The Wider South East (WSE) is a large, diverse, dynamic, well networked and polycentric region – although with over a third of its population in one central conurbation. The effect of this combination of characteristics is to give it a highly integrated migration system, with sub-regions occupying different roles and to varying degrees of dynamism, but interacting with the other sub-regions and responding to some shared external factors - in ways that need to be better understood.
The aim of this project for the East of England Local Government Association (EELGA) is to meet the need for authorities across the Wider South East (WSE) to understand the dynamics of migration – so far as possible from existing research and readily available data – particularly in relation to implications of future growth of the capital.
Its institutional context is a development of joint work with the Greater London Authority, London Councils and South East England Councils to enable possible collaboration on strategic issues of common concern, between WSE authorities, during the production of the next London Plan, on which work is currently underway.