1. SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
AND REGENERATION : OPUN
CONFERENCE
6 October 2011
HENRY CLEARY – HOUSING & GROWTH PROGRAMMES

2. Communities and Regeneration
This is going to affect everything
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3. DIRECTION OF TRAVEL
- less funding and more freedom and flexibility
Coalition Government policies – some
generalisations
• Out large rigid spending programmes Picture box
and controlling public bodies
• In local tax freedoms, social enterprise,
release of public land, selective,
competitive public funding, better vfm
• Out National Government direction
• In local leadership and innovation
• Out Government imposed targets
• In Market incentives, deregulation,
liberalisation, local choice
eg. Tax Increment Financing/ Business rate
retention, Community Infrastructure
Levy
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4. Communities and regeneration
- a new angle on funding
• Heritage benefitted from growth and played a
key part in it – funding for projects as part of
urban expansion and renewal
•Places with strong heritage assets have been
good at attracting growth eg market towns
•Restoration of town centres has helped to
persuade communities of the funding benefits
of growth
•However development cash is scarce and
Government funding is no longer earmarked
•New public funding will be – competitive,
selective/leveraged and portfolio based
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5. Funding freedoms and incentives
Funding support is now flexible and based on local choice
Examples include New Homes Bonus and Affordable Rent which
encourages multi-area and portfolio approaches
Local Government Resource Review
Local Business Rates retention – an incentive to support business
growth
Tax Increment Financing – a potential tool for forward-funding
infrastructure to support growth
Community Infrastructure Levy
A more transparent and efficient way of capturing developer
contributions. Newark and Shropshire – other front runners.
Intended to give LAs greater flexibility and ensure communities feel the
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benefits

6. Growing Places Fund
Upfront investment in infrastructure is challenging. Community
Infrastructure and Growth Funds demonstrate good vfm
Chief Secretary announced a £500m Growing Places Fund (18.09.11)
to help unlock housing and economic development
Ministers want to put local areas in the driving seat:
o Local partners to identify investment priorities (LA accountable
body)
o Flexibility to define geographical scale and mechanism
o Opportunity to create a “revolving fund”
Final scheme details published around Autumn Budget Statement (29
November)
Focused discussion with local partners in October
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7. COMMUNITIES AND REGENERATION
- release of public land assets
Potential of public land
Large scale releases by MoD and
DH
Challenging – limited market and
opportunity eg for historic buildings
But some new approaches eg
gifting to a voluntary or community
body which then needs to borrow
Or more conventional development
but with deferred receipts – build
now, pay later
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8. Communities and Regeneration
- widening the engagement
• Interest in design and heritage are assets
in the new world of localism - Successful
engagement will be critical to success
• Localism Bill creates new opportunities
around Neighbourhood Plans, Community
R
right to acquire, Community right to build
and requirements for consultation on major
schemes
• But the need is to widen engagement
beyond traditional areas – not just evening
meetings but micro sites, street polls and
exhibitions
• Engaging people through the visuals
• Will also help with funding applications
(where still accessible)
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9. Communities and Regeneration
- change and new models
• CABE was a funded public body able to
provide free enabling support to Las and
funded design review
• CABE closed at end March 2011; Design
Council CABE is now an independent
charity with transitional funding from
Government on design to 2012/3) to help
find new business models
• Bishop Review to look at new options
• - reporting shortly
• Funding from development process
including planning fees?
• Doing more pro-bono and using local
networks and more web based help?
• Raising funds more widely – who cares
about design and heritage – what really
matters to us?
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10. Communities and regeneration
- new techniques
• BBC Restoration showed some of the
potential to engage
• Challenges are increasing – Simon
Thurley on heritage at risk in a weak
development market
• Time to think of new options – local taxes
eg tourist tax?
• Voluntary levy on historic home entrance?
• Help for those who help themselves –
Government‘s role is to enable, remove
barriers and help stimulate local initiative –
eg general power of competence for LAs
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