Sir Michael Lyons, who had been Chief Executive of Birmingham City Council, was asked to lead an enquiry into the ‘form, function and funding of local government’ in 2004. The report of the enquiry in 2007 defined local leadership in terms of what it called ‘placeshaping’:
‘Place-shaping requires local government to be more consistent in raising its sights beyond the immediate delivery of services, the short term political cycle and the timetables of funding and performance management – and to do this with greater ambition. It needs to focus on developing a vision for an area and its communities, a vision owned by those communities and by local businesses.’
An effective local vision, according to Sir Michael, depends on having:
- an idea of the aspirations of a place;
- awareness of local trends;
- a sense of local capacity (how a local area can be prepared and well placed to respond to challenges);
- the ability to respond to local opportunities and needs as they change;
- and a strategic approach (looking beyond the boundaries of the area to spot opportunities and connections in the wider world.
He recognised the difficulties of thinking long-term, however: ‘The pressures to focus solely on the shorter term are very strong, even for those councils with four-yearly all-out elections. For councils with more frequent elections, these pressures are even greater. Long-term planning can be challenging to achieve in the face of short-term demands but some local authorities have realised that it is only by shaping a strong vision for the long-term future that they can create a truly cohesive community.’
The Lyons Report highlighted community cohesion as a particular challenge and opportunity in placeshaping, saying: ‘The residents of a single local authority can have very diverse needs and interests varying between… people distinguished by ethnicity or by other social or demographic factors. In the short term, such difference can generate seemingly insuperable conflicts. A longer term view, which emphasises common interests, future economic prosperity, environmental sustainability and a harmonious, secure community is more likely to overcome divisions and secure support for some of the more difficult, immediate decisions a council has to take.’
What do you think?
The Lyons Report was mainly about council-wide placeshaping.
How much of what was said then, do you think applies to councillors and other local leaders at neighbourhood and ward level now?
If you’ve finished reflecting on how what the Lyons Report said about councils in general might apply to individual councillors and other local leaders, you might want to:
read the Lyons Report in full (it’s available as a PDF – and it’s 394 pages long)
have a look at LB Camden’s Community Investment Programme