This week the man of the moment and the hot favourite to lead the Conservative Party in to the 2020 election, George Osborne, spoke at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester. In what was a less showy speech, Osborne instead of pulling a rabbit out the hat he decided to deliver a speech that was rather more technical than usual.

“The Conservative Party wants nothing less than radical decentralisation, to reach every corner of the country” Rt Hon David Cameron MP, 2009

In 2009, the Conservative Party published their Green Paper, Control Shift, which set the scene for what a decentralised government would look like under the Conservatives. The proposals included the abolition of Regional Spatial Strategies and the Infrastructure Planning Commission, increased power and competence to local authorities, and local government finance reform.

The subsequent 2010 manifestos from all three main parties outlined a clear mandate for a more locally-led way of generating economic prosperity, delivering services and reviving democracy. The plans varied: for the Conservatives localism meant a Council Tax freeze and the reallocation of business rates. For Labour a continuation of total place schemes and for the Liberal Democrats an overhaul of the council tax system.

The passing of the Localism Act in 2011 suggested that the localist intentions of the Coalition were firmly on track. Other initiatives such as City Deals have also reinforced a more localist approach to doing business. However, is it fair to say that we have seen the ‘radial decentralisation’ that we were promised?

If you ask this question to a local authority leader then the answer would almost certainly be no and they’d undoubtedly say that there is a lot more to be done.

So how can the three parties move localism forward in 2015?

And to what extent does Whitehall actually believe and trust in local government to do the right thing?

In answer to the second question a glance back to the 2011 Budget should tell you all you need to know in relation to the role of local government in planning.

  “We are going to tackle what every government has identified as a chronic obstacle to economic growth in Britain, and no government has done anything about: the planning system.” Rt Hon George Osborne, 2011

George Osborne is right. Britain's planning laws have been holding back growth and job creation for a long time. A report by the McKinsey Global Institute ten years ago identified planning as the UK's number one handicap. A decade on, a recent update to that report found that… nothing had changed.

To understand how localism and planning have evolved you need to analyse the economic and political context in which the Localism Act was developed. Alongside the Coalition Government’s commitment to improve local accountability and change the planning system through the NPPF sat not just the promise to empower local communities but also the wider goal of delivering economic reform and growth.

What is clear now is that, under pressure to formulate an economic strategy in response to these circumstances, the Coalition Government placed the delivery of housing growth and infrastructure development at the heart of the approach, and as such incentives have been produced to create more positive local attitudes towards development. These have included the introduction of the New Homes Bonus and the retention of the Community Infrastructure Levy.

Achieving the dual aspirations of the localism agenda – local empowerment and boosting economic growth – is particularly challenging and while some of the reforms enacted are being felt immediately others will take far longer to play out.

As such the future of localism post-2015 will depend on a multiple of factors: 1) the economic headwinds facing the UK. 2) The impact of existing reforms over time. 3) The potential consequences of other policy interventions from Government.

No party will approach the next election proposing less power for the people. Exactly what they will propose is unclear, but with the General Election just 390 days away, we won’t have to wait long for the answer to the question ‘Where next for Localism?’

The Chancellor George Osborne delivered a bullish Budget speech to the House of Commons this afternoon, which centred on stronger growth forecasts and lower Government spending projections. Yet Mr Osborne was quick to caution that the improved economic climate does not provide occasion for Government largesse. Rather, the fiscal belt-tightening is set to continue, and the Budget will be one that ‘builds a responsible recovery’. The Chancellor concluded his speech by claiming 'this is a budget for the makers, the doers and the savers and I commend it to the house'.

In towns and cities right across the South of England there is a familiar story. Look in the window of an estate agent and you will see that over half of the properties on display are either sold or under offer. But even rarer than the sight of a house for sale is the sight of a house being built.

10% Council Spending Cuts