What is inclusive growth and why is it important?
Inclusive growth is a purposeful approach to growth creation. It incorporates social and shared benefit, equal opportunity, and consideration of people and environment within investment decisions and intended growth outcomes, alongside the more traditional economic considerations.
Taking this approach creates processes and places with purpose, more engrained with the people who will use them from the outset, and providing a solid foundation on which to build strong communities.
The Mayor of London agrees on the importance of creating places for the communities that use them, with references to inclusion throughout the Draft London Plan. We are seeing this in geographies across the country as more local authorities request Social Value Strategies to accompany planning applications – Salford for example require one on all applications. Likewise, considering health and equalities impacts is becoming an expectation among some Local Planning Authorities, as are Employment and Skills Plans.
How do we support inclusive growth?
As an employee-owned business we put our people first, and in turn it makes sense that we do so in the geographies in which we work.
Inclusive growth is front and centre of our Economics service and our team does so much more than number crunching – as well as the economics of a place and a development’s impact, we take the human impact, and people perspective, seriously.
This appears in the form of the roles we play and the advice we give to our clients, across the variety of projects we are involved in.
As part of our Economics service we consider:
Social infrastructure
Exploring the physical infrastructure needs of the current and future communities such as schools, healthcare and wider community facilities. This should be embedded within the masterplanning process and is also revisited when considering mitigation of impact through developer contributions.
Education
A Government priority rarely out of the news. Ensuring the appropriate and proportionate level of education places within accessible geographies is key to delivering places that work.
Equalities
Ensuring due regard is given to protected characteristics in accordance with the Equality Act, and where possible not only mitigating potential impacts, but identifying ways to create benefits. The best schemes will include a longitudinal approach to equalities, entwined with community and partner engagement to identify the best mitigation opportunities.
Social Value
Recognising the range of ways in which a development can positively impact a local community through development phases and once operational. This might be intrinsically through the masterplan or design, or through specific initiatives and partnerships. For some clients this helps to create the right planning balance, for others it is a direct reflection of their wider ethos. This approach seeks to bridge policy priorities, local socio-economic needs and client values. We regularly design social value strategies or articulate benefits on behalf of our clients.
Health Impact
Advising client approaches and demonstrating that health and wellbeing in its broadest sense has been considered through the design, construction and operational phases of a scheme, considerate of local socio-economic conditions and priorities. This ties across almost all other elements of a scheme’s application. Early involvement enables positive approaches to be woven within proposals as they progress.
We have been at the forefront of this analysis and advice for several years, providing robust and quality recommendations to our clients ,and communicating and agreeing commitments with local planning authorities and related bodies.
The gradual change in policy and general mindset of ‘what is important’ is leading to greater interest in this line of work. The many strands of Inclusive Growth can enable developers to not only put their best foot forward, but also have a meaningful longer-term impact within the areas in which they are investing.
Creating places which consider the impacts on, and needs of, people is more than the sum of the parts. It helps to create places with heart.
Over the coming weeks our Inclusive Growth series will provide snapshot insights into the strands of Inclusive Growth and how places with heart can best be supported.
In the meantime, if you would like to pull at that heart string and discuss how we can support you on your Inclusive Growth priorities please get in touch with Amy Gilham.
11 August 2026
