Core Cities Summit 2009 - Setting a new agenda
Core Cities Summit Liverpool 3rd and 4th November 2009
Summary briefing note
The 2009 Core Cities Summit was a resounding success. Three days of high profile speakers, stimulating debate and networking opportunities attracted around 300 delegates to the BT convention centre in Liverpool, the host city for this event.
As in previous years, this Core Cities Summit did not just reflect and comment on urban policy, but was an agenda setting event that set out new propositions and thinking to make cities more successful, create jobs, economic recovery and growth, attracting responses from all three main national parties prior to the general election.
The event kicked off on the 2nd November with a Chatham House style session for VIP stakeholders drawn from across the country. The VIPs were some of the ‘top 100’ most influential thinkers and practitioners in urban issues, and their insightful thoughts helped set the tone for the following two days of the Summit proper.
The conference brought together a collection of exceptional high profile and influential speakers and panellists on the themes relevant to our cities and city regions. These included:
Warren Bradley, Leader of Liverpool City Council
Core Cities youth delegates
Jon Sopel (conference chair)
Nick Clegg, Leader of the Liberal Democrats
Sadiq Khan MP, Minister of State for Transport
Lord Michael Bates of Langbaurgh, Conservative Deputy Chairman and Shadow Minister
Chris Murray, Director of Core Cities
Dermot Finch, Chief Executive of Centre for Cities
Hugh Morgan Williams, Chair, Northern Way
Lee Shostak, MD, Shared Intelligence
Sir Richard Leese, Leader Manchester City Council
Sir Howard Newby, Vice Chancellor, Liverpool University
Neil Scales, CEO, Merseytravel
Margaret Jacques, MD, John Lewis Liverpool
James Beresford, CEO, Visit Britain
Cllr John Shipley OBE, Leader of Newcastle City Council
Will Hutton
Professor Michael Parkinson
Kjell Nordstrum
Colin Hilton CBE, CEO Liverpool City Council
Opening with a warm welcome from the Leader of Liverpool City Council Warren Bradley, the Summit revolved around three main themes, included a number of panel discussions and saw the launch of two new reports. The three main themes were:
Looking beyond recession. Will Hutton launched an interim version of a report that the Core Cities Group has commissioned from the Work Foundation and Oxford Economics. Using economic forecasting models for all 8 Core Cities, the report considers what the economic landscape will look like after recession, what sectors are likely to grow, which to decline, what their skills needs will be and what other infrastructure and assets will be required for a successful economic future for our cities. The report makes a strong case for further devolution to avoid any return to urban decline, something that would be catastrophic for our cities.
Skills and employment. Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, launched a joint report on behalf of all the Core Cities showcasing examples of best practice in their own employment and skills initiatives. The report, which was commissioned jointly by Core Cities Group and IDeA, also set out the challenges faced in this important area and what needs to change not just in local authority practice, but across government and its agencies to improve employment and skills. Discussion centred on improving prospects within the Core Cities and their city regions, particularly for those furthest away from the labour market.
Increasing investment. Cllr John Shipley OBE opened this session, exploring how we might generate additional investment into Core Cities – particularly for infrastructure – to make them and their economies more sustainable. Cllr Shipley also announced the signing of a joint Memorandum of Understanding between all the Core Cities and the Clinton Climate Initiative, to undertake zero-cost energy retrofitting of public buildings. Discussion explored how, during a moment of reducing public finance, cities could be provided with greater freedom and flexibility over how existing finance is used, potentially generating additional investment as a result. The example of Accelerated Development Zones, a form of tax increment financing originally developed as a Core Cities proposal with PricewaterhouseCoopers, was used.
The Summit ended with a presentation from Kjell Nordstrum, futurologist and thinker on urban policy, ending the event on a high note, but challenging everyone to work together on resolving the key issues raised during the Summit in order to maintain a successful trajectory for all the Core Cities, their economies and communities.
Overall the Summit was a great success, with 75.8% of delegates rating the conference as ‘Excellent to Very Good’, and individual feedback and media coverage reinforcing this view.