Policy News – March 2026

This blog summarises the latest policy news that is important to place, including reports, inquiries, consultations, government research and events. It is updated every week. View previous editions.

If you have a piece of research you would like to feature in Policy News, please get in touch.

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Reports and publications – Parliament

Title	Details	Published
Flying blind: innovation, growth and the regions – third report of session 2024-26 (HC 538)	House of Commons	March 2026
Inquiry into Culture, Place and Liveability	West Midlands APPG	March 2026

Reports and publications

Title	Details	Published
Local approaches to public procurement: evidence from local procurement practices	Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre, Connected Places Catapult	March 2026
TPI Local Authority Capitals Dashboard	Data dashboard from The Productivity Institute that profiles all 361 UK local authorities by their economic “capital” endowments— physical, human, financial, social, natural and intangible — within their regional context.	March 2026
Framing a place-based investment strategy for the Upper Lee Valley	Insight paper from The Productivity Institute.	March 2026
Building community power: how the public sector can collaborate with community energy to achieve scale in Greater Manchester	Report by Carbon Co-op and Regen from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority	March 2026
Understanding place-based retrofit: key definitions, principles and approaches for place-based retrofit strategies	Report from the National Retrofit Hub	March 2026
Places on a mission: pioneering local statecraft in an era of uncertainty	Report from New Local	March 2026
2026 State of Local Government Finance in England	Report from LGiU	March 2026
Community hubs: making wellbeing accessible and local	Report for the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s (NIHR)	March 2026
Pride in Parades II: Strategies for Renewing Neighbourhood Social Infrastructure	Report from the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods	February 2026
Pride in Parades I: The State of Neighbourhood Social Infrastructure	Report from the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods	February 2026
Investing in Places: Learnings from the Net Zero Living Programme	Report from Regen	February 2026
Framing a place-based investment strategy for South Tyneside	New paper from The Productivity Institute.	February 2026
A Modest Proposal for the Restoration of Neighbourhoods	Report from ResPublica	February 2026
Devolution and economic growth in England’s City Regions	Paper in Urban Studies by Nicholas Patrick Sweeney.	February 2026
Building blocks: developing community capacity for a just transition	Report from Regen	February 2026
Transport and growth: Reforming transport investment for place-based growth	Report from the IPPR	February 2026
Community buildings: strong foundations for renewal	Report from New Local and Local Trust	February 2026
Making the most of it: Unitarisation, hyperlocal democratic renewal and community empowerment	Report from the IPPR	February 2026
Learning from the DevoLab #2: How mayors can secure investment into regional economies	Report from the Institute for Government	February 2026
All aboard for growth: Why rail reform is incomplete without rail devolution for England’s big cities	Report from Centres for Cities	February 2026
A critical review of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy: lessons for ‘place-based’ policy	Paper in regional studies	January 2026

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Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this analysis post are those of the authors and not necessarily those of City-REDI or the University of Birmingham.

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