Ruth Eastwood, Author at Southern Policy Centre

Business rate changes across the central South - essential background to the Budget

March 3, 2017

A new, interactive, map for the Southern Policy Centre provides crucial background to next week’s Budget when Chancellor Philip Hammond is under pressure to moderate big increases. The map, showing average increases and decreases by authority and by sector, highlights the places where rates will go up most. But it also shows that, even in this region, there are areas and businesses that are set to gain from falling rates. How the picture looks after Wednesday will have an impact…

What do Hampshire businesses want from local government?

October 27, 2016

Ruth Eastwood

Devolution, Local Government, Publications

Hampshire businesses have had their say in what they want to see from local government and from any devolution deal done with central government: Hampshire businesses want to see a single, simple to engage with local authority, with a more ‘can-do’ approach to business. There is overwhelming support for the devolution of more powers and resources from central government and for a more strategic and integrated approach to economic development, infrastructure, housing, transport and planning. These are two of the…

Widening participation in Higher Education

October 27, 2016

Ruth Eastwood

Higher Education, Publications

New study sheds light on why Southern students miss out on university Over 50 young people every year are missing out on university from just five local government wards in Poole, Hampshire, Southampton, Isle of Wight and Portsmouth. And over 100 more should be going to university, according to Government targets. These stark figures were at the centre of a ground-breaking conference being held at Southampton Solent University on Friday 28th October. The conference heard the results of a year-long study…

Assembly South report

January 29, 2016

Ruth Eastwood

Devolution, Publications

Assembly South report 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 aim was to select the citizens randomly to be broadly representative of the local adult population. During the two weekends, they learned…

Using data as a policy maker: resource pack

December 14, 2015

Ruth Eastwood

Events, News

A resource pack for open data/policy, following on from the using data as a policy maker event we recently ran. Agenda The Bendigo Story - links to web sites Mark Braggins - Open Data Aha! Chris Cooper - Flood Event Model Tom Smith - Stories from building and using the Index of Multiple Deprivation Nquiringminds Southern Policy Centre Hampshire Hub Update