While the Conservative's 2019 manifesto promise to address the geographical inequalities by ‘levelling up' the UK clearly won over enough voters, the related piece of legislation now going through the House of Lords lacks both the vision and ambition needed to address such a mammoth task.
It is not just that the earlier ‘missions' set out in a Government White Paper are not detailed in this flagship bill, or that it is difficult to trace links to some of the other provisions. The legislation, as it stands, also includes such weak reporting mechanisms that it creates a bizarre pick-and-mix system where Whitehall departments can choose what to follow. In turn, ministers will be able to mark their own homework with no independent oversight.
This means the Bill is in danger of falling far short of expectations, and with little input from local leaders may also fail to create a new and dynamic partnership between local and central Government.
The Government should be looking at how best to rebalance our economy, properly, reform local governance to help tackle climate change, and ensuring communities benefit from the digital and bioscience revolutions. Instead, the Bill raises backbench MPs' pet issues like street-naming and imposing software brands on planning departments.
More worryingly, it draws powers back to Westminster through mechanisms like the National Development Management Plan and the Infrastructure Levy – with concerns already afoot about the potential for central interference or, worse still, top-slicing.
Indeed, the devolutionary aspects of the Bill are anything but. Councils in much of the rest of Europe have comparatively greater powers than here – including on economic development. So, the Bill was a chance to be far more open to ideas to provide the levers to really drive forward change locally. Instead, it seeks to impose a hierarchy, giving primacy on combined county authorities while failing to give a voice to the tier with planning and housing powers.
The absence, meanwhile, of anything on a funding process risks perpetuating the wasteful and expensive bidding rounds that have so far characterised the levelling up agenda.
In recognising the need for planning reform, the related proposals in the Bill actually take it in the wrong direction, with the secretary of state able to override local people and their democratically elected representatives.
An opportunity to create a simplified, streamlined system more responsive to local needs and address the climate crisis is given up for the vague and mysterious ‘Office for Place'.
Some of the more disappointing gaps relate to high street regeneration. A comprehensive framework could have addressed retail costs, encouraged workspaces and homes into town centres to help drive footfall, considered incentives relating to leisure, culture, heritage, sport and tourism, and support for independent traders. But again, the Bill just tinkers around the edges.
I am passionate about the power of localism as a way of solving the endemic inequalities faced by too many of our cities, counties, towns, and villages. This Bill could have genuinely helped turn things around, but the combination of platitudes and the lack of coherence between a devolutionary intent and centralising mechanisms are turning it into a missed opportunity
As a relative newcomer to the Lords, I often hear talk of ‘Christmas Tree Bills' – legislation written in such a way that peers from all sides feel encouraged to add their own baubles and lights. With 700-plus amendments down already and more to come, and a committee stage set to stretch way beyond Easter, this Bill could end up looking pretty garish.
My Labour Lords colleagues and I will, of course, continue to remind ministers that levelling up must be more than a slogan if we are to see a real impact within communities across our country. The Government, meanwhile, should use the Easter break to rethink and reshape the Bill if it wants to show a genuine commitment to the sort of devolution that will change lives for the better.
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage OBE is a Labour Peer and a member of the shadow Levelling Up, Housing and Communities team
@SharonStevenage
