Oxfordshire Business Awards
AMION were out in force at the Oxfordshire Business Awards last night, celebrating the excellence and innovation of Oxfordshire-based businesses. Coming hot on the heels of the Spending Review, the awards provided a timely reminder that the Oxford-Cambridge Arc remains firmly in the spotlight as a key driver of UK growth. At the stunning John Henry Brookes Building, our very own Matt Budd and Simon Dancer (he’s the one channelling Colonel Sanders🍗) caught up with local business leaders. The message was loud and clear: delivering on the Arc’s ambitious potential will require serious government backing.
Spending Review – Beyond the Headlines
After months of tense political wrangling and a few moments worthy of Malcolm Tucker himself, the Spending Review has finally landed. In the latest version of our newsletter, AMION’s spending review veteran, Graham Russell, cuts through the noise to explain what it really means for economic development. Essential reading for anyone working in place-based growth, regeneration or regional growth. Read Graham’s take below and sign up for future newsletters:
AMION at the Fringe (and not the comedy kind!)
We’re excited to be joining the UKREiiF fringe this Tuesday for a roundtable hosted by our friends at Hive Projects. Peter Alford, Director (and champion of all things Place Economics), will be jumping into the discussion on how public-private partnerships can unlock sites and deliver the kind of development that communities actually need – homes, jobs and better places to live and work. Yes, the economic environment is challenging – but that’s exactly why these conversations matter. We’re looking forward to sharing ideas and insights with more than 20 fellow experts from across the health, housing, regeneration and commercial sectors. Big thanks to Hive Projects for bringing everyone together – and we’re looking forward to catching up with familiar faces from Ion Property Developments Limited, Cityheart , Placefirst, LCR Property, Wirral Council, Liverpool City Council, Sefton Council and Rochdale Development Agency. Please do get in touch with Peter Alford if you’d like to catch up with him on the fringe!
AMION appointed to Nottingham Consultancy Panel
Sound the horns… AMION has been officially appointed to Nottingham City Council’s Economic Development and Communities Dynamic Purchasing System. We may not ride through the glen with bows and arrows, but we do come armed with bold strategies and a merry team ready to champion communities! We look forward to working in partnership with Nottingham over the duration of the contract. If you want to discuss the exciting work we’re doing in Nottingham and across the wider East Midlands, please do get in touch!
Ambitious plans for Aston Villa Football Club
Exciting news from Aston Villa Football Club as it announces ambitious plans to redevelop the iconic North Stand and increase Villa Park’s capacity to over 50,000. We’ve been working closely with Aston Villa to assess the economic impact of the proposals – helping to ensure the redevelopment brings lasting benefits for the local community, economy, and wider region. This work follows on from our earlier involvement in making the case for upgrades to nearby Witton Station, a key part of improving matchday and visitor access to the stadium. It’s fantastic to see this next chapter for Villa Park begin to unfold – and we’re delighted to have played a role in helping bring the vision to life. Read more from the Club: https://lnkd.in/eepQ3fCN #AstonVilla #VillaPark #EconomicImpact #PlaceMaking #Regeneration #Infrastructure #UrbanDevelopment
Value of Heritage-led Regeneration for England’s High Streets Revealed by AMION Evaluation
Historic England has today (Monday 17th March 2025) published AMION’s independent evaluation of the High Streets Heritage Action Zone. Developed in response to the changing use of high streets, Historic England’s innovative, heritage-led, solution demonstrates how the loosening of the grip of retail on the high street can be an opportunity to reimagine them as vibrant centres of their community. Led by Historic England, in partnership with Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the programme ran from 2020-24 and unlocked the potential of 67 historic high streets across England. Recognising cultural heritage as a catalyst for regeneration, the programme was designed around three core objectives: The High Streets Heritage Action Zone programme transformed high streets into vibrant community spaces by creating new partnerships, empowering communities, and celebrating local culture through heritage. AMION’s innovative evaluation tests new ways to measure the benefits of heritage-led regeneration and assesses long-term value. The evaluation shows that investing in historic places stimulates growth by creating jobs and attracting investment, as well as generating a renewed a sense of local pride. The programme has helped to reimagine high streets as cherished community spaces, attractive to both local people and visitors. Evaluation Results The programme had three key strands of delivery: The programme was delivered during a time of uncertainty, from the Covid-19 pandemic to geopolitical instability and economic pressures. Rising costs, supply chain disruptions, and evolving net-zero targets added to the complexity as the programme had to adapt to these challenges. Attracting private sector investment was particularly challenging in these circumstances. Responding to these challenges, the programme’s impact was significant: Historic England will use the lessons from the High Streets Heritage Action Zone programme to shape place-based heritage investments, ensuring that heritage continues to be an effective driver of economic, social, and cultural renewal. The programme’s approach has brought regeneration to where it’s needed most, proving that heritage is not just about the past – it’s a powerful catalyst for future growth. Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England said: “The evidence is clear: the High Streets Heritage Action Zone programme demonstrates that heritage-led regeneration can create impactful and sustainable change in a way that improves people’s lives. The evaluation highlights a new approach to ensuring our high streets can adapt and grow to support our local communities. By sharing this report we hope others can benefit from the lessons we have learned over the past four years, working across 67 high streets, so that future high streets can also be strengthened, creating economic growth and becoming much valued places for communities to use and enjoy for years to come.” Read the evaluation report here: https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/heritage-action-zones/regenerating-historic-high-streets/evaluation-report/
Under the bonnet of the Green Book review: will this really “rip up the rules” on regional investment?
Green Book: if you’re a film buff, it represents the Oscar winning screenplay by Pete Farrelly. For medical folk, it provides the latest information on vaccines. But for us economic development professionals, the Green Book often means only one thing…how do I get my project approved? When I was a young cub starting my career in Whitehall back in the 1990s, and Joseph Lowe was still roaming the corridors of Treasury, I was given a forest of paper documents to devour. One of the tomes was a gleaming, bound(!) copy of the Green Book (to the unversed, yes, it’s actually green, dark green to be precise). Though the years have inevitably meant less paper copies are in circulation, and thankfully less woodland is destroyed, it’s importance in the public sphere has only soared. Since time immemorial, a project sponsor’s heart will skip a beat with those dreaded words “is this proposal Green Book-compliant?” Back to the present day, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer has initiated a review of the Green Book. To use Rachel Reeves exact words “(we) will review the Green Book in order to support decisions on public investment across the country, including outside London and the Southeast.” Though the Chancellor hasn’t released formal terms of reference for the review, the statement “including outside London and the Southeast” is rather telling. Certainly, that’s the message being broadcast to the northern heartlands, with organs like the Yorkshire Post proclaiming that “(changing) Treasury rules around infrastructure project spending could unlock billions of pounds of investment for the North.” Thumbing through my dusty files, I managed to locate the Treasury slides outlining the scope for the 2020 Green Book review. It was noted at the time that any re-assessment should, to quote directly “(address the alleged) systematic bias towards London and the Southeast” plus, and rather emotively, the “tyranny of BCRs” (Benefit Cost Ratios). Sound familiar? So, what’s at the heart of the issue? To answer this question, we need to ask another one, this time rhetorical. Surely one of the accepted roles of the state is redistribution and, by association, regeneration? As economic development specialists, we know the market alone will not bring forward some of the more challenging corners of the country. It would be naive to suggest a private sector developer looks at, say, Burnley in the same way as, perhaps, Sevenoaks. We know that depressed values and challenging viability mean developers often need the public sector to take a supporting role to break the stalemate. The crux of the argument is, disappointingly, rather techy. So, grab a strong coffee and buckle-up. Over the years, an appraisal technique emanating from our transport cousins and their sacred TAG guidance has migrated across to economic development. What is this technique I hear you cry? Land value uplift, of course! The practice used by DfT analysts to capture the uptick in values due to road improvements, is now the principal economic benefit used to justify a property-based renewal project, be it in Burnley or anywhere else. The gripe from Metro Mayors and others is that land values – especially housing ones – are significantly higher in the south of the country, than, say, in the north. This means a Green Book orthodoxy which relies exclusively on “LVU” will always have a natural bent towards Sevenoaks rather than Burnley. To give you a flavour of the difference in residential values, using MHCLG’s own ‘Land value estimates for policy appraisal’ it recommends for Burnley using £370,000 per hectare. Whilst for Sevenoaks, the same indicator stands at an eyewatering £8,300,000 per hectare. Those good at mental arithmetic will know that’s a factor of 22:1. This means by appraising exclusively LVU, any Green Book exercise looking to choose between funding the same housing scheme in these two areas, the Sevenoaks of the country will always ‘score’ higher as the land values are in a different stratosphere. If this wasn’t enough, critics turn to the other side of the benefit cost equation, namely the public cost denominator. It’s not a great intellectual leap to suggest that areas with low values and tough viability will naturally need a bigger injection of grant to get them over the line. Add to this, the legacy of de-industrialisation that blights swaths of Northern England, it’s not hard to see why the likes of Steve Rotherham (Metro Mayor for Liverpool) have been pushing for a rethink in Whitehall. Does this tell the whole story? Your red-blooded economist will tell you that values/prices send out vital signals in an economy, and the land market is no different. The Southeast needs more housing because this is where the demand is, which is duly manifested in the higher prices. Why use scarce public resources building homes where people don’t want to live, as the mantra goes. Counter to this argument is, of course, one of renewal and equity, as played out a moment ago. In fact, there are already Green Book techniques that appraisers can use to capture and monetise “externalities”. Have another swig of coffee, we’re approaching the summit. Treasury – and MHCLG – boffins would argue that a good Green Book business case would study the direct benefit of new development, as captured by the usual LVU calculus. But these same experts also recognise that regeneration can often lead to a broad range of further external impacts i.e. externalities. For example, new housing or employment floorspace, public realm improvements and facilities that benefit existing communities (as well as new residents). These will not be fully captured through a simple LVU assessment. The Green Book makes it clear that the appraisal of social value should consider not just economic market efficiency but overall social welfare efficiency (hang in there, one final push). This is echoed in MHCLG’s appraisal guidance (we’ll discuss that guide another day!) which highlights the need to capture all the benefits and costs of an intervention. This includes all externalities in the form of placemaking and regeneration, health,
25 years and counting…
25 years and counting – celebrating major milestone with unique Homes England relationship, prestigious industry appointments and other major work wins AMION Consulting is marking the start of 2025 with a series of big announcements. The economics advisory consultancy started the year with a highly competitive appointment onto the new £15 million Homes England Strategic Research, Economics and Evaluation Framework, and is the only firm to have been a member of the framework since its start in 2000. Membership of the framework, which can be used by any public sector organisation, is seen as the hallmark of quality within the economic development sector. Under past frameworks, AMION has helped to produce several industry-standard economics policy guides such as the pioneering Additionality Guide, now used across the globe to assess the real, additional impact of public interventions. In addition, AMION was selected to conduct the official economic impact assessment for Bradford City of Culture 2025. With over 1,000 events taking place, the year-long event is anticipated to provide a long-lasting boost to economic growth in Bradford and West Yorkshire. AMION’s innovative two-year study will not only assess the short-term economic impacts associated with events but will rigorously evaluate the longer-term legacy impacts around jobs, GVA, tourism, volunteering and an improved city image. January has also seen AMION pick up a flurry of new appointments right across the UK including Aston Villa Football Club, Liverpool John Moores University, Manchester City Council, Dudley Council, South Yorkshire Combined Authority, West of England Combined Authority and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. During 2025, AMION will continue to support some of the country’s biggest economic development and regeneration projects including the £3.9 billion Ebbsfleet Garden City in Kent, the £1.9 billion Smithfield development in Birmingham and the £1.0 billion Investment Zone in Wrexham and Flintshire. This year also marks the start of director, Simon Dancer’s tenure on the Board of Institute of Economic Development (IED) – the UK’s leading professional body for economic development and regeneration practitioners. Simon added: “With over 25 years’ experience under my belt, 16 in the public sector and now having established myself with AMION, putting myself forward for the IED Board felt like a natural next step. I see the IED as the kitemark for our profession and I’m looking forward to supporting the wider profession in its growth and development.” And finally, the consultancy is marking a major milestone this year as it celebrates 25 years in business. Graham Russell, Chief Executive said: “We are delighted to mark our 25th anniversary in business. For a quarter of a century, we’ve been building our reputation in the economic development and regeneration sector to become trusted advisors and nationally recognised experts. Whilst we’re celebrating our own milestone as a business, it’s all thanks to the outstanding talent we have across our team who consistently deliver rigorous and innovative work for our clients. It’s a credit to them that we’ve been able to develop long-lasting client partnerships over the last 25 years.”
