Delivering Growth – Post Local Growth Plan Guidance – Published 11th June 2025

As each day goes by, it is becoming clearer that the country needs to start to deliver economic growth, create jobs and posterity, before the bailiff arrives.

Post the global pandemic, an aging population, the need to rearm and to be more energy self-reliant, leaves zero headroom to continue borrowing, so economic growth is vital.

Whatever one’s political preference, in truth, Government can only do so much.  Delivering is at a local authority level and requires the public sector to work together and in partnership with the private sector.

In previous articles, we have set out a Six-Step process to deliver Local Growth Plans (LGPs).  On 11^th June 2025, MHCLG issued their guidance on developing LGPs and on 23^rd June 2025, Government (Number 10, HMT, and DBT), issued The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, with the eight key growth sectors (referred to as IS-8).

In this article, we have aligned our Six-Step process to the MHCLG Five-Stage LGP guidance and cross referenced this to the IS-8 growth sectors and importantly to the IS-8 funding, that has been set aside by HMT to be a catalyst to the economic growth delivery, that is vital to the future prosperity of the country.

Whilst there is no set template or format included in the MHCLG guidance, Earth has elaborated on the outputs from each stage. This is based on Earth’s experience of advising both the public sector and the private sector, when successfully delivering a variety of diverse regeneration projects.

LGPs are a statutory requirement for Mayoral Strategic Authorities. Foundations Strategic Authorities and Local Authorities in non-devolution areas, are also encouraged to set out a vision for growth in their area, to attract investment and drive growth.

Government recognises the importance of ‘placemaking’ to deliver growth and a deliverable LGP underpinned with robust pipeline project business cases, will be required to draw down Treasury IS-8 funding grants. To attract IS-8 investment into non devolved towns and cities Earth recommends that the LGP guidance is adopted by all authorities.

The 10-year LGP will be the ‘guiding star’ that provides strategic direction and growth forecasts on which the authority will be held to account by their electorate. The guidance below sets out the level of detail and due diligence necessary to provide the commissioning authority with the necessary comfort that these forecast projections, are both reasonable and deliverable.

Earth Regeneration is a niche strategic financial property consultancy. Earth works in collaboration with other leading advisors, for example management consultants, economists, architects, planners, and cost consultants.