Author: Department for Communities and Local Government

Third Sector Strategy for Communities and Local Government

 

Department for Communities  and Local Government

June 2007

 

 

4 – 4: Sustainable investment

A priority for Communities and Local Government is to support the voluntary and community sector to become more sustainable and enterprising.

 

Following the wind-down of Single Regeneration Budget funding, the Local Community Sector Taskforce highlighted the need for asset development and enterprise support for those organisations which have the capacity to take on those roles. It argued that if community enterprises are going to make a transformational change from short-term, grant funded “projects” to sustainable regeneration keystones, they need to build up a basket of stable and secure independent income streams to resource their development and growth. A critical element will be the nurturing of an income generating asset base. Firm Foundations, the Government’s approach to community capacity building, recognises the need for sustainable investment.

 

The third sector review consultation highlighted the importance of developing community assets to enable community organisations to generate their own wealth, deliver services and strengthen community engagement. The value of local community-based third sector delivery in creating a local multiplier effect, locking in, circulating and re-distributing investment within disadvantaged communities in particular is well attested. As well as providing a way to encourage sustainable growth of community enterprise in areas of geographical disadvantage, there are also benefits to be accrued from the promotion of sustainable asset development for community enterprises that serve communities of interest, including equality groups that may be at risk of social and economic exclusion, as a way not only of building bonding social capital, but also bridging social capital.

 

In September 2006, Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly commissioned Barry Quirk, the Chief Executive of Lewisham Council, to review the barriers and incentives affecting the transfer of public assets to community management and ownership. The Quirk review was launched on 15 May and proposed action in five key areas.10 These included encouragement and support for a more corporate and strategic approach to asset management by local authorities and their statutory partners, developed in partnership with the local third sector, with asset transfer to communities as a serious option; and the smarter investment of public funds designated for community-led asset-based developments.

 

Working with the Office of the Third Sector, we are exploring the increasing potential of approaches involving “community anchor” organisations in achieving this priority. These are independent community led organizations with multi-purpose functions, which provide a focal point for local communities and community organisations, and for community services. They often own and manage community assets, and support small community organisations to reach out across the community. They have the potential to promote and support the objectives of Communities and Local Government, including in building prosperous and cohesive communities.

 

The Government has already announced a Community Asset Transfer Fund of £30m which will be administered by the BIG lottery fund. This Fund will be used to reburbish local authority buildings so that they can be transferred to commmunity-led third sector organisations. The Budget also announced new funding for small community groups, and we are working with the Office of the Third Sector on how this resource is delivered.

 

Our proposals

As part of the Government’s plans to implement the Quirk review’s proposals, we are considering how supporting and developing community anchors can help build greater enterprise and sustainability across the sector. In particular, we are examining the feasibility of supporting “community anchors” to stimulate and develop enterprise and self-sufficiency through transfer of assets to community ownership and management, and through the expansion of earned revenue.

 

 

Subject to CSR07, we are considering approaches that:

● focus on third sector organisations of sufficient scale and capability to develop and deliver our objectives across the country;

 

● facilitate and incentivise partnership with local authorities and LSPs, and, as far as possible, makes use of existing infrastructure;.

 

● expects the anchor organisations to support small community groups in that neighbourhood, particularly those groups who are too small to own assets themselves but often need space and support to operate; and

 

● involve specialist financial intermediaries with expertise in the field and the ability to achieve high leverage ratios. We would expect these organisations to work with potential recipients to develop sound proposals and mitigate risks.

 

Case study 6

Bradford – Action for Business Ltd is a community development trust based in the heart of Manningham, focus of the inner city riots (the centre was the one public building left undamaged, because people valued it). Since 1996, ABL has been running the purpose built Carlisle Business Centre (CBC) – a managed workspace with a total of nearly 100 offices, workshops, stores, crafts units, and conferencing and training facilities for rent and hire by small private businesses and community and voluntary organizations.

 

In 2003, with finance from the Adventure Capital Fund, it purchased the freehold from the City Council: an asset transfer at less than market value, reflecting the added community benefit.

