What’s New

27th July 2010

Many local authorities across the country have now begun to produce comprehensive Local Economic Assessments (LEAs). A useful LEA will be much more than a methodical assessment of socio-economic data. It can help to prioritise and guide investment in challenging economic times, providing a powerful tool to identify where action is needed and where there are maximum returns to be made on public and private sector funding. With new emphasis on localism, an LEA can provide a sound platform for local authorities to develop their role in economic development and regeneration.

Regeneris Consulting can add real value to your LEA as you move towards its completion. We can and do serve as critical friends, enhancing your internal work through the introduction of additional datasets and analytical techniques. Some of the data and tools we use include:

• Broadband and ICT – We have developed bespoke tools to map access to broadband networks and the efficiency and effectiveness of those networks using Point Topic data. See our ICT brochure.
• Transport, Employment Sites, Skills & Accessibility (TESSA) – With JMP Consultants, Regeneris Consulting has developed a data tool to help you understand employment accessibility and the scale and nature of accessibility challenges. With welfare reform gathering pace, there is a need for a fresh look at the distribution of employment sites, the types of employment available and the transport services linking communities and employment locations. See our TESSA brochure.
• Property Market Analysis – We have developed tools using Valuation Office Agency data to map and analyse small area property markets, providing clients with advice about where to intervene in property markets driven by demand and supply data.
• Enterprise - We are well versed in the key data for measuring rates of enterprise in an area, including the new ONS Business Demography dataset, the Inter-departmental Business Register, and Annual Population Survey, and use these to assess enterprise performance at sub-district level. We prepared the national LEGI baseline and evaluation framework.
• High Skilled Labour Markets – Through major studies for the Manchester Independent Economic Review (Labour Markets, Skills and Talent) and the North East City Region we have developed sophisticated tools to analyse high skilled labour markets (e.g. constructing SIC-SOC matrices for industrial sectors).
• Supply Chains - We have developed a rigorous and robust approach to modelling economic impacts to quantify the economic contribution of an organisation or its business activities. Our tools enable you to assess the scale, scope and value of supply chains, and how they support economic benefit across an economy.

The Regeneris Consulting team of economists, planners and development specialists has substantial experience to offer in developing evidence to inform policy, strategy and action planning. We recently completed the LEA for the London Borough of Merton, making a key contribution to the subsequent economic strategy. As part of our work on the Croydon Economic Development Strategy we produced a substantial evidence base for the Borough. Our core evidence base for Knowsley (2008) now features in the Improvement and Development Agency’s guidance on good practice in preparing an LEA.

For a detailed overview of the Local Economic Assessment process and the services that Regeneris Consulting can provide, click on the image below:

For more information on our Local Economic Assessment service, or on any of the other core services that Regeneris Consulting provides, please contact Stephen Nicol (s.nicol@regeneris.co.uk; 0161 926 9214) in our Manchester office, or Jim Coleman (j.coleman@regeneris.co.uk; 0207 608 7200) in our London office.