LOCALISM IN PLACE

1. LOCALISM IN PLACE Duncan Maclennan University of St Andrews dm103@st-andrews.ac.uk

2. CONTEXT, UK Pressures to Rethink ‘Govt’ within Scotland • Immediacy of looming cuts (20pcent progress) • Long Term unease re structures, metro, local • Questions of quality, capability remain • Fiscal issues of reliance on block grant, capital controls etc; CENTRALLY CONTROLLED LOCALISM IN ENGLAND NOT THE TRIGGER BUT USEFUL MIRROR, HOW DO WE LOOK

3. CONTEXT, INTERNATIONAL Sustained processes of autonomy shift since 70’s • Monetary, macro policies up to EU, NAFTA etc • Subsidiarity, to Regions (economic Arguments) • Metropolitan areas (integration key functions) • Downwards to Neighbourhoods, place communities KEY ISSUE IS THAT LOCAL SYSTEMS DO NOT MATCH MUNICIPAL BOUNDARIES FOR MODERN PUBLIC MANAGEMENT; OPEN, ASSOICIATIONAL GOVERNANCE HAS TO MAKE UP FOR SLUGGISH CHANGES IN MUNICIPAL BOUNDARIES. NEED TO MATCH THE AUTONOMY OF TERRITORY WITH THE REAL FUNCTIONAL NATURE OF ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS

4. ENGLISH CHANGES, DIFFERENCES Important similarities, but • Reaction against target led centralism • Abolition of Audit Commission • Abolition of RDAs, Regional Spatial Strategies • Referenda for elected Mayors, 10 major cities • Planning simplified, still major central powers • Housing policy shift (unrelated to localism!), HCA CUTS • Emphasis more on municipal than ‘big society’ A WORK IN PROGRESS, CONTRADICTORY, ALREADY INCONSISTENT (IN PLANNING). IS IT DEVOLUTION OR DUMPING?

5. …..SCOTTISH DIFFERENCES Scottish Scale is Different, Parliament a ‘more local central’ • Pushback on quangos, housing and economic development since 2000: restoring local??? • Avoided structural, metropolitan issues • No promotion of larger city leaders • Community planning, outcome agts, Concordat • Scottish Government has upward political focus BUT SIMILAR CULTURES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, SIMILAR CENTRAL DOMINANCE OF LOCAL SPENDING AND REVENUES (LOCAL TAX FREEZE).

6. ….AND IF ALL GOES WELL!

7. THE CHALLENGES Regardless of Localism in England, or constitutional Change for Scotland we face the same challenge: How do we construct a system of government and governance in Scotland that Gives voice to the people, at different scales, regarding • Fiscal choices, of taxes and as well as services • Facilitating fairness between places • Encouraging creativity within bureaucracies • Avoiding monopolies in production, ensures VFM

8. …IN A CONTEXT OF REDUCING FISCAL RESOURCES FOR PERHAPS A DECADE, NON-MARGINAL QUESTIONS • MAINTAIN ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS • ADDRESS POPULATION AGEING WITH RELATED HEALTH AND CARE COSTS • ACHIEVE DEMANDING CARBON REDUCTION • PURSUE FAIRNESS WHILST SPENDING ON MIDDLE CLASS WELFARE WILL BETTER COMMUNITY PLANNING ACHIEVE WHAT CHISTIE AND ARBITHNOTT REPORTS WERE SEEKING; THAT SEEMS UNLIKELY, SO WHAT TO DO!

9. FUNCTIONAL FORMAL LOCALISM Scottish scale: recursive local /national actions, serves national goals? Localism has to be real, functional. International Experiences Varied: LOCAL MEANS • More fragmented agencies, Deeper silo mentalities • Pervasive adversarial politics • Autocratic decision taking; Risks of corruption • Focus on projects, not strategies • Impatience with community concern WE NEED TO ADDRESS GAPS BETWEEN POLITICALLY EMBRACED LOCALISM AND EFFECTIVELY DESIGNED FUNCTIONAL LOCALISM

10. WHAT TO DO: PARLIAMENT • Avoid Dumping, Smothers Localism (Canada) • Greater Clarity about spatial redistribution • Fiscal Responsibility • End Tax Freeze • Rethink Business Rate Revenue (growth) • Structures, too many, too small? • Co-governance models (Auckland) • Assessing, improving performance

11. WHAT TO DO; LOCAL • Better Metro Partnerships (GRDV) • Managed decline in non-feasible places • Improve asset, land Management • Restructure , management of assets (Australia) • User charging, infrastructure, gain use (AC) • Community Planning • Coherent outcome aims and maps, SG policies as well as LA • Downward cascade: CBHAs, Community Boards?

12. AND THE AMBITION…. Local Government Minister Derek Mackay said: • “The Scottish Government’s response to the Christie Commission included a commitment to review community planning. …..“Community planning stands or falls on whether it delivers better outcomes and it must keep up with the pace of financial pressures, changing demography and the growing social needs we face. Effective community planning needs greater integration of services, more focus on prevention and clearer accountability for partners’’ COSLA President Cllr Pat Watters said: • “People want the very best results from their public services…. the Christie Commission showed that we need to invest in prevention across the whole of the public sector, and do more to ensure that services work together to focus on what matters most to communities…..and this Statement of Ambition is a major step forward in agreeing ways to ensure that community planning partnerships truly take centre stage in translating public services into better outcomes. Delivering that ambition will require commitment from across the public sector, but we must all rise to the challenge if we are to grasp this unprecedented opportunity to make a real difference to Scotland’s communities.”

13. FINALLY, GOOD LUCK! dm103@st-andrews.ac.uk