Devolution, Local Government Reform, and the Role of Place Insight

As England embarks on the next wave of devolution and local government reform, the ability of local authorities to demonstrate outcomes — not just intentions — has never been more important. Devolution in England refers to the transfer of powers, responsibilities, and funding from central government to local and regional bodies. Since 2014, this process has created a diverse patchwork of Combined Authorities, Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs), and bespoke county deals. These bodies now control levers across transport, housing, skills, and economic development. But powers alone do not guarantee progress. What matters is how these powers are used — and how success is measured.

The Social Progress Index (SPI) provides a clear, multidimensional framework to track whether areas are improving in the things that matter most to people: access to education, health, safety, housing, inclusion, and environmental quality. It focuses on outcomes — not spend, activity, or intention — and enables local authorities to define and track success in human terms. It ensures that local control is matched with public value.

The 2024 English Devolution White Paper, Power and Partnership: Foundations for Growth, outlines a long-term vision for every area in England to access devolved powers. It introduces a new three-level devolution framework (from collaborative partnerships to full MCAs), simplifies funding models toward outcome-based agreements, and places a renewed emphasis on measuring tangible improvements in people’s lives. The reform applies to a wide spectrum of governance types — from unitary authorities and county/district councils, to new Combined County Authorities and trailblazer deals.

As part of this process, local authorities are expected to:

• Define clear strategic priorities;

• Engage residents and stakeholders in shaping local delivery;

• Align service budgets and plans across partners;

• Provide evidence of impact through shared outcome frameworks.

This is where Place Insight becomes an indispensable tool. Built around the SPI and expanded with integrated economic, demographic, and inequality data, Place Insight enables councils to:

• Benchmark social progress across 294 local authorities;

• Identify peer authorities facing similar challenges;

• Understand the root causes of underperformance;

• Justify and shape devolution bids with robust evidence;

• Monitor and demonstrate improvements over time.

SPI and Place Insight directly support the growth agenda at the heart of the devolution plan. The White Paper states clearly: “The case for devolution is ultimately a case for growth.” But the SPI pushes that conversation further by asking: Growth of what? For whom? And is it delivering real-world outcomes? Economic indicators like GVA, GDHI and employment remain vital, but SPI ensures that the results of growth are inclusive, sustainable, and place-specific.

Across the six priority domains of the Devolution Framework, SPI provides actionable insights:

• Transport & Access: Environmental Quality and digital access indicators inform where infrastructure and transport gaps exist.

• Skills & Employment: SPI’s Opportunity dimension tracks local disparities in qualifications, work access, and inclusion.

• Housing & Planning: The Shelter component, combined with affordability and benefits data, highlights structural housing gaps.

• Environment & Net Zero: SPI captures air quality, recycling, and physical activity — critical to shaping local sustainability strategies.

• Business Support & Innovation: The SPI framework helps define the conditions that enable businesses to thrive and people to benefit.

• Public Service Reform: SPI acts as a shared cross-sector outcomes framework — helping councils align health, education, and welfare around people, not silos.

  
  

Importantly, SPI and Place Insight also support accountability. As the government shifts toward longer-term funding and devolved responsibility, local leaders need ways to report success back to Whitehall, residents, and partners. Place Insight allows this through outcome dashboards, cluster comparisons, and longitudinal tracking.

In short, Place Insight equips local authorities not just to receive new powers — but to use them well. It supports smarter bids, clearer priorities, and a data-led case for reform. It ensures that local government reform is more than restructuring — it becomes a strategy for place-based progress.

Author: Rory Rolt