Michael Gove has unveiled the Levelling Up White Paper, which sets out twelve ‘levelling up missions’ to focus resources on Britain’s forgotten and deprived communities
The levelling up plan aims to produce a complete ‘system change’ of the government works to implement levelling up across the UK.
At the heart of this new way of implementing policy will be 12 national missions which are to be achieved by 2030. These missions are the policy objectives for levelling up and forming the government’s agenda for the 2020s.
The twelve ‘missions’ span across different focus areas, including:
- Living standards
- Research and development
- Transport infrastructure
- Digital connectivity
- Education
- Skills
- Health
- Well-being
- Pride in place
- Housing
- Crime
- Local leadership
Transport
The White Paper sets out a mission to transform local transport across the country so that public transport across the UK matches London’s standards by 2030 – this includes improved services, simpler fares and integrated ticketing.
The transport mission includes implementing the £96bn Integrated Rail Plan, which aims to improve rail networks across the North and Midlands, alongside an investment of £24bn in roads and motorways, £5bn in City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements, and an additional £5bn for buses, cycling and walking networks.
Housing
The government’s housing mission aims to improve the quality of rented homes. By 2030, renters will have a secure path to ownership, and the number of first time buyers will increase in all areas. The government also aims to improve the quality of poor-quality rented homes by 50% and to see this quality increase in the lowest performing areas.
Alongside this, the mission for housing aims to build more affordable social housing in England. This aims to decrease the reliance on temporary accommodation for vulnerable families, and in turn, increase the overall quality of life for many across the UK.
A new Social Housing Regulation Bill will also deliver upon the commitments the government made following the Grenfell tragedy in 2017.
The White Paper also addresses the levels of disparity in the most deprived town centres and communities across the country, by ‘rejuvenating’ these areas significantly. This includes the regeneration of 20 town and city centres, spearheaded by Homes England, starting off with Wolverhampton and Sheffield, in undertaking ‘Kings-Cross-Style’ regeneration projects.
Closing the gap between the North and South
The White Paper also proposes a new ‘80/20 rule’, which leads to 80% of government funding for housing supply to be directed at maximum affordability areas. This means that £1.8m of Brownfield funding will be diverted to the North and Midlands, instead of London and the Southeast.
Additionally, all homes in the private rented sector will have to meet a minimum standard – the Decent Homes Standard.
Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions will be abolished, ending the unfair situation where renters can be kicked out of their homes for no reason. There have also been discussions on introducing a landlords register to set out plans for a crackdown on rogue landlords – making sure fines and bans stop repeat offenders leaving renters in terrible conditions.
Homeownership will also be boosted due to a new £1.5bn Levelling Up Home Building Fund being launched, which will provide loans to SMEs and support the UK government’s wider regeneration agenda in areas that are a priority for levelling up.
‘Ending this historic injustice and calling time on the postcode lottery’
Levelling Up secretary, Michael Gove said: “The United Kingdom is an unparalleled success story. We have one of the world’s biggest and most dynamic economies. Ours is the world’s most spoken language. We have produced more Nobel Prize winners than any country other than America.
“But not everyone shares equally in the UK’s success. For decades, too many communities have been overlooked and undervalued. As some areas have flourished, others have been left in a cycle of decline. The UK has been like a jet firing on only one engine.
“Levelling Up and this White Paper is about ending this historic injustice and calling time on the postcode lottery.
“This will not be an easy task, and it won’t happen overnight, but our 12 new national levelling up missions will drive real change in towns and cities across the UK, so that where you live will no longer determine how far you can go.”
Industry comment
Stephen Beechey, group public sector director, Wates Group commented: “The Levelling Up White Paper provides a welcome vision for addressing regional inequalities in our society and it is clear the construction industry has a critical role to play in delivering this.
“We are encouraged by the measures in this paper to redirect funding towards homebuilding in the Midlands and the North, as well as the commitment to regenerate 20 cities across the UK – creating the communities where people want to live and work.
“The government should also take this opportunity to align their commitment to Levelling Up with the drive to reach net zero. By prioritising net zero as a focal point of the Levelling Up agenda, the government can help create new jobs, skills and industries throughout the whole of the country – particularly in the areas the Government has set out to support today.”
Missions are nothing without ‘long-term financing’
Guto Davies, head of policy at ACE stated: “While the ‘12 national missions’ are welcome to drive activity and ensure spending remains both targeted and on track, they are nothing without properly structured long-term financing for local government to realise these political ambitions. Our concern is that the current approach remains too compartmentalised to be truly effective.
“We do, however, welcome the longer-term view on levelling up. The truth is there is no panacea and only sustained investment over the longer-term will address systemic and chronic issues.”
“ACE is looking forward to continuing its role as a practical partner on levelling up, and will engage with the Government on the forthcoming Levelling up and regeneration bill which was previewed in the White Paper.”
‘Levelling-up white paper lacks serious ambition’
Mary-Anne Bowring, group managing director at Ringley, comments: “The government’s levelling-up white paper lacks serious ambition with little to no new money introduced to create a level playing field across the UK.
“Many people in the UK are struggling with a rise in the cost of living as energy prices, amongst others, continue to soar.
“The abolishment of Section 21, which ends the unfair situation where renters can be kicked out of their homes for no reason, is certainly positive, however, the government needs to do more to protect those most vulnerable in a time of economic change.”
