ECONOMIC GROWTH

Struggling places will fall even further behind without targeted policies

Every single city and town in the UK will need a localised plan that reflects their circumstances to help them rebuild their economies, says Andrew Carter.

Now that we have passed the peak of the coronavirus outbreak, policymakers' attention is turning to how to kickstart the economy. 

They have a big job: A quarter of all workers are now paid via the furlough scheme and it is likely to be a while before cafés, pubs and restaurants return to normal.

Places will experience COVID-19's consequences differently depending on the strength of their local economies. Because office jobs are more suited to homeworking, cities with greater shares of them – such as London and Edinburgh – have so far seen less economic disruption than those dependent on retail or manufacturing. They will also be better placed to adapt to post-COVID working arrangements.

Meanwhile, places most heavily dependent on aviation are likely to be hardest hit. More than half of jobs in Crawley are at risk and we're already seeing the effects: Virgin and British Airways announcing redundancies and considering shutting their Gatwick operations.

But it's not just people working for airports or airlines being affected. Crawley and Luton's economies are built around aviation. Hotels, taxis and cafés all cater to the industry and they are all struggling.

Crawley BC and the local MP have understandably asked chancellor Rishi Sunak for a bespoke rescue package. They won't be the only place to make this request; around one in five jobs in large towns and cities are at risk of furlough or redundancy due to COVID-19.

Every single city and town in the UK will need a localised plan that reflects their circumstances to help them rebuild their economies.

In addition, as the Government adapts its policies in the next phase of lockdown it should consider how these need to be flexed to reflect the different economic circumstances of places.

The concern is that without targeted policies, places that were struggling pre-COVID will fall even further behind in the future.

Andrew Carter is chief executive of Centre for Cities

ECONOMIC GROWTH

Could they be a contender?

By Jack Shaw | 03 July 2025

If Reform-controlled authorities prove dysfunctional or obstructive will that erode trust in both devolution and local government? Can their administrations ...

ECONOMIC GROWTH

Top Talent: Regeneration and Growth

02 July 2025

As part of our regular series on ‘rising stars’, we celebrate the regeneration and growth officers who have been nominated by their councils for having an im...

ECONOMIC GROWTH

Navigating place-based decarbonisation

By Paul Marinko | 02 July 2025

In a rapidly changing world and a sector consumed with financial pressures and local government reorganisation, climate initiatives will prove difficult to k...

ECONOMIC GROWTH

Forging the future

By Martin Ford | 25 June 2025

With the sector in crisis and the need for radical change, fundamental questions are being asked about what local government is for. Martin Ford reports.

Andrew Carter

Popular articles by Andrew Carter