Y-PERN hosts meeting of the Yorkshire and Humber Councils Policy Officer Network

Y-PERN hosted a meeting of the newly reconvened Yorkshire and Humber Councils Policy Officer Network (YHCPON) at the Cloth Hall Court in Leeds in January 2025. The meeting brought together local and combined authority policy and strategy officers from across the Yorkshire and Humber Councils network to discuss a range of issues.

The meeting was led by Professor Kersten England, the Y-PERN Director of Engagement, and Paul Hayes, Senior Policy Fellow based at the Leeds University Business School, who both have considerable experience of working across local government in the region. Topics discussed include how the group should work, what the most useful issues are to focus on, and how universities can support them.

Participants agreed on the value and appetite to develop the work of the Policy Officer Network to build relationships, collaborations, and shared understanding across the local and combined authority policy officer community of the Yorkshire and Humber region.

There was agreement that the network should focus on the more significant policy issues and broader trends at a local, regional, and national level, providing ‘headspace’ to explore opportunities to identify and implement systematic transformational change.

A key aim was to facilitate smarter working through sharing and agreeing priorities and explore how local and combined authorities might better engage with academics and access research. The challenge of navigating diverse local and combined government was signposted as important, as was engaging early career policy officers with academic researchers.

Key Outcomes:

  • Discussions about the importance of place as a key lens to focus activities for the network were had, particularly as a Yorkshire and Humber regional or mayoral combined authority scale is not always the most appropriate to consider policy issues. Merging research with context and circumstances of place is thus important, as is consideration for research and policy transfer and scaling.
  • Place was also seen as important to understand better the local and regional intelligence and data landscape.
  • The network also stressed a keenness to better connect local and combined authorities with bodies such as the National Institute for Health Research ‘Health Determinants Research Collaborations’ with those without to develop shared understanding of their place-based working approaches.

  • A presentation on the English Devolution White Paper, published in December 2024, was also provided by Y-PERN Policy Fellow, Neil Barnett (Leeds Beckett University), who outlined some of its challenges and opportunities. Subsequent discussions about devolution indicated that plans for local government reorganisation (outlined in the White Paper) would not impact on the region as there were now four combined authorities already in existence – which will now be called strategic authorities. Some concerns were expressed, however, about a potential ‘power drain’ if local government is increasingly seen by central government as a ‘delivery agent’ of combined authorities with little agency for local policy initiatives.
  • There was a shared desire to develop shared oversight and understanding of regional and sub-regional interactions with the UK government to build a collective Yorkshire Humber voice with the government and relevant departments and agencies. It was noted that the White Paper opens space for the regional policy communities to enhance joined-up and wider determinants policy work and collectively determine (and innovate) in shaping local and regional evaluation and outcomes frameworks, measuring and valuing things in ways which are reflective and sensitive local, place-based contexts and needs. Participants noted that better connect emergent Local Growth Plans across the region could be a valuable tool in this facilitating this work.

Policy Officers noted that the region’s universities were seen as key to facilitating collaboration through Y-PERN, YPIP, the Yorkshire and Humber National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Consortium (particularly the region’s four Health Determinants’ Research Collaborations) and the wider Yorkshire Universities in supporting place-based engagement and policymaking.

Ongoing work on local and combined authority Areas of Research Interest was identified as potentially significant in establishing policy-themed ‘communities of practice’ across the region to support collaboration, policy transfer and scaling.

Several participants noted however, that it was also important to open up spaces to consider how to strengthen community engagement, voice and agency in both widening and deepening devolution, and shaping evaluation and outcomes criteria. The potential role of YPIP in this work was identified as significant.

The meeting concluded with agreement that YHCPON should meet regularly, with future meetings focusing on issues such how to build ‘communities of practice’ linked to identified policy areas, the better circulation of information about research and policy, how can universities enhance engagement with non-university local authorities, and how can ‘best practice’ be transferred between local authorities and combined authorities.