 

Author: Andy Wightman

Land Reform Expert to give Edinburgh Lecture
Andy Wightman
15.06.07

One of Scotland’s leading authorities on land reform is to give a public lecture in Edinburgh later this month.

Andy Wightman, an author and researcher who has been campaigning on the Edinburgh Common Good Fund for the past 18 months, will be the speaker. He said: “Across Scotland, hundreds of millions of pounds in funds and capital assets are missing from Common Good Funds. This wealth belongs to the people and this talk will highlight how this state of affairs has come about and what should be done about it.

“In particular, the lecture will examine the sorry record of the Edinburgh Common Good Fund and how a GBP 20m asset such as the Waverley Market has been leased out for over 200 years at 1p per year.

“With growing public interest in Common Good across Scotland, this event provides an excellent opportunity for everyone with an interest in this topic including politicians, community activists, academics and the media to learn more about this vital issue.”

The lecture, entitled “Community Ownership of Land in Edinburgh – The Story of the Common Good Fund”, will take place at St Stephens Centre, St Stephens Street on Wednesday 27 June at 19:30 BST. Seats are limited and can be reserved by e-mailing saveglenogle@googlemail.com

It has been arranged by Edinburgh At Risk, a non-political umbrella organisation founded by a number of on-going campaigns.

Author: Kinghorn Community Land Association

Minister Backs Kinghorn Land Plans

14.06.07

A Fife community has successfully registered an interest in the right to buy nineteen plots of land surrounding and including Kinghorn Loch. The decision by Mike Russell, the Minister for the Environment, gives the people of Kinghorn first refusal on the right to purchase any of the land should an owner want to sell. It is the single largest registration of land made by a community body under the 2003 Land Reform Act.

Making the announcement, Chris Mitchell, chairman of Kinghorn Community Land Association said, “We are absolutely delighted that Scottish Ministers have decided to give the people of Kinghorn the chance to bring this land under community ownership. This is an endorsement of the community’s aspirations. Kinghorn Loch is an area of outstanding natural beauty and biodiversity that was originally granted to the people of Kinghorn by King James VI. It is also home to an acclaimed Ecology Centre.

Registering a right to buy is the start of a process. Kinghorn Community Land Association talked to a lot of people in developing a vision for the land. Now, with Ministerial approval, we will go back again to involve everyone in Kinghorn in looking at the future of the land in more detail.  This will include the Community Council, community groups, and other agencies who can help make this happen. Fife Council has backed us with funding to help towards a feasibility study and we are hopeful of further funding from the lottery and other trusts.”

Source: Kinghorn Community Land Association

For further information contact Chris Mitchell, Chair, KCLA2005 on
07740863374 or 01592 890921
74 Pettycur Road, Kinghorn KY3 9RW

www.kcla.org.uk

 

Author: Scottish Civic Forum

Parliament Called To Review Means For Citizens’ Voices To Be Heard

Scottish Civic Forum
www.workwithus.org
10.06.07

A petition has been lodged with the Scottish Parliament, calling on the Scottish Executive and Scottish Parliament urgently to review their consultation and participation practices; to reinstate funding for the Scottish Civic Forum and to adhere to the Scottish Parliament’s Participation Handbook.

Before devolution, citizens made it clear that they wanted to have an ongoing relationship with the Scottish Parliament, not simply to vote at elections every four years.  The Scottish Civic Forum was set up to support civil society’s participation, particularly the smaller, less well resourced organisations and the most disenfranchised.  It was supported through core funding by the Scottish Executive.

In 2005, a political decision was taken not to continue funding the Forum beyond 2005/06.  As a result the Forum’s core work had to be curtailed.  Over 1,000 people lobbied Executive Ministers and the Scottish Parliament urging them to reconsider the decision on the basis that they felt an independent body like the Forum was needed to facilitate their participation.  Many of them gave examples of having participated in specific issues that the Forum had alerted them to, and which they said that they would not have otherwise known about.

