Levelling has been a central theme in the UK economic policy over recent years. Investment commitments, infrastructure plans and regional growth strategies has all been positioned as part of the effort to strengthen economies across the North of England.
Yet while ambition is clear, translating policy into practical delivery can be more complex.
For many local authorities, developers and investors working across northern regions, the challenge is not the lack of ambition but the barriers that slow progress on the ground. Planning processes, infrastructure delivery and funding structures can all influence how quickly regional growth projects move forward.
Understanding where levelling up becomes stalled is an important step towards ensuring it delivers meaningful outcomes.
Planning and Development Times
Planning systems play a central role in shaping regional development. From housing schemes to commercial developments and infrastructure projects, planning frameworks determine how land is used and how quickly projects can proceed.
However, planning processes can sometimes create delays when proposals require extensive consultation, revisions or regulations.
For local authorities managing complex development proposals, balancing community concerns, environmental considerations and economic growth objectives can be challenging. Developers must also navigate evolving planning policies and regulatory requirements.
While these processes are designed to ensure responsible development, they can extend timelines and create uncertainty around delivery.
Infrastructure Coordination
Infrastructure is often described as the backbone of regional economic development. Transport connectivity, digital networks and public services all influence how effectively regions attract businesses and support local communities.
However, infrastructure projects require coordination between multiple stakeholders, including national government, local authorities and private sector partners.
Funding approvals, procurement processes and project timelines can stretch over several years. When infrastructure delivery slows, it can affect the visibility of associated housing and commercial developments.
The Challenge of Funding Structures
Funding is another critical factor in levelling up initiatives.
Public investment programmes, regional funding allocations and private sector investment all contribute to the financial landscape supporting development projects. However, navigating these funding streams can sometimes be complex.
Local authorities and project partners must often assemble funding from multiple sources, each with different timelines, conditions and approval processes. This can add layers of complexity to project delivery.
Clearer and more coordinated funding structures can help ensure that investment programmes translate more effectively into tangible development outcomes.
Turning Ambition into Delivery
Levelling up is ultimately about creating opportunities for people and communities across the North. That ambition requires sustained collaboration between policymakers, local authorities, developers and investors.
By identifying where processes slow progress, whether through planning, infrastructure coordination or funding structures, stakeholders can focus efforts on improving how projects move from proposal to delivery.
These challenges and opportunities will form part of the discussion during the Levelling Up the North: From Political Ambition to Practical Delivery panel at UKREiiF 2026.
Hosted by Mark Manning, Managing Director of the Northern Estate Agency Group, the session will bring together voices including Ed Whiting (Chief Executive, Leeds City Council), Kevin Hollinrake MP, Richard Irving (ID Planning) and Julia Dacre Field (Gowlings) to explore where levelling up initiatives face challenges and how progress can be accelerated.
