The new regional development agencies took responsibility for regeneration outside London at the end of March. Now community relations needs a regional tier, as well as a national strategy and local implementation.
The House of Commons is likely to a regional affairs committee to scrutinise developments in the English regions. On February 11, Leader of the House, Margaret Beckett MP, asked the Modernisation Committee to consider reviving such a committee, not active since 1978.
Also in February, the UK Round Table on Sustainable Development called for greater action at regional level. Its report, Sustainable Development Devolved and Regional Dimensions, recommends that the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Scottish Parliament should promote sustainable development in all their activities (the Welsh Assembly is already required to do so in its founding legislation).
On March 31, Minister for the Regions and Regeneration, Richard Caborn MP, published statutory guidance to advise RDAs on what the government expects of their strategies to improve regional economic performance.
On the same day the Cabinet Office’s Performance and Innovation Unit published a consultation paper on to deliver a more ‘joined-up’ approach to sub-national issues. Contact Cabinet Office Enquiries on 0171 270 1234 or DETR Enquiries on 0171 890 3000
RURAL CHALLENGE
In one of its last acts, the Rural Development Commission launched on February 10 a good practice guide for rural regeneration. From April 1, responsibility passed to the new RDAs, with the Commission itself merged into the new Countryside Agency. Rural Challenge: lessons for the future not only gives advice on future regeneration projects, but also recounts the results of the Rural Challenge programme. Since its inception in 1994, 23 schemes have received support worth £21 million towards a total investment of £75 million, with the balance from private, public, European, and Lottery sources. By the programme’s completion in 2002, some 3,000 jobs will have been created or secured, and 250 new businesses created. Contact Isobel Coy, Countryside Agency, on 0171 340 2906 (www.countryside.gov.uk)
URBAN REGENERATION
The first 17 communities to benefit from the government’s New Deal for Communities were announced on February 17. The aim is to tackle problems of high crime, poor health, educational underachievement and poor job prospects, by bringing business, local communities and government agencies together in local partnerships. Focused on the poorest areas of cities such as Birmingham, Liverpool, London, Bristol and Manchester, ?800 million over three years will support innovative neighbourhood strategies, demonstrating ‘joined up’ solutions. The Social Exclusion Unit’s Policy Actions Teams will learn lessons to apply outside pilot areas. Contact Carole Dawson, DETR, on 0171 890 3779
DERELICT LAND TRANSFORMED
Vandalism and crime are the top issues affecting the quality of community life, according to The Community Matters, a survey published in February to coincide with the announcement of the latest round of awards from Barclays Sitesavers. The four year, ?1.4 million partnership with Groundwork offers cash, training and professional support to projects turning derelict land into parks, play areas, sports grounds and health trails. Sixty six winning entries will each receive up to ?14,600, bringing the total since the scheme was launched in 1996 to more than 260. Contact Alice McQuillin on 1071 221 7783
CHARITABLE REGENERATION
The Charity Commission has decided that promoting urban and rural regeneration and the relief of unemployment are now to be considered charitable purposes in their own right. Announced on March 17, the decision is part of an on-going review of the charity register. Detailed guidance will help new applicants formulate objectives with a focus on public benefit, not private gain.
At the end of January, 186,383 registered charities were on the Commission’s register. Applications are running at around 2,250 a quarter, with two thirds gaining charitable status. Contact CC Review Team on 087-0 333 0123 (www.charity-commission.gov.uk)>
INVOLVING THE COMMUNITY
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has published Developing Effective Community Involvement Strategies, offering best practice guidelines in bidding for Single Regeneration Budget funding. Among the key findings is that successful involvement is far more likely when partners, including the community, develop clear strategies as early as possible. Contact The Joseph Rowntree Foundation on 01904 615 905 (www.jrf.org.uk)
TOWN CENTRES FACELIFT
Sainsbury’s has formed a partnership with the regeneration charity Groundwork to help give run-down town centres a new lease of life. Announced on March 26, Towns for People will involve local communities in designing, planning and carrying out work on creating new leisure facilities, improving the appearance of neglected shopping areas, and opening up safe and attractive new routes into town centres. Contact Graham Duxbury, Groundwork, on 0121 236 7392
Comment
With elections underway in Scotland and Wales, and the RDAs up and running in England outside London, the regional dimension is now a reality. Many battles lie ahead before central government departments give up their power; for example, Community Affairs Briefing has argued before that companies should lobby hard for RDAs to have effective powers over TECs – the long delay in announcing the outcome of the TEC review, reported below, is a sign of the fierce battle now raging in Whitehall.
What are the implications of the new regional tier for community relations managers? In the age of down-sizing, many national companies no longer have regional management tiers. Those with extensive branch networks, like banks and retailers, still do – but they tend not to have an external relations function. With the obvious exception of the utilities, virtually all community affairs is either very local or very national.
This will be increasingly unsustainable. Since headcount is unlikely to rise, existing staff will have to be given responsibility for regional relations. Looked at positively, this is another opportunity for mainstreaming into the business.
Corporate Citizenship Briefing, issue no: 45 – April, 1999
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