With a new administration at Holyrood, there is an opportunity to raise the question of how consultation and participation is conducted by the Scottish Parliament and Executive and to revisit the question of funding for the Scottish Civic Forum.  A number of MSPs have said publicly that there is a need for an independent body like the Scottish Civic Forum and that it is not appropriate for the Scottish Executive and Scottish Parliament to be the only animators of consultation and participation. The Forum believes that an independent mechanism, tailored to meet the needs of citizens, not just the needs of the Parliament or Executive is a key element of healthy participatory democracy and supports citizens’ aspirations for devolution.

If you want to support the petition, visit the Scottish Parliament website – www.scottish.parliament.uk and click on e-petitions in the left hand column.  You will then be able to click for the list of current petitions and by following the instructions sign the petition.

 

Author: Village Retail Services Association

There’s a growing success story at the heart of the countryside as village communities are working together to reverse the downward spiral of small shop closures. This trend looks set to continue thanks to the launch of the Village CORE Programme, which will provide £2 million of start-up funding to new community-owned shops over the next three years.

In an exciting new development, ViRSA, in partnership with the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and Co-operative and Community Finance is delighted to announce the launch of the Village CORE Programme through which financial start-up packages of up to £40,000 per shop are available, to be complemented by contributions from the community and advice from ViRSA. The loan element of the package is provided by Co-operative and Community Finance, the longest established lender for social purpose in the UK.

Grants will be awarded to villages of at least 200 people which are planning to set up a community-owned shop, and the Village CORE Programme aims to see the number of these enterprises double over the next five years as a result. With several thousand rural settlements in Britain potentially suitable for community-owned shops, the possible social impact is considerable, and the village store looks set to be the CORE of the countryside for many years to come.

Author: Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce

Aberdeen Foyer Scoops Second National CSR Award

 

31.05.07

 

 

Claiming its second Company of the Year award in two consecutive years, Foyer Enterprise was voted Social Enterprise of the Year by judges at the fifth annual Scottish Business in the Community (SBC) Company of the Year Awards in Edinburgh yesterday (31 May).

 

Foyer Enterprise, the trading arm of Aberdeen Foyer, was classed by judges as an exemplary business model in the social sector. Through its four key business areas – Foyer Gallery & Restaurant; Foyer Drive; Foyer Graphics and Ben & Jerry’s Partnershop – the limited company generates income to support the work of the charity and, in the last financial year (2006/7), recorded a turnover of £759,400.

 

In 2006, Foyer chief, Ken Milroy, collected the Marks & Spencer Sieff Award for demonstrating outstanding leadership in collaborating with local businesses to benefit society.

 

Presented with the Social Enterprise of the Year award at SBC’s Silver Jubilee Anniversary dinner, which was hosted by SBC president, HRH Prince Charles, Edel Harris, Deputy Chief Executive of Aberdeen Foyer, said: “Aberdeen Foyer has been leading the way in taking a business approach to the development of income-generating activities and we’ve had enormous fun seizing opportunities and solving some of the challenges presented by the young people we work with. I hope this award inspires other social enterprises and businesses to think creatively and demonstrates that with the right people and partnerships anything is possible.”

 

Despite Scotland now boasting the lowest unemployment rate in the UK with 5.2%1 of the population out of work, the second highest unemployed group remains among the 16-24 year-old demographic, with 203,0002 young people economically inactive.

 

Aberdeen Foyer undertakes to better the employability of young people in the community by offering housing, community learning, education, training and health activities. Since the first accommodation site opened in 1998, Aberdeen Foyer has housed and supported over 1,000 young people.

 

Judges called the company a ‘sector beacon’ and a ‘ground-breaking company which is delivering good solid business with canny marketing while changing the world at the same time.’

 

A further three companies received Company of the Year Awards with ScottishPower voted Large Company of the Year; Macphie of Glenbervie, SME of the Year and Des Ryan succeeding Ken Milroy in collecting the Sieff Award. Standard Life chief executive, Sandy Crombie, was also announced as the new Prince’s Ambassador, replacing Sir Robert Smith, chairman of the Weir Group, in the role.

