Select Committee on Communities and Local Government Committee Written Evidence


Memorandum by the British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA) (CT 58)

  The British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA) has provided a forum for the exchange of ideas, experience and information for the diverse regeneration sector since 1990. As the leading independent champion for those involved in regeneration, BURA's unique strength comes from its wide range of members from the private, public, voluntary, community and academic sectors. The Association offers national and regional networks, pioneering and practical modular training programmes, diverse and constructive events and campaigns addressing key issues on the regeneration agenda, in particular the long-term development of the regeneration workforce itself.

RESEARCH

  BURA's dynamic cross-sector think-tank, the Steering & Development Forum (SDF), shapes and influences regeneration policy through independent research on issues around the practical delivery and implementation of regeneration and by responding to government consultations on relevant policy initiatives.

  The SDF was established in 2001 with the specific aim of articulating the views of the regeneration sector to policymakers through constructive dialogue. Recent and current research projects include:

    (i)  Regeneration Priorities for CSR2007.

    (ii)  The Sustainability of Suburbia.

    (iii)  Institutional Investment in Regeneration: Necessary Conditions for Effective Funding (with Investment Property Forum).

    (iv)  Local Government, New Localism and the Delivery of Regeneration.

    (v)  Provision of Affordable Housing: Issues in Policy and Practice.

    (vi)  Towards A National Strategy for Regeneration.

    (vii)  Delivering in the Growth Areas: Overcoming the Barriers to Regeneration.

    (viii)  Procurement in Urban Regeneration: Accountability, Shared Vision and Partnering.

BEST PRACTICE

  BURA identifies and promotes best practice in regeneration, guiding and inspiring the sector's evolution and exploring the social, economic and environmental issues involved for all parties. Our long-standing and highly-respected awards programmes help to define as well as promote excellence in regeneration. We see our awards as creating a body of best practice over time and so maintain contact with previous award-winners to disseminate the lessons from their experience.

  Several of our award-winning projects have been in coastal towns, including St Annes on Sea in Lancashire [BURA Award 2005], Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth [BURA 2003 & Crystal Awards 2005], Littlehampton East Bank development [BURA 2004], and Grange Park estate in Blackpool (DPM Award 2004).

REGENERATION BY THE SEA

  Regeneration in coastal settlements presents specific challenges, most of which have been explored in detail by this Inquiry: seasonal employment and economic patterns, transient populations, poor connectivity, housing market issues, neglected or decaying architecture. Renewal is starting to happen, slowly but surely.

  We believe the case has been made that coastal towns have specific problems and the nature of those problems has been well described by respondents to the Inquiry. This now needs to be formally recognised by Government. The next stage should focus on sharing best practice solutions and empowering cross-sectoral local partnerships to deliver the solutions through coherent single pot funding. There is no doubt that coastal towns deserve the attention demonstrated by this Inquiry and we welcome the explicit review of funding approaches. We need a debate about the relative merits of approaches like LEGI (substantial funding for a few pathfinders) and NDC (lots of money for limited number of "worst cases", versus, for example, the Coalfields Regeneration Trust approach of a major national programme allowing for interventions throughout the areas affected by industrial collapse.

  In terms of national policy, two major issues for almost all coastal towns are Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and the benefits system. Coastal towns share with `studentified' areas the urgent need for stronger HMO licensing powers or, preferably, a change to the planning use classes order to differentiate HMOs from other residential use (as has been achieved in Northern Ireland). HMO demand in seaside towns tends to be fed by the benefits system.

  However, welfare reform issues in coastal towns go far beyond this particular housing-related impact. BURA has been working with the National Community Forum and Community Links, in close liaison with DCLG (ODPM) and the DWP, to understand and explain how the benefits system could be better used to underpin regeneration and neighbourhood renewal. We have proposed a Community Allowance that would enable claimants to undertake constructive community regeneration work without putting their benefit status at risk. Since this kind of work is usually part-time, short-term, sessional and unpredictable it does not fit with a welfare system based on the notion of full-time work (at least 16 hrs/wk). It therefore becomes a "phantom economy" of work that doesn't get done even though the people who could best do it are present in abundance and the money that could pay for it is available through a plethora of regeneration and renewal schemes. While we believe the Community Allowance would be a major boon to all deprived areas, it could be particularly important in areas where seasonal and sessional employment is the dominant economic option—supporting local people in seaside towns to build up a whole-year portfolio of economic activity from a starting-position far from the "normal" labour market.

BURA SEASIDE NETWORK

  We are currently establishing the BURA Seaside Network. This is an indication of our belief that coastal towns around the UK have more in common than their regional distribution would suggest. The coast is a thread that draws together different parts of the UK—seaside towns in the north and south, east and west have a substantially shared experience and a lot to learn from each other. Reflecting the diversity of people involved in regeneration, the network brings together public, private and community interests from towns and cities by the sea, with different ambitions but a shared heritage, whether they were resorts or ports, fishing towns or shipyards.

  This new "pier-to-pier" network, launching in Hastings on 12 July 2006, aims to explore challenges and successes to speed up the process of change, share the best standards of practice and delivery, and join forces to build a stronger voice. We have had a very enthusiastic response, especially from regenerators who want to see the network focus on "delivery rather than more planning, strategy, etc".

NOTE: Distinction between BRADA and the BURA Seaside Network:

  The key feature of the Seaside Network is its CROSS-SECTORAL nature. Whereas BRADA is mainly for local authorities, BURA has a unique membership which is one-quarter public sector, one-quarter private sector, one-quarter voluntary/community sector, one-quarter individuals. This guides our approach to all our work including the Seaside Network.

  The Seaside Network aims to involve all TOWNS BY THE SEA whether they are/were ports, resorts or a bit of both, and regardless of how they see their future economic niche.

  Our focus is very strongly on REGENERATION, and therefore alongside issues of the physical fabric, tourism, transport and economic development, the Network will also address issues such as welfare, asylum, education and health, housing, and community development that would be less likely to feature in an association focusing on coastal destinations and attractions.





 
previous page contents next page

House of Commons home page Parliament home page House of Lords home page search page enquiries index

© Parliamentary copyright 2007
Prepared 7 March 2007