Most discussion about how local authorities can fulfil their place-shaping role has tended to focus around new initiatives or developments designed to enhance the area's economic, environmental or social infrastructure, or make it a more attractive location to live in, invest in or visit. This reflects an entirely natural wish to make things better for local residents and businesses. But local authorities also have a key role to play in a more defensive mode when the area is threatened or challenged. Councils have well-defined responsibilities in resilience planning and coping with emergencies. Indeed, I often think local government is slow to blow its own trumpet about its emergency planning role. And, as the global financial system sends out evermore alarming distress signals, and the downturn in the UK economy impacts more widely, we know that few, if any, areas can expect to emerge unscathed.
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