 

In celebration of SBC’s 25th anniversary, two Jubilee Awards were handed out to companies who have delivered a long-term positive impact on communities. ScottishPower collected the first for its ScottishPower Learning initiative with Cunninghame Housing Association in Ayrshire picking up the second.

 

The UK Awards for Excellence are produced in Scotland by SBC with support from Communities Scotland and Scottish Enterprise. All applications are evaluated in London by a team of trained assessors from around the UK, representing the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.

 

Source: Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce

 

 

Author: Regeneration & Renewal magazine

Regeneration upheaval in SNP Scotland 

Regeneration & Renewal magazine
25.05.07

After moving into the top spot in Holyrood, new first minister Alex Salmond plans to trim departments and scrap Scotland’s regeneration agency. Such renovations could have a major impact on the country’s renewal, says Jamie Carpenter.

Last week, Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond was elected first minister of Scotland and formed a minority government. New cabinet appointments and an overhaul of the Scottish Executive’s structure announced hours after Salmond was elected, together with policies in the SNP’s election manifesto, are likely to have far-reaching implications for regeneration in Scotland.

The headline news for Scottish regeneration practitioners following the SNP’s narrow election victory is that Communities Scotland, the executive agency of the Scottish Executive responsible for housing, regeneration and social enterprise, now faces the axe. John Swinney, the Executive’s new cabinet secretary for finance and sustainable growth, said last week that abolishing Communities Scotland – which has an annual budget of more than £900 million a year and employs 450 staff – would be an “early priority” for the new leadership. The Scottish Executive confirmed this week that changing or dissolving the agency wouldd not require new legislation. “It’s for ministers to take these decisions,” said a spokeswoman.

There are few details on the new administration’s plans to scrap the agency – the Executive and SNP both say it is too early to say more on the proposal – but the SNP’s manifesto gives some clues as to what might happen if the plans go ahead. It says that the functions of the agency that can be delivered locally will be transferred to local authorities and that a national regulatory framework will be retained for housing associations.

Denis Donoghue, a director of regeneration consultancy Hall Aitken, whose clients have included Communities Scotland, says that any move to abolish the agency could prove positive, but that it would lead to a period of uncertainty and upheaval for practitioners. He says it would be better to have a review. “There would be nothing worse than an ill-thought through bonfire of the quangos,” he warns.

Nick Fletcher, policy officer at the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland, also urges the new government to review rather than scrap the agency. He argues that Communities Scotland has been effective in a number of areas, including the introduction of an inspection regime for housing associations and council-run homeless services.

The SNP’s plans to hand local authorities functions from Communities Scotland have been met with caution by Scotland’s social enterprise sector. Swinney outlined the plans at a hustings meeting in the run-up to the elections organised by the Scottish Social Enterprise Coalition (SSEC). Social Entrepreneurs Network Scotland director and former Regeneration & Renewal columnist Laurence Demarco reveals that this was “not well received” by the audience. “Some people were supportive of it, others were cautious,” adds SSEC policy officer Jon Molyneux.

Scotland’s main economic development agency Scottish Enterprise could also face an overhaul. The SNP’s manifesto indicates that the agency will stay, but will be streamlined. “Our aim is to reinvigorate the enterprise network by directing attention on key tasks through a trimmer Scottish Enterprise that provides strategic direction, while delivery is devolved to more focused agencies,” it says.

Changes to the structure of the Scottish Executive itself are also likely to impact upon renewal north of the border (see box). There are now six departments, rather than the nine under the previous arrangements. Two departments in the last Executive with key regeneration responsibilities have been dissolved, with their responsibilities reallocated.

The majority of the responsibilities held by the now defunct Development Department, which was in charge of regeneration, housing and social justice, have been transferred to the new Health and Wellbeing Department. The Development Department’s social enterprise and voluntary sector brief has passed to a new Finance and Sustainable Growth (FSG) super-department, a move that has been welcomed by the social enterprise and voluntary sectors. “Social enterprise is clearly going to be much more central to government thinking,” says the SSEC’s Molyneux.

