From Idea to Delivery: A Strategic Guide for Place-Shaping in Single-Tier Local Government
- truthaboutlocalgov
- May 27
- 5 min read
Updated: May 28
We were thrilled to have the opportunity to sit down with James Crawley, one of the most experienced regeneration and development consultants in the UK, who supports local authorities to achieve their place shaping aspirations. The following is a guide that James has helped us to create to share with you. We have incorporated the opinions of other sector leaders to create an informed advisory blog, to help you deliver for your communities.
In the complex and politically nuanced environment of single-tier local government, moving from an initial idea to tangible delivery is both an art and a science. Whether the ambition is to regenerate a town centre, revitalise a coastal economy, or transform a post-industrial landscape, the journey requires vision, evidence, collaboration, and above all, strategic discipline.
This article outlines a structured approach to place-shaping, offering senior officers and elected members a roadmap for turning bold ideas into impactful, investable, and community-backed outcomes.
1. Start with Evidence, Not Assumptions
Every successful place-shaping initiative begins with a robust evidence base. While political vision and local insight are essential, they must be grounded in data and analysis.
“You can have ideas, but you can’t jump straight to a solution,” as one senior regeneration officer put it.
“If you’re looking to transform a place, it’s a long-term plan. It has to be at scale to be transformational and shift the dial on where you are at the moment.”
This means understanding the current socio-economic landscape: What are the prevailing challenges and needs of the communities? Which industries are in decline? Where are the opportunities—be it in renewables, digital infrastructure, or cultural assets?
A compelling place-shaping story must emerge from this evidence. It should articulate not just what needs to change, but why it matters to the people who live, work, and visit the area.
2. Build a Strategic Case for Change
Once the evidence is in place, the next step is to develop a strategic case for change. This is where local authorities must articulate their theory of change—a clear narrative that links interventions to desired outcomes.
This includes:
Economic opportunities: What sectors can drive future growth, what opportunities exist for investment, what is the place's role for growth within the region and beyond?
Social transformation: How will communities benefit?
Environmental sustainability: How will the plan support net zero goals?
This is the foundation of your place strategy. It should be co-created with stakeholders and underpinned by rigorous analysis. Bringing in a team of place economists or urban planners can help ensure the strategy is credible and investment-ready.
“You’re going to have to make a case to regional combined authorities,” one chief executive noted. “It can’t be on a whim. It has to be compelling.”
3. Define the Projects That Will Deliver the Strategy
With a clear strategy in place, the next step is to identify the projects that will bring it to life.
These might include:
Residential developments
Commercial hubs
Public realm improvements
Education and skills programmes
Transport and digital infrastructure
Each project should be assessed against the overarching place strategy. Ask: Does this project shift the dial? Does it address the core challenges identified in the evidence base?
This is also the stage to consider:
Site visibility and land assembly
Planning and regulatory constraints
Key delivery partners
Key risks, issues and dependencies
Community and political alignment
The clear benefits and business case for investment in those projects
Strategic alignment is critical. Projects must not be standalone; they should form part of a coherent programme that delivers cumulative impact.
4. Assess Organisational Readiness
Even the best strategies can falter without the right internal capacity and capability. Local authorities must take a hard look at their organisational programmatic maturity.
Do we have the skills and experience to deliver this?
What level of programme maturity is required to pull together deliver these projects?
What delivery models are appropriate—direct delivery, joint ventures, or development corporations?
How do we scale our capacity as the programme matures?
This is where the principle of form follows function becomes vital. The governance and delivery structures must be designed around the outcomes you want to achieve—not the other way around.
Strategic place-shaping often requires new ways of working, including cross-departmental collaboration, agile project management, and commercial acumen. Consideration should be given not just to the technical project and programme skills and personnel required, but the required levels of capacity and capability needed for key corporate enabling functions such as procurement, legal, planning and governance.
5. Secure Political, Community, and Employer Buy-In
No place-shaping initiative can succeed without broad-based support. Political leadership is essential, but so too is community engagement and employer involvement.
This means:
Running meaningful consultations—not just tick-box exercises
Engaging anchor institutions such as universities, hospitals, and major employers
Building coalitions of support and willing across political divides - the Place Strategy will span political cycles
“Customer engagement is not just about residents,” one Director of Place observed. “It’s about employers, investors, and institutions. Everyone who has a stake in the future of the place.”
Done well, this builds legitimacy and momentum. It also helps de-risk delivery by anticipating and addressing concerns early.
6. Develop a Strategic Economic and Investment Plan
With projects defined, programme resources requirements scoped, and support secured, the next step is to pull this together into develop a strategic economic plan and a long-term investment plan strategy.
This should include:
Clear prioritisation and time horizons for projects within a coherent programme
Roles and responsibilities of partners - playing to relative strengths
Cost estimates and phasing
Funding sources (public and private)
Financial modelling and value capture mechanisms - options to commit to the early phases and then recover the uplift in value over time.
Early enabling infrastructure
Consideration of delivery structures, governance, programme controls and resourcing
Some of the most critical investments may not be glamorous—they might be about utilities, flood defences, or digital connectivity. But they are essential to unlocking wider regeneration.“Some partners could directly deliver specific projects within a programme- Homes England, for example” one regeneration lead noted.
Mechanisms such as Tax Increment Financing (TIF) or land value capture can help fund upfront costs. But they require a clear, investable proposition.
7. Tell a Clear and Consistent Story
Throughout the process, clarity of narrative is key. Investors, partners, and communities need to understand:
What you are trying to achieve
Why it matters
How it will be delivered
What success looks like
That there is a long-term commitment to the journey
This is not just about glossy brochures. It’s about consistency across business cases, funding bids, public communications, and political messaging.
“Fundamentally, you have to have a clear story to tell,” said one senior officer. “Have clear priorities. Be honest about trade-offs. And keep coming back to the evidence.”
Conclusion: A Disciplined, Strategic Approach
Place-shaping in a single-tier local government context is not easy. It requires long-term thinking and commitments by partners to a direction of travel beyond current funding rounds - this takes cross-sector collaboration, and political courage. But with a disciplined approach—from evidence to strategy, from projects and programmes to delivery—it is possible to create lasting, positive change.
To summarise, the journey from idea to delivery involves:
Starting with evidence: Understand the place, its challenges, and its potential.
Building a strategic case: Develop a theory of change, and align stakeholders.
Defining the right projects: Ensure they are impactful, feasible, and aligned.
Assessing organisational readiness: Assess, plan and build the capacity and capability to deliver.
Securing buy-in: Engage communities, politicians, and employers.
Developing an investment plan: Align funding with long-term goals, identify priorities, roles and time horizons
Telling a compelling story: Communicate clearly and consistently.
Every place is unique and has its own challenges and opportunities but by using this approach to guide, local authorities can move beyond reactive planning and towards proactive, strategic place leadership—creating places that are not only economically vibrant but socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable.
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