Title

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

Rethinking long-term community investment

By Nick Kemp | 10 September 2025

As the UK Shared Prosperity Fund ends and the Growth Mission Fund and trailblazer neighbourhoods emerge, Nick Kemp explores how councils can embrace adaptive...

ECONOMIC GROWTH

Why districts should embrace reorganisation

By Cllr Dale Broughton | 08 September 2025

Craig Leyland, Nick Worth and Dale Broughton explain how the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership is shaping the future of local government through...

ECONOMIC GROWTH

Inclusive leadership for a resilient tomorrow

By Dawn Faulkner | 04 September 2025

Dawn Faulkner says it’s time to celebrate the contributions of women in the public sector landscape and that the stories we tell will help shape the leaders ...

ECONOMIC GROWTH

Solutions to stop homelessness

By Jack Shaw | 02 September 2025

Some councils are exploring more innovative ways of delivering the sustainable use of temporary accommodation, including through prevention, Test, Learn and ...

Andrew Carter

Popular articles by Andrew Carter