An Appraisal Of Local Authority Employment Planning In Selected Inner Cities Of The United Kingdom

Over the past decade, there has. been growing concern at all levels of government about the employment prospects of the inner-city areas of the United Kingdom. Job opportunities have contracted, firms have closed, others have relocated, and the numbers registered unemployed has grown alarmingly. The aim of this dissertation is to give an appraisal of local authority approaches to the employment problem in nine selected inner - city areas - Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, London (Hammersmith), Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, and Newcastle -- through a review of published structure plan documents. Chapters One and Two examine the format and techniques of analysis included in the structure plans and argues that despite the aim to include Socio-economic analysis, the attitude of the Secretary of State and a lack of understanding of employment development on behalf of local authority planners has limited the role of structure plans as instruments of employment planning and policy. Chapters Three and Four review local authority examination and explanation of the inner-city employment problem. ft is shown that although the broad characteristics of the employment problem are similar, each individual inner-city area has its own specific characteristics. Similarly, explanations of employment decline vary, though the use of forecasts and models quickly redefine employment problems for the local authorities. - Chapters Five and Six show how planning models form the basis of employment strategies, and policy objectives aim to create jobs in inner city areas. Objectives and strategies are too general and fail to give much guidance to policy which, as a result, is based more on the powers and finance available to local authorities rather than the problems originally identified. i Thus, it is argued that planning methodology, techniques and the requirements of the legislation have combined to restrict local authority analysis and policy formulation. Chapter Seven concludes by suggesting an alternative approach to employment planning which focuses more on the problem, and the necessity of understanding the employment problem, as a matter central to structure plan making and a pre-requisite to successful policy formulation.