Y-PERN presents a Research Note to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire

Y-PERN recently presented a brief research note to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire on the challenges and opportunities presented for the region by the recently published UK Government English Devolution White Paper. The APPG brings MPs and Peers of all parties together with key leaders – those in local and combined authority government, public and private sectors and social enterprises – to help maximise future investment in the region for the benefit of all local communities and economies. Secretariat support for the APPG is provided The Public Affairs Company and North Star Public Affairs.

Y-PERN Policy Fellows, Dr Neil Barnett (Leeds Beckett University) and Dr Andy Mycock (University of Leeds) drew on recent research evidence from an ongoing devolution project which is being co-delivered with Yorkshire Universities and Yorkshire and Humber Councils.

The Research Note highlighted that the English Devolution White Paper draws attention to the challenge of aligning formal and informal levels of government and policymaking. There is a need to align existing strategies from local authorities alongside those outlined by the region’s combined authority local growth plans. There also needs to be wider strategy across the region. The White Paper also raised questions as to where local authorities fit amongst increased powers for combined authorities. The lack of funding for local authorities may increase tensions between these two levels of government.

Combined authorities also need to have the resources in order to carry out these new powers as well as implement plans from local authorities. It was noted that some government departments have not been involved as much as they should in the development of the Devolution White Paper, in particular DEFRA and DWP. Some policies from the previous Levelling Up agenda have also been moved to the peripheries. The Research Note also drew attention to the shift towards combined authorities on local democracy, particularly local councillors who may experience a power drain as local authorities become primarily delivery agents.

During his presentation of the Research Note to the APPG, Dr Andy Mycock stressed that there is a considerable role that the APPG can play in utilising their connections with government ministers and civil servants as well as connecting the Yorkshire and Humber voice and projecting it onto various levels of local and national government. He went on to argue there is a need to consider the opportunities presented in the White Paper, making sure that the success of devolution is set by local MPs, not the Government. He also noted that devolution will play a pivotal role in setting future policy agendas, and that the APPG has a role in both its deepening and widening as outlined in the White Paper.

Y-PERN and its partners will continue to support and collaborate the APPG in the new parliament, exploring opportunities to provide a strong, unified voice to drive economic growth across the region and are looking to work alongside our external members and to develop policy proposals that can be put to the Government that would support economic growth.

You can read the Research Note here >

The Water Cultures Network Meeting

The Water Cultures Network was set up in 2023 As a joint initiative between Risky Cities, Living with Water (LWW) and the Yorkshire & Humber Policy Engagement and Research Network (Y-PERN).

The aim of the Network is to build relationships to enable partnerships to work together and to be in place – in readiness to co-create bid applications, co-develop new ideas for projects, and engage in established projects using participatory, responsive, proactive, and needs-led approaches.

17th February’s event was the fourth Water Cultures network meeting, designed to involve the different projects working with communities related to living well with water in Hull and East Riding. Over forty people met (from policymakers, researchers, artists, and community organisations) at Oasis Hub in Hull to build connections, collaborate and learn.

During the meeting University of Hull academics and Living With Water – a partnership between Yorkshire Water, Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, the Environment Agency and the University of Hull – led a presentation about the Flood Risk Awareness Centre, an exhibition in Hull’s city centre focussed on raising awareness about flooding to the community. Living With Water also led an interactive discussion and practical exercise about SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems) using yoghurt pots.

“It has been great to experience how working together has helped to strengthen existing initiatives and create new opportunities that are needs-led, place-based and built over time and trust”.

-Juan Pablo Winter, Y-PERN Policy Fellow for Hull, East Yorkshire & the Humber

Other highlights from the event include a discussion led by representatives from Hull City Council on the Hull Green Space Strategy and presentations from community-based organisations Hull Food Partnership and Hull 4 Heroes.

The objective of the networks meetings are to showcase ongoing projects, then build connections and collaborations, maximise resources, add value and offer a connected approach to working with communities on living well with water.
If you are interested in signing up for the mailing list or attending the next event (TBC) in Spring 2025, please contact J.Winter@hull.ac.uk