CPRE report explores how English devolution could support rural prosperity
Healthy rural economies, environments and communities bring benefits for the whole country, yet rural areas and issues have historically been deprioritised in policymaking: agglomeration and its favouring of policy towards centres of population has historically prevailed.
A new report commissioned by CPRE by Grounded Insight explores the potential of English devolution to address the imbalance in policymaking and investment in its rural areas.
New regional powers, familiar rural story?
Rural economies match urban performance in economic regions such as the Northern Powerhouse and Midlands Engine and account for 12% of England’s Gross Value Added, but rural workers’ productivity is just 82% of that of their non-rural counterparts. With the right policies, increasing rural worker productivity could add an estimated £11 billion in tax receipts.
The recently passed English devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 brings new powers to regional bodies called Strategic Authorities, with additional powers and funding for those with elected mayors – Mayoral Strategic Authorities, or MSAs.
Our report looks at existing MSAs with significant rural populations to understand how the powers, funding and levers available to them could progress rural prosperity.
Local Growth Plans are one route – plans which all MSAs must develop to deliver the government’s economic growth priorities including those in the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy.
The report appraises sectors of relevance to rural economies across MSAs’ Local Growth Plans including Agri-tech and sustainable agriculture, clean energy and the visitor economy – but finds that despite the prevalence of these sectors in rural areas, their potential is overlooked.
Powers on housing need rural proofing
Another way MSAs can support rural prosperity by tackling shortages of available and affordable housing is through their new housing and spatial planning powers, one of which requires them to develop a Spatial Development Strategy (SDS) for their area. SDSs will be the spatial investment framework for the Local Growth Plan and guide spatial planning using centrally set housing targets and the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
The report notes that there are significant regional differences in stakeholder and workforce capacity to develop and apply a rural lens to SDSs. Also, because MSAs need to meet centrally set, ambitious housing targets, they could prioritise large urban schemes over smaller, community-led rural developments, especially where MSAs lack local rural expertise. This leads to the risk of unequal investment and planning outcomes across England.
High stakes for rural areas: 3 asks for government
Much is at stake for rural areas as statutory guidance is developed for all Strategic Authorities including MSAs to implement the Devolution Act and develop SDSs. Our recommendations focus on three core asks to government:
Ask 1: Develop statutory guidance which includes rural needs & opportunities
Statutory guidance for the Devolution Act should set expectations for how rural context are embedded across all MSA activities and plans. This should include how all MSA cabinet portfolio holders will be held accountable for the impact of MSA policies in rural areas including through a Rural Commissioner and by using metrics and data which better reflect rural circumstances.
Similarly, the statutory guidance for MSAs to develop SDS should include requirements for early engagement of rural stakeholders who understand local contexts and a robust, data-driven evidence base of rural need and opportunity so that rural housing needs are not overlooked.
Ask 2: Create guidance to align planning & environment policies for resilient growth
There are gaps and inconsistencies between national policies such as the Land Use Framework and NPPF and local policies such as Local Growth Plans, SDS and Local Nature Recovery Strategies.
National guidance for MSAs is needed on their interactions and delivery mechanisms such as Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS) and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) so policies and delivery mechanisms can work together for inclusive and resilient growth.
Ask 3: Create a Roadmap for devolution so all areas of England can benefit fairly
The piecemeal, asymmetric and deals-based approach of devolution to date is creating a patchwork of different levels of maturity, focus, funding, power and opportunity across the country.
This works against inclusive and resilient growth. The government should create a Devolution Roadmap setting out how and when all areas will benefit from the opportunities of devolution, and how the risks of not having universal English mayoral coverage will be mitigated.
