Inner Circle Consulting

Growth, reform and trust: delivering the promise and potential of LGR.    The District Councils' Network invited Inner Circle Consulting to produce a paper setting out how places might best respond to Local Government Reorganisation, based on their own experience and research and through engagement with key thinkers and practitioners in the sector.    We believe Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) offers a vital opportunity to address these issues, yet some see it as a short term cost-saving exercise through the creation of a small number of large councils. It’s an approach that relies on basic number crunching, zooming out on maps and adopting outdated models of local government service delivery. At best this approach is insufficient. At worst it will be a hugely costly and disruptive process that will simply create larger versions of semi-functional or dysfunctional arrangements that aren’t delivering for those that need it the most or for the nation as a whole.   The English Devolution White Paper highlights priorities: economic growth, housing, prevention, and restoring public trust. These are not standalone goals but interconnected drivers of sustainable, effective public services. This is why we believe any proposition for LGR must demonstrate how these objectives will be delivered and what their delivery requires, in terms of geography, operating model, design, leadership, capability and fit with new or existing institutions or partnerships. Their realisation demands a place and people-based approach to the design of future organisations. District councils, deeply engaged in housing and frontline services, hold crucial insights. Their daily interactions with communities give them an unmatched understanding of local needs. As new institutions are designed and then delivered their insight and perspectives are invaluable and their voice must be heard.   You can find the link to the report in the first comment below. #LGR #dcnconf2025 Chris Twigg Chris Naylor Evie John Blair Parkinson Aoife Bye Nina Newhouse

Growth, reform and trust: delivering the promise and potential of LGR.    The District Councils' Network invited Inner Circle Consulting to produce a paper setting out how places might best respond to Local Government Reorganisation, based on their own experience and research and through engagement with key thinkers and practitioners in the sector.    We believe Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) offers a vital opportunity to address these issues, yet some see it as a short term cost-saving exercise through the creation of a small number of large councils. It’s an approach that relies on basic number crunching, zooming out on maps and adopting outdated models of local government service delivery. At best this approach is insufficient. At worst it will be a hugely costly and disruptive process that will simply create larger versions of semi-functional or dysfunctional arrangements that aren’t delivering for those that need it the most or for the nation as a whole.   The English Devolution White Paper highlights priorities: economic growth, housing, prevention, and restoring public trust. These are not standalone goals but interconnected drivers of sustainable, effective public services. This is why we believe any proposition for LGR must demonstrate how these objectives will be delivered and what their delivery requires, in terms of geography, operating model, design, leadership, capability and fit with new or existing institutions or partnerships. Their realisation demands a place and people-based approach to the design of future organisations. District councils, deeply engaged in housing and frontline services, hold crucial insights. Their daily interactions with communities give them an unmatched understanding of local needs. As new institutions are designed and then delivered their insight and perspectives are invaluable and their voice must be heard.   You can find the link to the report in the first comment below. #LGR #dcnconf2025 Chris Twigg Chris Naylor Evie John Blair Parkinson Aoife Bye Nina Newhouse

Growth, reform and trust: delivering the promise and potential of LGR.    The District Councils' Network invited Inner Circle Consulting to produce a paper setting out how places might best respond to Local Government Reorganisation, based on their own experience and research and through engagement with key thinkers and practitioners in the sector.    We believe Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) offers a vital opportunity to address these issues, yet some see it as a short term cost-saving exercise through the creation of a small number of large councils. It’s an approach that relies on basic number crunching, zooming out on maps and adopting outdated models of local government service delivery. At best this approach is insufficient. At worst it will be a hugely costly and disruptive process that will simply create larger versions of semi-functional or dysfunctional arrangements that aren’t delivering for those that need it the most or for the nation as a whole.   The English Devolution White Paper highlights priorities: economic growth, housing, prevention, and restoring public trust. These are not standalone goals but interconnected drivers of sustainable, effective public services. This is why we believe any proposition for LGR must demonstrate how these objectives will be delivered and what their delivery requires, in terms of geography, operating model, design, leadership, capability and fit with new or existing institutions or partnerships. Their realisation demands a place and people-based approach to the design of future organisations. District councils, deeply engaged in housing and frontline services, hold crucial insights. Their daily interactions with communities give them an unmatched understanding of local needs. As new institutions are designed and then delivered their insight and perspectives are invaluable and their voice must be heard.   You can find the link to the report in the first comment below. #LGR #dcnconf2025 Chris Twigg Chris Naylor Evie John Blair Parkinson Aoife Bye Nina Newhouse

🏡 Homes that Don't Cost the Earth: Affordability within planetary boundaries 🌍 __ Today, alongside UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP), Arup, Rising Tide, we’re excited to announce the start of a new project to reorient UK housing strategy towards the goal of truly affordable homes for all. As lead of the UK consortium, we’re coordinating the initiative and applying a systems lens to develop and understand the impact of macro-economic, physical and place specific policies and practices. We’re collaborating with a network of public, industry and civil society leaders across a range of housing-related specialisms, including planning and policy, construction, climate, fuel poverty, biodiversity, renters’ rights, finance, tax and law, to: a) Build on much of the existing brilliant work that’s already been done to develop a range of policy, financial and technical interventions that will enable the UK to provide affordable homes for all, while protecting and enhancing our environment; b) Where there are gaps, provide research to demonstrate impact and feasibility; c) Bring stakeholders together to hammer out solutions and identify any unintended consequences; d) Support new relationships and alliances that can move these solutions from the realm of ideas to implementation; e) Learn as one of several national coalitions across Europe. We’d welcome people, organisations and existing consortia to work with us and also support this work. Comment below or get in touch via the initiative’s website: https://lnkd.in/excpajq2  We’ll be sharing updates and findings from the project group throughout 2025 – follow our hashtag to stay in touch: #HDCE Many thanks to Laudes Foundation for core project funding. __ Melissa Mean Frances Northrop Rachael Owens Toby Lloyd Jeremy Till Chris Brown Dan Hill Evie John Mike Childs Smith Mordak Jacob Heitland Emma Saunders __ Animation by Imaginatrix @BathuanBintas

Today in TheMJ, Inner Circle Managing Director Evie John makes the case for reimagining all forms of government so that we can expand on the transformation hinted at in the English Devolution White Paper. "The Government's programme of devolution is a long-awaited opportunity for local government transformation. But, if we only focus on how councils operate, we may still fail to improve outcomes for communities and places. The question of where central government fits into this dynamic – what kind of Whitehall works – must be answered." Read more here: https://lnkd.in/g3KS596w #LocalGovernment #Devolution #LocalGovernmentReorganisation #Whitehall #CivilService #UKGovernment #PublicSector