Publications - Policy Platform

18 Articles

A New Era for Council Housing?
[Dec 7, 2011, by Localis]

Impending reforms to the Housing Revenue Account are set to give local authorities self-financing control over their housing stock, albeit at the cost of taking on additional debt. This Policy Platform outlines how the upcoming changes may help councils drive increased levels of house building, whe

Trading Councils
[Jun 15, 2011, by Localis]

This edition of Policy Platform – with contributions from senior local government figures - explores how councils can innovatively use their trading powers in the current economic climate

Enabling Communities
[Mar 8, 2011, by Tom Simpson, Localis (ed.)]

The four contributors to this month’s Localis Policy Platform offer their views on how local authorities can support the process of community empowerment which lies at the core of the Big Society.

Helping Problem Families
[Feb 15, 2011, by Tom Simpson, Localis (ed.)]

A pivotal aspect of a shift to genuine localism, or ‘Total Place Lite’? The contributions to this Policy Platform by Peter Martin, Leader of Essex County Council, and Chris Williamson, Shadow Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, outline both views on the Coali

Localised Benefits
[May 26, 2010, by Steve Carey, Alastair Gordon, Anne Fairweather, Barry Maginn]

In this Policy Platform we discuss how a localised benefits system could work, and what positives and challenges it entails.

Accountable Planning
[May 21, 2010, by Cllr Gary Porter, Emma Cariaga, David Rodgers, Tony Smith, Barry Maginn]

In this edition of Policy Platform we consider what a more localised planning system should look like, and how community engagement can benefit future development.

In Your Hands
[Mar 12, 2010, by Mary Rayner, Karen Wilkie, Simon Randall CBE, Tom Shakespeare]

In this edition of Policy Platform we discuss the benefits and challenges of moving towards such a system, with more employees and service users taking control of public services.

Local Government and Schools
[Dec 18, 2009, by Dr Andrew Povey, Rachel Wolf, Matthew Burgess, Tom Shakespeare]

In this edition of Policy Platform we discuss what the future role of local government in the education system should be. This is a topic which has divided opinion in the past, so we have assembled three leading thinkers in this field to discuss the topic to establish what the fault lines are, and h

Total Place
[Nov 6, 2009, by Tom Shakespeare, David Parsons, John Seddon, Des McConaghy]

In this edition of Policy Platform we discuss how local authorities can deliver improved services around locally determined priorities. This is in the context of the ‘Total Place’ pilot initiative currently underway which is looking to examine the total spend of all agencies within an area to aim to

The Last Post
[Sep 18, 2009, by James Morris, Peter Luff MP, George Thomson, Lord Hanningfield]

In both urban and rural areas the closures of local Post Offices has provoked anguish in the local communities that rely on them. The government has argued that the shrinking of the post office network is inevitable as a result of lack of profitability. In this Policy Platform we explore three per

Tipping the Balance
[Sep 2, 2009, by Cllr Paul Bettison, Margaret Eaton, Neil McInroy, Tom Shakespeare]

In this edition of Policy Platform we have articles from: Cllr Paul Bettison from Bracknell Forest Borough Council, Cllr Margaret Eaton from the Local Government Association and Neil McInroy from the Centre for Local Economic Strategies on the topic of how local government should be represented in n

Revitalising Local Democracy
[Jul 24, 2009, by Tom Shakespeare, Harry Phibbs, Ken Ritchie, Peter Facey]

Voter turnout at local and national elections is consistently low, and falls far behind most other Western countries. But why is this? This edition of Policy Platform aims to explore this question and to understand what may be required to re-engage people in a political process which increasingly la

Saving the Planet
[May 29, 2009, by Jack Perschke, Nick Paget-Brown, Faraz Baber and Tom Chance]

If we can protect our environment locally - if small sustainable communities can be formed - then there is no reason that these models cannot go on to protect nationally and globally.

How can we make local and central government language more accessible?
[May 14, 2009, by Cllr Merrick Cockell, Christina Dykes, James Morris, Cllr David Lee, Peter Botting]

We must take back our language and, in doing so, make democracy more accessible and accountable. Instead of wearing our Crystal Mark with pride on major documents we should write and speak simply and clearly.

Priorities for Reform of Social Housing in Inner Cities
[Mar 30, 2009, by James Morris, Dr Tim Leunig, Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh, John Moss and Cllr Ian Rowley]

Establishing priorities for reform of social housing – particularly within inner city areas - is crucial to addressing some of the most intractable social problems which characterize some areas of our inner cities today.

• "Localis is fast gaining a reputation for pre-empting the localist agenda, producing thought provoking research and practical policy ideas"Anthony Seldon, author and political commentator
• "Localis’ commitment to decentralisation crosses party boundaries, and their research illuminates policy problems with new practical thinking"Prof George Jones, LSE
• "Localis offers a great blend of a passion for innovation, grounded practical ideas and unswerving belief in the possibilities of local governance"Derek Myers, Chief Executive, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

more