Economic Growth - case studies

Here are a selection of case studies which highlight how councils have been innovative in helping their local economies grow.

As part of our sector support offer, we work with officers across all local authorities working in economic growth and development to capture ideas and share learning across the sector. The following case studies cover a wide range of topics including regeneration, the green recovery, business support, employment and skills, the visitor economy and more. If you have any projects you are looking to launch or are currently carrying out which you would like to share, or your work has had a particular impact locally, we are keen to hear from you.

For further information or to discuss your case study, email productivity@local.gov.uk.

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Case studies

High street and town and city centre regeneration
Employment and skills
COVID-19 recovery
Youth engagement
Placemaking and community wealth building
Green economy
Business support
Visitor economy
Supporting councils with business engagement

Our 'Supporting councils with business engagement' report captured learning from councils' contact with businesses over the course of the pandemic and their plans going forward. Below you can find links to relevant case studies from the report.

Public-Private Partnerships: Driving Growth, Building Resilience

Our 'Public-Private Partnerships: Driving Growth, Building Resilience' good practice guide supports councils to establish more effective public-private partnerships. Below are case studies from the report, showing partnerships which have delivered high impact outcomes.

Case studies: Economic Growth Design Skills

Building Bloqs in Meridian Water

Paul Gardner, from Enfield Council, gave a presentation about Building Bloqs in Meridian Water which is part of a larger regeneration project in the area. Bloqs is an innovative model of shared pay-as-you-go workspace provision for the creative sector, including an open-access workshop and industrial machinery. Bloqs serves a community of over 250 service users.

Coventry: High Streets Heritage Action Zones National Demonstrator Project

Carol Pyrah, from the Historic Coventry Trust (HCT), gave a presentation on a high street regeneration project in The Burges and Hales Street. Using a £2 million grant from Historic England, and existing funding from Coventry City Council, the HCT were able to transform the area.

Southend-on-Sea City Council: employment and skills support for young people

This is a presentation delivered by Emma Cooney, from Southend-on-Sea City Council, and is focused on supporting 18–25-year-olds with employment and skills. This originated from research demonstrating that this age group had been most impacted by the pandemic in regard to employment. Through support from the LGA’s Economic Growth Advisers Programme, the council conducted a research piece engaging with over 100 disadvantaged young people.

Notable practice

Plymouth City Council: Skills Launchpad Plymouth

Launched in the summer of 2020, this initiative supported local people by providing a virtual one-stop shop for skills, training, education, careers and jobs, to help them get the right advice and information. The team are now launching a face-to-face one stop skills shop in the heart of the city centre to provide local people with access to independent information, advice, and guidance to help them take their next steps.

Further information is available below:

Salford City Council: Tackling Inequalities – The Salford Way

The Salford Way is a range of initiatives aimed at creating a fairer, greener and healthier Salford. Through these initiatives the council plan to build a more inclusive and green local economy and a fairer city, where everyone can reach their full potential and live prosperous and fulfilling lives, which are captured in eight key priorities. These include tackling poverty and inequality, creating an economy for all and addressing the climate emergency.

Working with the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) the council have engaged extensively with representatives from across the private, public and third sectors in Salford to identify a range of priority actions. Salford’s approach to economic development is therefore underpinned by a five-point plan to build local community wealth, grow the social economy, accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon economy, strengthen public service and strengthen civic participation and local democracy.

Further information is available on Salford Council's website.

Economic growth support hub