AND GREEN ECONOMIC STRATEGY
AN ADVISORY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR A LONDON BOROUGH A London borough commissioned NEF to support them in creating an inclusive and green economic strategy that: A survey of 1000 residents in the borough had highlighted the profound impact of… Read more »
THE FUTURE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING
There is an affordable housing crisis in England: asking prices for homes rose a record amount in February. Almost half of all affordable housing in the UK is provided through section 106 (S106) obligations: requirements that local authorities place on housing developers when they… Read more »
LEVELLING UP THE UK
BY MIATTA FAHNBULLEH, EMMET KIBERD, ANDREW PENDLETON Long-standing inequality between and within regions is holding back millions of households and acting as a drag on economic prosperity. The UK government is therefore right to establish levelling up as its primary mission alongside the… Read more »
Green economic recovery – Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council commissioned NEF Consulting to support them to create a strategy for green economic recovery that: Improves living standards rather than simply targeting GVA growth. Supports the creation of good, secure jobs. Reduces greenhouse gas emissions in the… Read more »
ESCAPING GREEN DEPRIVATION
Many people in Britain have no choice but to travel to get safe access to green space. When Boris Johnson rode out across London during lockdown, reportedly cycling seven miles from his home, he drew criticism for not following the spirit… Read more »
The road to prosperity?
Why extending the M4 is not the way AUTHOR: Alex Chapman, Consultant, NEF Consulting If governments took decisions on infrastructure based on making people, communities and the environment healthier, how would they look? What demands would we make of them?… Read more »
Community-defined social KPIs for regeneration programmes
Author: Elizabeth Cox, Associate Director, NEF Consulting There has never been a greater and more urgent need for a new economy. In response to challenges around housing and rising land prices, many local authorities are moving people in social and… Read more »
Local early action: how to make it happen
A new report on local early action was recently published by the New Economics Foundation for the Southwark and Lambeth Early Action Commission. This report is the product of an 18-month programme of work funded through Southwark and Lambeth councils…. Read more »
Leading the fight for fairness
By Sarah Lyall, Researcher, Social Policy, New Economics Foundation. The most intriguing developments in reducing inequality and poverty are happening in local, not national, government. In Plymouth, as in much of the rest of UK, empty homes purchased as second… Read more »
LVSC: What to consider when planning to measure your social impact
Lessons from the third sector in London By Rosie Maguire, Senior Consultant, NEF Consulting. At the end of 2014, NEF Consulting developed and delivered training around measuring social impact for LVSC, the collaborative leader of London’s voluntary and community sector…. Read more »
Local authorities: Commissioning for outcomes
We have a training course for local authorities on commissioning for outcomes and co-production. Click here for more details. NEF has also published a practical guide, Commissioning for Outcomes and Co-production aimed at local authorities. NEF’s approach to commissioning provides a framework, a set of principles and… Read more »
Visionary public services: a how-to commissioning guide
Photo credit Nick Page. NEF’s approach to commissioning provides a framework, a set of principles and practical guidance to re-assess how services are currently provided. It can help to re-focus services on the outcomes that really matter to those who… Read more »
How a city-wide approach to employment support works
AUTHORS: Rosemary Maguire and Natalie Nicholles. Statistics on unemployment are never far from newspaper headlines; the number of people out of work, the number of people on benefits, the success (or otherwise) of government programmes, the type of people on… Read more »
Kirklees Council: Growing Social Capital in Kirklees
Measuring what matters is an increasing challenge for local councils as they are required to move away from narrow unit cost into areas of outcomes and social value. This is particularly true for social care where finding ways to quantify… Read more »
Bridgend County Borough Council: Ensuring money spent in the local economy stays in the local economy
Bridgend County Borough Council worked with NEF Consulting in the Upper Llynfi Valley – an area facing long-term economic challenges. The project sought to build economic literacy, facilitating action planning workshops to ensure that a new market square development brings… Read more »
North Kesteven District Council: Distinctiveness can help engage local stakeholders in developing a sense of local identity
North Kesteven District Council (NKDC) commissioned NEF Consulting to investigate how the council and residents could improve the sustainability and identity of Sleaford town centre. Through use of appreciative inquiry surveys, local stakeholders identified those assets of Sleaford that matter… Read more »
Twickenham Town Centre Management Board: Distinctiveness can make all the difference between local success and failure
This specialist study evaluated the degree of ‘clone town’ status and the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that Twickenham faces with regards to its distinctive assets and local sourcing. We were commissioned to cross-examine best practice from other similar towns,… Read more »