Devolution matters for the Liverpool City Region

In agreeing to adopt a directly elected mayor for the city region, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) fast-tracked an historic devolution deal with the Government. Under this deal a new ‘Metro’ Mayor will exercise a range of powers and functions devolved from central government. Chief amongst these are responsibility for a devolved transport budget and franchised bus services and powers over strategic planning. The LCRCA itself will control a £30 million a year funding allocation over 30 years, to be invested in the Liverpool City Region.

Mayoral elections to this new post were held in May 2017. But this is new territory for all concerned and is likely to require fresh ideas, approaches and policy innovation to ensure these new governance arrangements work to stimulate and reimagine our economy, public services and democracy.

Our ambition for this blog is that it provides space for policymakers, practitioners, community activists and academics to share their aspirations, knowledge and policy ideas that might animate a conversation about how best to create a happy, healthy, and prosperous city region for all.

We do hope you will engage with us and if you would like to contribute then please contact Prof. Mark Boyle Mark.Boyle@liverpool.ac.uk

Could a Leccybus Cure Liverpool's Middle Aged Spread?

Posted on: 11 May 2018 | Category: Blog

A few days ago an architect friend floated some imaginative ideas for Liverpool city centre. Bring back the One O' Clock Gun, which as late as the 1960s was used by people to set their watches (originally it synchronised ships’ chronometers). The gun could be a nice Pier Head tourist attraction. Get the through traffic out of Rodney Street, the finest Georgian street in the North of England, and widen the pavements. And build a monorail on the line of the old Liverpool overhead railway, connecting up the waterfront. If Chester Zoo can afford a monorail, why not the city centre?

Why Liverpool City Region Should Look Both Ways

Posted on: 16 March 2018 | Category: Blog

Alan Chape and Ian Wray are both Heseltine Institute Visiting Fellows. Ian Wray is also Visiting Professor in Geography and Planning. Alan Chape was formerly Assistant Chief Executive, Liverpool City Council, and Ian Wray, Chief Planner, Northwest Development Agency.

Health must be considered in all aspects of the devolving Liverpool City Region

Posted on: 22 May 2017 | Category: Health must be considered in all aspects of the devolving Liverpool City Region

For 60 years the World Health Organisation has defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.

Steve Rotheram faces some major challenges as the new Metro Mayor in Liverpool City Region

Posted on: 9 May 2017 | Category: Steve Rotheram faces some major challenges

The wait is over and we now know that Steve Rotheram has been elected as the first Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor. Alan Southern from the Heseltine Institute looks at what faces the successful candidate.

Whose deal is it anyway? - A reply to ‘Dear mayoral candidate’ by Tabitha Morton, Women’s Equality Party Mayoral Candidate

Posted on: 15 March 2017 | Category: Whose deal is it anyway?

In the wake of the horrible death of Jo Cox last year, newspapers started reporting the work and achievements of the new and rather low-profile Labour MP. It turned out that people knew very little, if anything, about the phenomenal work of Cox – just as we know little of countless other MPs and local councillors who get out of bed every morning determined to make this world a better place. We don’t learn about them through the news. We don’t teach our children about them in school. Because in our politics and in our history, it is the figurehead that matters.

Dear Mayoral candidate

Posted on: 15 March 2017 | Category: Dear Mayoral candidate

The campaign to elect the first directly elected Mayor for the Liverpool City Region is now underway. With this in mind the Heseltine Institute has been hosting this blog with the purpose of asking thought leaders and local policymakers to contribute their policy ideas on what the Mayor might do to re-energise the political economy of the City Region. In the spirit of our blog we are now inviting you to respond to the ideas it generated.