Introduction Assembly South was part of an important new experiment in how to organise democracy effectively. It consisted of a group of 23 citizens and 6 councillors from the Solent and Isle of Wight area who met in Southampton over two weekends in October and November 2015 to discuss the future of local governance. The … Continue reading
1. The bids so far and mapping out our challenges Our most recent research report for Business South looked at the challenges and opportunities in central southern England – incorporating some great maps from OS – and analysed the bids so far as well as the government’s own proposals. This assessment was compared to the views … Continue reading
What are the challenges facing southern England, how can devolution empower local leadership to tackle them, and what do business leaders make of the opportunities offered by the government’s decentralisation agenda? Download the full report here BUSINESS is backing the idea of devolution in the South and wants to have a say in what it … Continue reading
Southampton City Council has established a People’s Panel, made up of residents who are interested in taking part in consultations and other opportunities to express their views on council services, health services and living in the city. On Saturday 4th July 2015 the Southern Policy Centre ran a deliberative polling session with some members of … Continue reading
We’ve all heard about plans to give new powers to local authorities in Greater Manchester and other major metropolitan areas in northern England. George Osborne has set out his vision of a ‘northern powerhouse’ but there is real potential for this region too. On the 3rd July John Denham, Chair of the SPC Advisory Board, laid … Continue reading
Using data reported nationally, and drawn from council and administrative systems, the briefing identifies a major drop in the number of adults being cared for by local authorities suggesting that those who are old or face disabilities will encounter increasing challenges in the coming 5 years. Notably SPC observes that where you live really matters: … Continue reading
Immigration is one of the most topical issues in Southampton. On Saturday 13th December 2014, local citizens attended the Southampton Conversation to discuss immigration policy with fellow citizens and experts. After all, everyone has a view on immigration. What we found was that people’s views changed after becoming better informed and more engaged with the … Continue reading
