Hello, I’m Glenn

I help build sustainable and inclusive local economies 

vision, leadership, insights and solutions

Mylocaleconomy is a leading UK-based consultancy firm which is run by Glenn Athey, a local and regional economic development and regeneration expert with a 32-year track record of successful leadership, delivery, networks, and practical knowledge acquired working in senior roles in government agencies, partnership organisations, UK think tanks and consultancy.

CPD, training and skills for Local and Regional Economic Development

New community for economic development practitioners. CPD, 15 hours of course videos, workbooks, mentoring, community events – all at https://www.economicdevelopment.world 

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Advisor

Advice and guidance to leaders and professionals based on experience and knowledge of current policy and practice.

Local and regional strategies

Full wraparound services from strategy concept, to full economic review and research, business surveys, consultations, ideas facilitation, stakeholder and advisory board management, final authoring and presentation materials… and delivery and action planning.

Policy and investment development and advocacy

We are experts and crafting compelling policy propositions and investment cases, using evidence, robust analysis and high impact language and writing. 

Skills, labour markets and inclusion

We are seasoned professionals at labour market economics, policy and practice, conducting many applied studies and developing bespoke labour market and skills strategies for clients. 

Economic performance, assessment, dashboards and systems

We are amongst the best UK consultants working in this field and bring a vast amount of experience and a track record of work and publications to justify our enviable position as providers of quality, robust and insightful economic analysis that explains what it means for your city, local and regional economy. 

Enterprise, investment and place promotion

We have conducted dozens of full scale regional enterprise support reviews, and have also evaluated focused enterprise support functions and programmes. We excel at analysing the complexities of local needs, current provision, policies and resources – and synthesizing new best practice solutions.

Consultations

Active Clients

Grant funding raised (£m)

Cups of Coffee

Make Your local economy a Priority.

We do.

Improve your local economy’s performance

We specialise in analysing every aspect of your local, regional or city economy and helping you understand the best solutions to improve economic growth rates, address social problems, increase labour market participation, reduce poverty and reduce inequalities.

About Glenn

Glenn has 32 years of experience in regional economic development, which includes executive leadership as well as being an expert economist and researcher. He holds a PhD from the University of Glasgow which was part sponsored by Scottish Enterprise. Glenn has wide-ranging experience in local and regional economic analysis, with specific experience in labour market research, intelligence, and demand analysis – and its application to policy, strategy, and delivery plans. Glenn specialises in evidence-based policy, from economic analysis to using this to specify and articulate policy options and delivery mechanisms. Glenn was Senior Labour Market Economist for Futureskills Scotland (part of the skills directorate at SE, and also working with HIE) 2001 to 2004, Head of Enterprise Strategy and Policy at London Development Agency 2004-2006, Head of Research at The Centre for Cities 2006-2008, Director of Research and Intelligence at the East of England Development Agency 2008 to 2011, and Executive Director of Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP 2012-2013.

Get expert advice and insights that provide practical solutions that can be funded

Testimonials & Featured Clients

"Glenn is an uber-consultant, a cut above the rest"

John McGill, Director @ UK Innovation Corridor

“I can’t recommend Glenn highly enough having worked with him over many years.Glenn’s work is highly professional, demonstrating a very high level of stakeholder management, workshop and facilitation skills.”

Sarah Murray, Director @ Local London

“Glenn delivered an accurate, innovative and useful review, with a forward looking agenda with recommendations concerning the rationale, focus, objectives, governance and delivery of enterprise support and inward investment in the region. It was an excellent piece of work.”

Richard Kenny, ED Economy and Growth @ Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CA

expert insights and advice

EDW Founder Membership Open Until 20 April 2026

After 32 years working in economic development, I’ve noticed something. There’s no real home for people doing this work in the UK. No professional community where practitioners can share what’s actually working, get honest answers to difficult questions, or access decent CPD without sitting through another generic leadership course. That’s why I built Economic Development […]

The post EDW Founder Membership Open Until 20 April 2026 first appeared on Economic Development World.

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What the Experts Are Saying About The Local And Regional Economic Development Handbook

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨! 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘧-𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥! And the first review has landed from a world-renowned professor of innovation: “𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆. 𝗔 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀, […]

The post What the Experts Are Saying About The Local And Regional Economic Development Handbook first appeared on Economic Development World.

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What The Experts Are Saying About The Local And Regional Economic Development Handbook

What The Experts Are Saying About The Local And Regional Economic Development Handbook

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨! 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘧-𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥! And the first review has landed from a world-renowned professor of innovation: “𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸...

read more