It’s the little things: What does the 2011 Budget mean for cities?

Three areas where the Budget will most impact cities: Enterprise Zones, planning and housing, and skills.

Briefing published on 25 March 2011 by Kieran Larkin

In his March Budget, George Osborne set out the Government’s plan for stimulating growth in the economy. There are a number of positive measures that should support private sector growth, although with no money to spend the majority of these interventions are more micro than macro. The Chancellor will be hoping that, in time, his Budget, and the Growth Review published on the same day, will be viewed as amounting to a package that is greater than the sum of its parts rather than tinkering around the edges.

But what did the Budget for Growth have to say about cities, the drivers of the UK economy? Many of the national measures will have an impact on city economies and we consider these below. We have then identified three policy areas where announcements were made that have particular relevance to city economies – Enterprise Zones, planning and housing, and skills.

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