Meanwhile, the Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department has also been scrapped, with its business, industry and transport responsibilities hived off to the FSG, and its training and skills responsibilities passed to a new Education and Lifelong Learning Department.

Nearly a month after the SNP’s victory, it is still too early to judge the implications for renewal. But Salmond and his new cabinet must work to ensure that disruption to regeneration caused by the changes is minimised.

NEW EXECUTIVE STRUCTURE

Office of the First Minister

Responsible for: development and implementation of policy.

Finance and Sustainable Growth Department

Responsible for: city and community planning, business and industry, the voluntary sector and social economy, transport policy.

Education and Lifelong Learning Department

Responsible for: education, science and lifelong learning, training and skills.

Health and Wellbeing Department

Responsible for: social inclusion, anti-poverty policy, housing and regeneration.

Justice Department

Responsible for: anti-social behaviour policy, youth justice, charity law, religious and faith organisations.

Rural Affairs and the Environment Department

Responsible for: environment, land reform, sustainable development.

 

Author: Spruce Carpets Ltd

Spruce Carpets branching out

Spruce Carpets Ltd

24.05.07

 

A recent visit from Renew in Tees Valley has lead to Spruce Carpets being taken to new places. 

 

Still at the early stages of development a feasibility study has confirmed the value of replicating the Spruce Carpets model to benefit the Tees Valley community.

 

Following the visit to Spruce, Chris Hayward from Renew said, “Seeing Spruce first hand, meeting the people behind the operation and realizing the scale of community benefits, we are fully committed and inspired to create our own Spruce in Tees Valley.  Once partners are confirmed we will be taking the development forward with out delay.”

 

Spruce Carpets takes in donations of carpets, refurbishes them and sells them at low cost to people in need or on a budget.  This model benefits not only people on a budget but also provides volunteer and training placements to individuals who face barriers to employment, as well as diverting waste from landfill.  Spruce is a true example of a triple bottom line community business.

 

Spruce has helped over 1500 people carpet their homes, 100 people build confidence and skills and diverted over 80 tonnes of resources from landfill.

 

Spruce also sells refurbished carpet tiles and fitting service to charities, small and medium enterprises and organizations with a sustainable interest.

Author: Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum

No Small Matter

 

A Surf Seminar On Small Town Regeneration

Cosla Conference Centre, Edinburgh – 15.05.07

 

Event Summary and main outcomes

 

SURF Vice Chair Colin Armstrong welcomed over 60 delegates from Orkney to Dumfries who gathered in Edinburgh on May 15th to the SURF Small Town Regeneration seminar- ‘No Small Matter’. The title refers to the fact that 30% of the Scottish population live in small towns (up to 20K population.). Much of the Scottish community regeneration debate, policy and resource allocation of recent years has been focused on the cities and their surrounding areas of concentrated disadvantage. To help stimulate some more debate on this issue SURF ran a series of articles in the 2004/5 issues of its Scotregen journal on the particular challenges for Scotland’s small towns. Towards the end of 2006, Scottish Borders Council, in co-operation with CoSLA, produced a substantial report calling for dedicated policy and resource support for Scotland’s small towns. In its role as the independent forum for regeneration policy and practice in Scotland, SURF convened the ‘No Small Matter’ seminar to explore this important issue further.

 

The purpose of the ‘No Small Matter’ seminar was:

 

•           To learn more of new approaches for supporting small town regeneration in differing contexts.

•           To highlight the potential for linking local skills, knowledge and expertise in an invigorated local Community Planning approach.

•           To consider specific funding proposals to the development of small towns as models of sustainability.

•           To consider the case for more vigorous local democracy through community specific social, economic and environmental ‘health-checks’

•           To inform policy and resources considerations for regenerating Scotland’s small towns.

•           To help re-engage national regeneration organisations and strategies with local communities.

 

The programme was designed provide learning from different approaches and to use the wide range of expertise from the delegates attending to bring out some useful proposals for improving future policy and priority based resource allocation.

