Delivering Together: How Local Authorities and Strategic Authorities Are Jointly Driving Place-Based Transformational Growth

As the UK Government continues to strengthen devolution, Local Authorities (LAs) and Strategic Authorities (SAs) are being entrusted with greater powers and funding to drive regional growth. This breakout session, hosted by Arup, will convene senior decision-makers from Local and Strategic Authorities to explore how to build collaborative delivery-driven organisations and co-governance arrangements, capable of translating strategic ambitions into tangible outcomes.

What we will cover

Through a dynamic panel discussion and active audience engagement, participants will examine the practical steps needed to scale up delivery capabilities, foster collaborative partnerships, and align investment strategies with local priorities. Drawing on insights from the recent roundtables with the HM Government Darlington Economic Campus and Arup’s extensive work with local governments, the session will highlight the importance of evidence-led decision-making, strategic clarity, and organisational transformation in achieving successful outcomes from devolution.

The conversation will be framed around the challenges and opportunities identified in the English Devolution White Paper, including the need to avoid devolution becoming mere delegation, empowering LAs and SAs to lead with purpose, build robust delivery cultures, and demonstrate real-world impact for communities - especially those that feel left behind.

Participants will be encouraged to share their experiences, pose questions to the panel, and contribute to shaping a shared vision for successful collaboration pathways for LAs and SAs on their transformation journey to delivery-driven organisations.

Takeaways

• Strategic Alignment for Impact
  Understand how LAs and SAs can define and communicate strategic priorities that resonate with local needs and national ambitions, ensuring investment decisions are outcome-focused and community-driven.

• Building Organisational Delivery Capability
  Explore approaches to scaling up delivery capability, including workforce development, cross-sector collaboration, and intentionally pursuing opportunities to align strategic infrastructure investments with efforts to drive place-based change.

• Collaborative Governance and Evidence-Led Planning
  Learn how to foster effective partnerships across government tiers and leverage data and evidence to inform investment planning, galvanise support, and demonstrate the tangible benefits of devolution.