Launch of Warrington Youth Zone Report
In 2024, we were proud to support Warrington Youth Zone as our charity of the year. The Youth Zone does incredible work with children and young people in Warrington and has made a real difference to so many. We worked with the Youth Zone on a research project to understand the impacts they’ve had in their first two years of operation and earlier this week, we were delighted to attend an event to celebrate the launch of the report. The report launch was followed by the Youth Zone’s Annual Awards Night where we had a great time celebrating the achievements of the fantastic young people and volunteers. Big thanks to AMION’s Tim Sullivan and Eddie Melhuish as well as our research partners, Spirul ????: https://lnkd.in/d76PqjKK
AMION Consulting Celebrates 24 years on Homes England Framework Panel
AMION Consulting has been appointed to the new £15 million Homes England Strategic Research, Economics and Evaluation Framework 2024-2028 to provide economic, evaluation and research services. Membership of the framework, which can be used by a wide range of public sector organisations, is seen as the hallmark of quality within the economic development sector. AMION Consulting, which specialises in economic development and regeneration, maintains its unique position as the only firm to have been a member of the framework since it started in 2000. Under past frameworks, AMION has helped to produce several industry-standard economics policy guides such as the pioneering Additionality Guide, now used across the globe to assess the real, additional impact of public interventions. More recently, AMION prepared the business case for the £300 million strategic brownfield development scheme, Hind Street Urban Village which aims to bring 1,500 new homes to Birkenhead. The business case successfully secured £25 million of grant funding from Homes England to make the scheme viable. Simon Dancer, Director, said: “Our position with Homes England has ensured we’ve continued to be a go-to, trusted partner for authorities and organisations for over two decades. For almost 25 years, we have supported Homes England with a variety of projects including placemaking research, project business cases, secondments and endowment policy. With the government looking to accelerate house building across England, we are perfectly positioned to support local partners with their growth ambitions.” AMION is currently supporting other major economic development and regeneration projects across the UK including the £3.9 billion Ebbsfleet Garden City in Kent, the £1.9 billion Smithfield development in Birmingham and the £0.5 billion Central Docks scheme in Liverpool.