 

The three introductory key speakers were:

•           Ian Lindley, Director of Planning and Economic Development at Scottish Borders Council.  Ian started proceedings by outlining the history of the production on the 2005 Scottish Small Towns report and some proposals for ‘whole town health checks’ and a dedicated catalytic funding mechanism to encourage action through effective local partnership. He also noted the consistency of the issues and opportunities in respect of small town regeneration in England and Europe as well as across urban and rural Scotland.

 

•           Kirsten Francis of the successful ‘One North East’ English Regional Development Agency, who illustrated the information based approach of their Market Towns Strategy which is designed to support ‘distinctive development’ rather than growth at the expense of identity.

•           Brian MacDonald, Regeneration Director at the new Irvine Bay Urban Regeneration Company was the final key speaker. Brian described the new URC’s plans for building on the history and potential of the five small towns within its area and how these fitted within a unified strategy.

 

Ian, Brian and Kirsten were then joined on a ‘policy and practice’ panel by representatives of the main government agencies which have specific roles in supporting regeneration across Scotland.

These were:

 

Laura McIvor –    Scottish Executive

Euan Dobson –   Scottish Enterprise

Ian Mitchell –      Director of Regeneration at Communities Scotland

Jon Harris –        Director of Strategy at CoSLA

 

Comments and Questions

In the course of the policy panel questions and comments a number of points were made including the following:

 

Local models

Development Trusts and locally based housing associations offer good opportunities for building local community capacity and ownership of assets and processes.

 

Small Town report – where are we now?

All the main political parties had made various commitments on a similar theme to resourcing smaller town regeneration strategies. The sums varied but the consensus on the need for dedicated resources was apparent.

In the present political climate there are significant opportunities to progress this discussion towards some coherent action.

           

The right focus

There was some discussion as to whether the focus should be specifically small towns. Some agued that proper consideration of place provides a more practical focus. They felt that the distinctiveness of place helps in securing meaningful local engagement within appropriate structures to meet locally specific circumstances and needs relevant aims. The successes of HIE in this place based approach was noted.

 

Institutional complexity

Some community activists noted that the apparent complexity of institutional structures and related bodies was unhelpful for local groups trying to find advice, partnership and practical support.

 

Private partners

It was argued that supporting local small private sector services and commercial initiatives was vital in creating local vibrancy and confidence. Local chambers of commerce and small business federations need to be linked into local plans and strategies, but in the right place to compliment their appropriate roles and interests.

 

Leading roles

The need for local leadership to build trust and co-operation is an essential element of any partnership approach. The role of local activists as well as elected councillors should be equally respected.

 

Local services

Good quality local services are core to maintaining and developing successful and sustainable communities.

 

Changing climate

More consideration needs to be given to the opportunities and challenges that climate change presents for local development.

 

Spreading the jam

Some queried whether the mooted figure of £90M for a catalytic target based Small Town partnership fund was sufficient. Others argued that such resources as are available should be directed to practical initiatives rather than central planning structures. There was some discussion as to whether the formal Community Planning process under local authority leadership was the right vehicle for encouraging community entrepreneurship and action.

 

A cultured approach

The relevance to the debate of the more creative Cultural Planning approach was noted and participants were encouraged to look at the Culture at the Centre report produced by the National Cultural planning Steering Group.

 

Discussion group feedback

Delegates in small, facilitated discussion groups were asked to reflect on the discussion so far in the context of their own knowledge and experience.  Each group then agreed 3 points or recommendations successful small town regeneration to feed back to the final plenary session

 

These included the following:

  

Funding And Sustainability

•           We must try to agree sustainable structures and processes matched with appropriate support

•           It’s not just about resources, but also prioritisation of points for action.

•           A dedicated (risky, kick start) fund of £200M allocated within a 5-10 year target driven programme should be considered

•           Sustainability needs to be viewed on a very long term basis

 

Partnership

•           More trust across agencies and between agencies and communities is essential

•           In Community Planning Local Authorities should act as facilitators and make space for others to deliver.

