COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT News Release (180) issued by The Government News Network
on 17 July 2008
Ministers plan to
focus on 'real-life' measures about improving
people's lives rather than bricks and mortar targets for
regeneration funding. This is so communities get more than a
cosmetic facelift and are helped to unlock their potential and
take responsibility for their own regeneration.
In future, funding will be more tightly targeted at tackling
economic challenges and on outcomes not processes. This would
favour schemes that help boost enterprise, give people the skills
to work, promote better health, and attract business investment -
so communities take responsibility for the long term. Knock on
benefits might include tackling anti-social behaviour and creating
more harmonious communities.
Building on last week's White Paper, the proposals would
also shift more power to local people. New 'priority
maps' would map out regeneration priorities to steer funding
and inform residents where money is spent, and decisions on how to
regenerate would be devolved to regions, towns and villages. Maps
will help focus and bring together investment from Whitehall,
regions and the private sector on strengthening the local economy
and improving prospects for residents, so for example, investment
in housing and environmental improvements will be linked to
residents' economic chances.
Speaking at a conference in London, Communities Secretary, Hazel
Blears said:
"We want long-lasting regeneration that will help people and
neighbourhoods to take responsibility and enable everyone to rise
as far as their talents can take them.
''It's not just about giving buildings a facelift.
Regeneration is about empowering people and improving economic
prospects is the key. If you deal with pockets of unemployment,
improvements in crime rates and people's health will follow.
And getting a job and more skills can give people real power and
control of their lives as well as bring new money and talent into
the community."
The consultation 'Transforming places, changing lives' proposes:
* A renewed focus on helping people to reach their potential,
bringing together economic, social and physical regeneration under
a shared vision to meet the needs of communities
* A focus on outcomes rather than outputs - to ensure that
regeneration activities are measured by the outcomes they achieve,
rather than the processes they follow
* A stronger focus on promoting work through regeneration -
focusing on tackling the underlying economic causes of decline,
ensuring that places can reach their potential by moving
communities and individuals from dependence to independence
* Efforts to increase and stimulate investment from the private
sector, by defining clear regeneration priorities and geographies,
raising confidence, and making places more attractive to make long
term investment commitments. Understanding the impact of current
economic conditions will be crucial in shaping regeneration
policy. A study on "The Impact of the Credit Crunch on
Regeneration" will run in parallel to the consultation on
this framework.
* To continue to bring housing and tackling worklessness closer
together so that housing associations and local authorities can
help more to tackle worklessness in social housing. A Housing
Reform Green Paper later this year will set out proposals to help
and encourage people living in social housing towards greater
economic independence and social mobility, matching responsibility
with opportunity to help meet their potential and make better use
of resources.
* New and improved partnership working between local authorities,
Regional Development Agencies, and the new Homes and Communities
Agency so that homes are connected to jobs.
Notes to Editors
1. An electronic version (or PDF) of this
document and a consultation response form are available to
download from the communities and local government website at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/citiesandregions/transformingplaces.
Please send comments using this form to the Regeneration Framework
team at: RegenFramework@communities.gsi.gov.uk.
2. Between 2007 and 2011, the government will invest over £13bn
in programmes that contribute heavily to regeneration, and the
consultation outcome will influence where and how targeted
regeneration funding is spent in future.
3. Every area is different and will require a response that fits
local circumstances which is why proposals include that decisions
on how and where to invest are made locally and regionally. The
framework proposes four criteria to assist local and regional
partners in determining how and where to regenerate: 1) the scale
of deprivation 2) the strength of the wider sub regional economy
2) the economic and social characteristics of the area 4) and the
dynamics of the area (whether it is getting better or worse).
4. The regeneration framework offers more local and regional
flexibility to create programmes that fit places rather than
expect places to fit programmes - by focusing on outcomes instead
of outputs, with three priority aims - 1) improving economic
performance in deprived areas, 2) improving rates of work and
enterprise in deprived areas and 3) creating sustainable places
where people want to live and can work, and businesses want to invest.
5. The review of sub-national economic development and
regeneration (SNR) recognised the potential role for targeted
regeneration in improving outcomes in deprived areas. Better
coordination will be key to delivering real and lasting
improvements in outcomes for deprived areas. By bringing together
neighbourhood renewal spending and investment in physical
regeneration through a shared understanding of regeneration
priorities, this framework should lay the foundations for improved
partnership working between local authorities, Regional
Development Agencies, and the new Homes and Communities Agency.
6. By guiding outcomes and geographies for regeneration, the
framework will ensure investment is coordinated and prioritised,
with public, private and voluntary sector organisations working
together in the same places and towards a shared vision.
7. Building on the SNR, the framework aims to devolve power so
investment decisions are made as locally as possible, and to focus
existing regeneration activity on tackling the remaining economic
challenges that hold back deprived areas, in particular supporting
people to get a job and get on in the labour market. The framework
aims to ensure regeneration is more focused on making sure no area
is left behind - to improve places, attract private investment and
business prosperity, foster ambition and unlock potential.
8. Communities and Local Government has recently consulted on a
new economic assessment duty for local authorities. This will
require upper tier and unitary authorities to carry out an
assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of their local economy.
This would form the basis of the new approach to reviving the
economic prospects of deprived areas at a local level.
9. The tackling worklessness review, led by Cllr Stephen Houghton
will run alongside this consultation, to explore how local
authorities and their partners are using the Working
Neighbourhoods Fund, a key element of this approach to tackle
worklessness within their worst performing neighbourhoods.
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