The Contribution of community enterprise in British urban regeneration in a period of state retrenchment.

Transcription

1 The Contribution of community enterprise in British urban regeneration in a period of state retrenchment. ESRC Seminar: Entrepreneurial Neighbourhoods Delft University of Technology 9-10 September, 2015 Professor Nick Bailey Faculty of Architecture & the Built Environment University of Westminster

2 Defining social and community enterprise

3 Development Trusts.. Engage in economic, social and environmental regeneration of a defined area or community of interest; Are independent, not-for-profit, aiming for sustainability; Aim to be entrepreneurial, sustainable and accountable; Are actively involved in partnerships with stakeholders; Are registered as a community interest company or company limited by guarantee and a charity; May be involved in an area subject to regeneration

4 Assets owned by Locality members in England Source: Locality membership survey 2012 Total assets: 643m

5 Source: Local Government Association, Future Funding Outlook for Councils, 2019/20: Interim 2015 Update Source: Local Government Association, July 2013

6 Business model: Established in response to opportunity or based on past record of community activity; Entrepreneurial in assessing opportunities, accessing assets and capital often using political contacts and persuasion; Access commercial and public funding sources, depending on cross-subsidisation where possible; Use community participation methods in order to identify priorities, increase commitment, and raise profile; Take on marginal projects and take over assets with high risk/low returns, often rejected by market; Varying levels of involvement with other regeneration strategies.

7 Community Enterprise and Urban Regeneration Policy fluctuation, politically driven, state in the lead; Top-down, target driven, funding towards most deprived areas from ; From 2010 local funding cut, not targeted, Big Society, localism, state at best in supporting role; From 2003 and 2010 neoliberalism: rhetoric of empowerment, participation, localism, asset transfer

8 Assets of Community Value Under Localism Act 2011 groups can apply to local council to register an Asset of Community Value; When asset is for sale, group has 6 months to raise the market value before it can be sold on open market; Often applied to pubs but also redundant schools, libraries etc. Similar powers operating in Scotland

9 Model 1: Trusts set up to develop particular sites in a defined neighbourhood and which have a substantial impact of local development and the quality of local services. Examples: Westway Development Trust, Eldonian Community Trust

10 Westway Development Trust

11 Set up in 1971 to develop 9.3 hectares under the motorway Assets worth + 30m Board part nominated by Council, part elected by local organisations; Westway sports centre Westway Fitness Centre Offices, shops Nursery Health centre Training, English classes Grants to local organisations Strategy for upgrading estate and developing vacant sites

12 Eldonian Community Trust, Liverpool Formed in 1987 Former industrial site owned by English Estates Derelict Land Grant of 6.6m, housing funded by Housing Corporation Social and market housing day nursery, sports centre, community centre Assets of + 65m UN World Habitat award

13 Model 2: Trusts which begin by acquiring one building, site or asset and develop this as a major community resource. Tend not to be based in a defined neighbourhood but see themselves as a resource for a much wider urban area. Examples: Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust, Totnes Community Development Society

14 Hastings Pier & White Rock Trust After the pier was nearly destroyed by storms and a fire, the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded the Trust a grant of 11.4 million + donations of 2m towards the total project cost of 13.9 million for the rescue and restoration of the Pier. 0.5m raised by a community share offer

15 Atmos Project, Totnes Community Development Society 2014

16 Original Totnes station building now listed for historic value The site in 3 parts [2] owned by TCDS

17 Totnes Community Development Society Atmos Project Vacant/derelict stand alone milk processing plant next to Totnes railway station which closed in 2007; 7 year campaign to get station building listed and to acquire site from Dairy Crest at below market value as a legacy for the town; August 2014: Terms finally agreed to acquire 3.5 hectare site in 3 sections; one third bought By TCDS for 1; 2 year consultation with residents, groups, developers and housing providers to agree a business plan for the site; Will seek a Community Right to Build Order in 2016 from the Council to approve a range of housing and business uses.

18 Model 3: Trusts which largely focus on the delivery of local services such as employment, training, community development and cultural activities. They have a local focus but also draw partners in from a wider catchment area. Example: Lyme Regis Development Trust

19 St. Michael s Business Centre, Lyme Regis

20 Lyme Regis Development Trust Formed in 1998 set up to stimulate the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of Lyme Regis and its surrounding areas a company limited by guarantee and charity. St. Michael s Business Centre acquired in 2006 with Lottery funding providing business units, and serving as the Lyme Regis Resource Centre for the community; The Lyme Regis Resource Centre is a place where the community can get advice, and hire rooms, facilities, equipment or services, and is a regular venue for other community organisations (eg CAB, U3A, WSX Enterprise); Town Bridge, the HUB (youth activity centre), the annual Fossil Festival, providing small business units, On Board (Jurassic coast flight simulator), Digital Lyme (community owned broadband and apps), and LymeNet (community IT access, learning and work hub); Through coordinating the delivery of the Lyme Forward Plan various community services have been created including community lunches, community trips, support groups, a Foodbank, and a Credit Union; Future projects: a Lyme Regis Enterprise Centre, a community energy scheme, delivery of affordable housing, and an integrated approach to promoting the town as a year-round destination.

21 Supporting Community Enterprise Locality is the national network of ambitious and enterprising community-led organisations, working together to help neighbourhoods thrive.

22 Conclusions CE s are diverse, innovative, responsive to local opportunities and emerge out of local political, policy and community context; Regeneration policy can provide support but CE s are often smallscale, specialist and not fully integrated in local policy development; Output and impact difficult to measure so that CE role is not always fully appreciated by government; Dependent on high levels of community engagement and volunteering, building social capital and engage local political/cultural interests; CE s aim to increase community influence over local decision-making; CE s tend to be small-scale, contingent and specialised methods of dissemination of best practice and up-scaling need further research.

23 Any Questions? Nick Bailey Professor of Urban Regeneration University of Westminster