Celebrating the power of partnerships at our LGA reception

With the sun shining over Bournemouth beach, BusinessLDN, in partnership with the Growing Together Alliance and London Councils, was delighted to welcome partners, political leaders and businesses to a packed reception on the sidelines of the Local Government Association Conference 2026.

Hosted just a stone’s throw from the seafront, the evening brought together representatives from local and regional government, alongside business leaders and academia, to discuss one of the defining challenges facing the country: how stronger partnerships between business and local government can unlock economic growth, deliver infrastructure and create thriving communities.

We are incredibly grateful to our event sponsor, Arcadis, and our supporter, the London School of Economics (LSE), for helping to make the reception possible. 

Opening the evening, BusinessLDN Chief Executive John Dickie reflected on the opportunities presented by a renewed focus on devolution. While Whitehall is in London, he noted that the current one-size-fits-all approach to policymaking does not work well for the capital just as with other parts of the country. Local leaders understand their communities best and are best placed to develop the solutions that will deliver growth where it is needed most.

John also underlined optimism about the direction of travel, highlighting the importance of returning the economy to sustained growth through greater investment in housing, public services and the economic infrastructure that enables businesses and communities to flourish.

The theme of partnership ran throughout the evening. Tim Hancock, Chair of Business South, highlighted Central South’s role as one of the UK’s key economic engines. Home to 2.7 million people and an internationally connected economy, the region has enormous potential. Unlocking that potential, however, will require closer collaboration between the public, private and education sectors, alongside a more joined-up approach to attracting investment across administrative boundaries. His message was clear: achieving economic growth is a shared national challenge, and lasting change will only come through partnership and strong local leadership.

Rebecca Kearney, Local Government Regional Director for London & the South East at Arcadis, echoed this message. She spoke about the significant opportunities presented by local government reform to accelerate housing delivery, infrastructure investment and regeneration. Rebecca reflected on the frustration many feel at the pace of delivery and challenged everyone in the room to work together to overcome barriers. Delivering those ambitions, she said, will depend on organisations working together to speed up decision-making and turn shared ambitions into tangible outcomes for communities.

Representing the London School of Economics, Professor Tony Travers explored the scale of change facing local government. As councils take on increasingly complex responsibilities through reorganisation and devolution, he reflected on the need for strong leadership, new skills and fresh thinking to meet rising expectations.

Closing the evening, Cllr. Stephen Cowan, Chair of London Councils and Leader of Hammersmith & Fulham Council, set out an optimistic vision for London’s future. At a time of rapid economic and technological change, he argued that collaboration between business and local government has never been more important.

Cllr Cowan highlighted London’s enduring strengths — from its globally renowned universities to Europe’s largest concentration of unicorn businesses and internationally competitive sectors including climate technology and life sciences. Building on these strengths through continued collaboration, he said, will enable London to continue leading the UK’s economic growth while revitalising high streets and strengthening communities across the capital.

His closing message captured the spirit of the evening: let’s roll up our sleeves and work together to make London — and the wider UK — even better.

Thank you once again to our sponsor, Arcadis, our supporter LSE, and everyone who joined us in Bournemouth for an evening of thoughtful discussion, valuable new connections and a shared commitment to driving growth across the UK.