Report Launch – ‘Growth in every postcode - maximising the opportunity in county areas’

Report Launch – ‘Growth in every postcode - maximising the opportunity in county areas’

Join the County Councils Network (CCN) for the online launch of a new report from Grant Thornton, which sets out the vital role county and rural members could play in driving national economic growth - and the reforms needed to unlock their full potential.

CCN is a cross-party organisation representing 39 county and unitary authorities - England’s largest grouping of councils. Collectively CCN’s 2,600 councillors represent some 26 million people and are responsible for £37bn in local government service expenditure.

CCN and its members believe that the Prime Minister’s commitment to ‘growth in every postcode’ will only become a reality if there is sufficient investment in county and rural areas. Such areas have an economic footprint comparable to the largest city-regions – yet are repeatedly under-recognised by national policy makers and the government’s investment decisions.

The report we are set to publish - “Growth in every postcode - maximising the opportunity in county areas” - highlights how county areas are home to 47% of England's population, generate 39% of its economic output, and deliver over half of new housing, yet remain under-recognised in national growth policy, which prioritises big cities as the engines of growth.  It makes a compelling case for a more place-differentiated approach to growth, devolution and investment.

During the webinar, which will be between 11:00 and 12:30 on Wednesday 21 October, representatives from CCN and Grant Thornton will present the report's key findings and recommendations, exploring how government can deliver on its ambition of "growth in every postcode" by better supporting county economies. We envisage that this event will provide valuable insights into the opportunities and challenges facing county and rural areas and the contribution they can make to UK PLC. We hope to confirm additional speakers shortly.

We do hope that you can join and please feel free to pass details to colleagues.

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We look forward to having you attend the event!

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