In the first guest episode of 2025, David and Mike chat with Kersten England, whose eclectic career includes CEO roles in two major and very different Yorkshire cities – York and Bradford, and an enduring passion for community engagement and influence on the economic policies that affect them. If ‘inclusive growth’ is going to pay more than lip-service to the ‘inclusion’-side of the equation, here are five big ticket issues surfaced by Kersten that merit further thinking and development in all our work.
LEDC's top takeaways on empowering local communities through inclusive innovation and particpatory democracy
Building consensus for mainstreaming equity and opportunity for disadvantaged communities into economic growth strategies: Kersten references the York Fairness Commission established in the early 2010s. The process included high profile independent commissioners, a participative process of inquiry and deliberation, assimilation and analysis of the evidence, headline recommendations and accompanying ideas for action. York’s report still provides a template and menu with read across for many places formulating inclusive growth policies and practice. There have probably been over twenty similar types of exercise in recent years across a variety of places, and guidance available to those wanting to make a success of one for their area. Opportunities to apply this approach include Local Growth Plans (LGPs), which (as of early 2025) are being prepared by Combined Authorities in England.
The importance of community-based research: research and development is not exclusively the domain of academic professors, consultancies and policy units. Kersten mentions her recent work with the Yorkshire and Humber Policy Innovation Partnership (YPIP), one of four UKRI-funded Local Policy Innovation Partnerships (LPIPs), and the Young Foundation’s own peer research network. YPIP is seeking to build structures and processes with an overarching focus of empowering low-income, marginalised and spatially isolated communities in their places. Local involvement in determining R&D priorities, in delivery of and learning from those programmes of work, will be increasingly important in LGPs and local economic development more broadly.
Consider the roles of social and inclusive innovation alongside traditional knowledge-based Science, Technology, Research and Innovation (STRI) models: too many innovation strategies and investments prioritise science and technology-led models of change which can marginalise disadvantaged communities and even increase inequalities. Social innovation models which address local societal challenges, take a co-creation approach, and can unlock community talents unrealised in orthodox STRI development pathways. Applying these principles in STRI-led investments has been a major focus of a number of recent LEDC episodes, including our 2025 look forward.
Democratic renewal must be a key accompanying goal of local economic development and placemaking: we recorded this episode in the month of Trump’s inauguration in the US and the start of a new phase of local government reorganisation in England. Kersten was clear that strengthening representative and participative democracy has to be at the forefront of local economic development and placemaking if we are to avoid the rise of divisive populism, political cynicism and rebuild local trust and confidence. Neighbourhood forums, citizen juries and other direct participation, planning gain and investment conditionality need to be integral to the local economic development toolbox as we formulate and deliver new plans and programmes.
Engage with community research organisations: Kersten name-checks a number of community research organisations with extensive experience, knowledge and track records of working with local governance and communities in co-creation and co-production of social and economic change. Other similar bodies are available! Collaborating with, learning from, and participating in these networks and communities of practice can add real value to inclusive growth policy and practice.
Concluding remarks
We consider this a signature episode and a great start to LEDC’s 2025 guest episode series – many thanks to Kersten for her participation. If we are going to deliver authentic inclusive growth alongside the UK Government’s sometimes more single-minded growth mission, we believe these takeaways are important. But what do you think? How are you finding the win-wins and mitigating any trade offs of economic growth with social goals and priorities? Let us know, and please share your experience and any ideas for future guests and episodes.
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