•           Realism in what can be achieved is also an important basis of building trust

•           Particular investment in Community Planning regeneration structures is needed to engage the private sector

 

Models

•           The internal knowledge based market town model is one to follow.

•           What are the effective local delivery vehicles? If not Community Planning?

Community Involvement

•           Investment in research to provide communities with real information for well informed key priority decisions can support trust co-operation and involvement

•           There is some concern regarding  a lack of aspiration and motivation from some communities.

•           We need to find new ways of working at a local level in terms of politics and community involvement.

•           Community Planning is not the only vehicle for community involvement and improving service delivery.

•           Issue based and action centred community engagement is central to success.

Learning

•           A best practice tool kit for developing local policy in small town regeneration would be helpful.

•           One size does not fit all

•           Learning and training needs to be based on failure as well as success

 

Added audience point – Consideration of the challenges and opportunities presented by climate change is a vital issue a useful driver of collective action

 

 

Summary and follow up.

In conclusion it was noted that the days event had been a useful and timely opportunity to review the case for a more focused approach to supporting the vital role of small towns. In following through on this debate:

•           The Small Towns Task group will continue to lobby its case for distinct policy consideration and resources for small towns.

•           The National Cultural planning Steering group will be following through on its work in support of using local culture assets and knowledge to help create locally relevant community regeneration strategies at all levels.

•           SURF will use the information, comments and proposals from this event to help inform discussions towards better regeneration policy for communities across Scotland.

•           CoSLA, the Scottish Executive and its agencies will continue to develop their thinking and responses to the varied challenges of supporting successful and sustainable regeneration.

 

Copies of the key speakers presentations are available on the SURF web site at www.scotregen.co.uk

 

Andy Milne – SURF Chief Executive 21.5.07

 

 

Author: BBC

Think-tank attacks city’s rebirth 

 

BBC

22.05.07

 

 

Poorer parts of Scotland‘s largest city have been left behind by major regeneration projects, according to a new report.

 

Think-tank Demos found that high-profile regeneration programmes were failing to improve many people’s quality of life.

 

The survey also found that many UK city leaders were running out of ideas to “deepen the urban renaissance”.

 

Glasgow City Council dismissed the report as “an insult to Glaswegians”.

 

The report – The Dreaming City: Glasgow 2020 and the power of mass imagination – called for “mass-imagination” programmes to “capture the aspirations and creativity of citizens”.

 

It warned that without this, regeneration efforts which rely on iconic architecture, leisure and tourism would increase social division and erode trust and civic pride.

 

Demos asked more than 5,000 Glaswegian residents to create a new shared vision for the future of their city.

 

Schoolchildren, council tenants, company directors, cleaners, asylum seekers, single parents and teenagers were among those who took part.

 

The report argued that recent UK urban regeneration was based on an unsustainable ‘cultural arms race’, with cities competing against each other to attract investment and tourism.

 

New ideas

 

Melissa Mean, head of Demos’ self build cities programme, said: “City leaders are running on empty in terms of ideas to sustain the urban renaissance.

 

“When every city has commissioned a celebrity architect and pedestrianised a cultural quarter, distinctiveness is reduced to a formula.

 

“To find some new ideas and energy, instead of dry consultations which have pre-set boxes to be ticked, cities need to open up to the mass imagination of their citizens.

  

“People in Glasgow showed that they have the creativity to imagine better and more innovative futures. Councils need to listen.”

 

However, Glasgow City Council was scathing in its condemnation of the survey.

 

A spokesman said: “This report is nothing less than an insult to the many Glaswegians who gave up their time to take part.

 

“Bizarre would be a charitable way to describe some of the report’s conclusions. What on earth is meaningless nonsense such as ‘assemblies of hope’, ‘alchemists’ or ‘mass imaginings’?

 

“Regeneration in Glasgow has meant new homes, schools and leisure facilities in every community.

 

“That’s something London-based academics who know nothing and care less about Glasgow may ignore, but means a huge amount to Glaswegians.

 

“Of course, there is still a lot of work to do in the city. However, this will be done by investing in education, getting more people into work, and continuing to regenerate local communities, including more new housing.”