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LED Confidential

LED Confidential

Podcast about local economic development and placemaking. Co-hosted by Mike Spicer of PolicyDepartment and David Marlow of Third Life Economics. Mike, David and guests address the divisive, often unspoken issues facing economic development professionals in 2020s Britain.

Website:
www.ledconfidential.co.uk

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  • 24 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 18 min
  • English

Episodes 24

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  • March 26 · 11 min

    Is energy now the organising principle for local economic development and placemaking?

    Is the capacity of our power infrastructure now the majordeterminant of local and regional growth? David and Mike explore how grid constraints, global energy shocks and local political battles over the net zero transition are reshaping regeneration pipelines, spatial strategies and local economic plans. They ask what role Mayoral Strategic Authorities, non -mayoral areas and infrastructure providers should play as energy becomes an organising principle for LED.

  • March 19 · 42 min

    Team Edinburgh: the growing role of business leadership in shaping modern local economic development

    Edinburgh is one of the UK’s star city economies. But is success breeding complacency? David and Mike talk to Liz McAreavey, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, about Edinburgh 2030 – a business‑led call to action that aims to turn a patchwork of sector plans into a clear local growth strategy and a stronger “Team Edinburgh” voice. They discuss models for strategic leadership, regional powers, and why investing in foundations like skills, housing, lab space and transport is critical to delivering good, poverty‑reducing growth from a position of strength.

  • March 12 · 11 min

    Making sense of England's new Local Growth Fund: regional strategy or tactical retreat?

    The Chancellor has confirmed a new Local Growth Fund (LGF) – a £900m, four‑year capital pot reserved for 11 Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs) in the North and Midlands of England. But the annual average of £225m is around 60% lower than England’s final‑year UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocation, and many places – including London, the South East, most rural counties and non‑mayoral areas – will receive nothing from this scheme. In this Espresso Shot, David and Mike ask whether LGF represents a serious new regional policy – or simply a smaller, more selective successor to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. They explore the risks of widening disparities within and between regions, the challenges of aligning LGF with integrated settlements, visitor levies, investment zones and other funding pots, and what all this means for capital‑heavy programmes where revenue and community‑level capacity often lag behind. Can MSAs use LGF catalytically – and what are practitioners in non‑funded areas supposed to do next?

  • March 5 · 12 min

    Pride in Place extended - transformation or tactical top‑up?

    The UK Government has expanded its Pride in Place (PiP) programme – £20m over 10 years for each selected neighbourhood, with local boards deciding how to spend it on high streets, youth centres, community spaces and events. At the same time, the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods (ICON) warns that current approaches are too small‑scale and partial to turn around outcomes like crime and economic inactivity by 2030. In this Espresso Shot, David and Mike explore what the PiP extension really means for LED professionals. They discuss the tensions of local authorities being both accountable body and ‘institution‑builder’, the risk of creating neighbourhood structures dependent on town halls, and the absence of an explicit economic foundation or public service integration in the PiP model. What does a genuinely strategic approach to neighbourhood renewal look like – and can PiP be stretched to deliver it?

Showing 21–24 of 24 episodes