AMION Consulting Director and former Whitehall economist joins the Institute of Economic Development Board
AMION are delighted to announce that Simon Dancer has been appointed to the Board of the Institute of Economic Development (IED), the UK’s leading professional body for economic development and regeneration practitioners. With over 25 years’ experience in the field, Simon looks forward to championing the cause of economic development. With the government’s flagship policy of 1.5 million new houses before the end of the Parliament, this sector has never looked so prominent. Read Simon’s full profile via Insider Media: AMION Consulting Director and former Whitehall economist joins Institute of Economic Development Board | Insider Media
Demystifying Subsidy Control – AMION Leads The Way To CMA Referrals
Subsidy Control – what’s it all about? After years of navigating the European Union’s State Aid regime, the United Kingdom’s new Subsidy Control legislation came into effect in January 2023. Emanating from Brexit, this momentous legislative event changed the rulebook that applies to financial support made by public authorities. In this article, we help to demystify the new Subsidy Control regime. We also outline how AMION has been leading the field, supporting public sector clients with challenging referrals to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) through its Subsidy Advice Unit (SAU). What’s changed since Brexit? Subsidy Control is the UK’s framework for regulating financial support given by public authorities to organisations engaged in economic activity. Its purpose is to ensure that subsidies do not distort competition, create unfair market advantages, or negatively impact international trade. Prior to Brexit, the UK adhered to the EU’s State Aid rules. These rules were designed to regulate government subsidies across all EU Member States, ensuring that no single country could give unfair financial support that might distort the EU’s Internal Market. However, with the country’s departure from the EU, the State Aid regime no longer applies. In its place, the country has implemented the Subsidy Control Act 2022. The key differences in the new Subsidy Control framework include decentralised decision-making, where public authorities now “self-assess” subsidy compliance without needing prior approval from the European Commission, as well as a proportionate approach, which allows for varying levels of scrutiny based on the subsidy’s size and potential market impact, helping to streamline smaller and lower risk subsidies. What needs to be notified to the CMA? Under the UK’s Subsidy Control framework, certain types of subsidies must be notified to the CMA through its SAU for review before they can be awarded. This process ensures that subsidies likely to have a significant impact on competition are carefully scrutinised, maintaining fairness in the marketplace. The SAU assesses whether subsidies meet the criteria set out by the Subsidy Control Act and provide “non-binding” advice to the granting authority. Subsidies of Particular Interest (SoPI) are the main category requiring mandatory notification. These are subsidies that have a higher potential to distort competition, such as large-scale financial support (usually over £10 million), or those in sectors of strategic importance. In contrast, Subsidies of Interest (SoI), while not requiring mandatory notification, can also be voluntarily referred to the SAU if the granting authority believes there may be competition concerns. AMION supports its public clients to help determine is notification to the CMA is required. How can AMION assist? Navigating the complexities of the new Subsidy Control regime can be challenging. At AMION, we provide expert guidance to help clients comply with the framework. Our services include: Preparing SAU Referral Reports – AMION has extensive experience in producing comprehensive subsidy referral reports for submission to the SAU, ensuring all necessary details are captured to facilitate a smooth review process. Guidance on Key Referral Topics – AMION provide expert advice on key referral topics, including defining clear policy objectives, addressing market failures, considering social equity impacts, and developing a strong reference case (the ‘Do Nothing’ scenario). Developing an Evidence Base – AMION support clients in building a robust evidence base for their subsidy referral, including market competition analysis, primary data collection, and socio-economic assessments, to strengthen their case. Navigating the SAU Process – AMION helps clients navigate each stage of the SAU referral process, from pre-referral planning to potential liaison with the Department for Business and Trade, ensuring compliance and timely submissions. AMION Case studies Here are just two case studies showcasing AMION’s expertise in helping clients achieve compliance while unlocking the strategic value of their subsidies. Lancaster City Council (Eden Project Morecambe) – AMION supported the analysis of the competitive market by delivering a primary research study. This landmark cultural and environmental project required detailed assessment to evaluate potential market distortions. AMION’s team collected data on local and regional competitors, produced a thorough competitive market analysis, and developed an evidence-backed report for submission to the SAU that presented a compelling case for the subsidy in alignment with the Subsidy Control principles (view the SAU response here). London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (Long-Term Loan for Affordable Housing) – AMION worked with Barking and Dagenham on a low-interest, long-term loan subsidy designed to support affordable housing management. Our team provided complete assistance in understanding legal advice surrounding the subsidy, calculating its value, and preparing a robust referral report for submission to the SAU (view the SAU response here). We also helped the borough develop a strong evidence base to demonstrate the social equity rationale of the subsidy. Want to know more? If you are looking for expert guidance on navigating the UK’s Subsidy Control obstacle course, in particular CMA support with your subsidy project, AMION is here to help. Please contact Simon Dancer – simondancer@amion.co.uk
