Unlocking the potential of local places
Kate Fairhurst, Director, writes about the vital importance of stronger public-private partnerships in driving the prosperity of local places.
Aside from the hyper-local, far fewer people seem to recognise the significant untapped opportunities that lie within our City and Town Halls. In local authorities up and down the country, councillors and officers alike are working hard to deliver more for less, searching for those exciting and innovative solutions that can help them solve some of their knotty problems.
The private sector is instrumental in helping to solve these problems, and yet, public-private partnerships can often be difficult. Private companies can struggle to navigate confusing council decision-making structures and come up against blockers that prevent progress.
Local government is not just the place where potholes are filled. It is a place where inward investment is driven, where affordable homes are built, where vital infrastructure is installed, and where local skills are developed. Greater collaboration with the private sector can drive even greater results for local communities.