Solace blog

“Economic development will take centre stage when the UK’s biggest real estate, investment and infrastructure forum gets underway in Leeds tomorrow. UKREiiF aims to unlock investment and drive economic growth by connecting people, places and businesses – something we’re all prioritising.

“A growing economy is what we need to fulfil our very reason for being in local government – to make life better for people. So, with the national economy seeing over a decade of stagnation, is our ability to sustain our fundamental purpose in our places at risk? Solace has recently sought to understand the destructive real-world impact of this locally, right across the country, through a Your Voice survey with our members on local economies.

“The results are loud and clear. Half (50%) of the chief executives and managers that responded said every aspect of their local economy had become worse since before 2020, with the worst aspects being the economic health of the high street (82%), public transport performance (66%) and the state of the public realm (59%)…”

Click here to read the full article by Robin Tuddenham, Solace spokesperson for economic prosperity, on the LGC.