Meeting Place Communications opens in Chelmsford

Meeting Place Communications has added to its offices in Bath and Reading by launching an office in Chelmsford to spearhead its business activities in Essex and East Anglia.

The move follows the company’s success in the South, where it has operated out of offices in Bath and Reading since 2006.

The business works with most of the UK’s major developers, helping them to engage local communities and win support for development.

Anna Sabine, who as company director is leading on the expansion, said:

“The growing demand from local communities to have their say on development proposals means we are expanding. We have already undertaken important project work in the South East, and feel that now is the right time to establish a permanent presence in the area. A new office in Chelmsford will allow MPC to work in an exciting region, where communities and developers are working hand-in-hand to deliver vital economic growth. We are delighted to announce this launch” 

The Chelmsford branch of Meeting Place Communications opens this week. For further information please contact Anna Sabine on 01245 218 160, 07779 100085 or email info@meetingplacecommunications.com

Account Executive wanted for our Reading office

Meeting Place Communications is seeking to recruit a motivated and ambitious Account Executive for its Reading office.

Our Account Executives provide a range of research and support activities for our project team, getting actively involved across the board. This is an excellent opportunity for a new graduate with an interest in PR, politics or public affairs. Graduate candidates with relevant experience are also welcome to apply.

If this role appeals to you, please express interest by emailing a CV and covering letter to nickchancellor@meetingplacecommuncations.com

Ambitious Director wanted for our Bath office

Meeting Place Communications is seeking an ambitious new Director for its Bath office.  We work with developers of all shapes and sizes, helping them to achieve planning consents through our work with politicians and communities.  

MPC has been steadily growing for the past five years, and with 14 staff over two offices (and plans for further expansion), we are looking for someone currently working at Account Director level elsewhere who is looking for a challenge.  

You will be leading a team of account managers and directors based in Bath and working across southern England and Wales, as well as being part of the senior team driving the expansion of the company.  

If this role appeals to you, please express interest by emailing a CV to info@meetingplacecommuncations.com

Planning consent secured at Pen Bryn Oer

Meeting Place Communications campaigning expertise once again excelled in securing a planning consent for a temporary 50m anemometry mast to be built on land at Pen Bryn Oer, Rhymney. 

After a successful letter writing campaign, Caerphilly County Borough’s Council Planning Committee voted in favour of REG Windpower’s proposal on Thursday 7^th June 2012. 

The met mast will monitor and collect wind speed for a maximum of two years on the site to determine if a small wind farm development will be feasible. 

Twice as many letters had been received by the council in support of the met mast application than against.

Key planning official appointed by London Mayor

"London Borough of Redbridge planning chief Stewart Murray is to become assistant director of planning for London mayor Boris Johnson. 


Murray has been chief planning and regeneration officer at Redbridge since last year and previously worked at the London Borough of Barnet and the City of London Corporation. 


At Redbridge he has overseen the introduction of the council's Community Infrastructure Levy. 


The borough was one of the first three English local authorities to begin charging the development tariff.



Murray, who will take up the role at the Greater London Authority (GLA) this autumn, replaces Giles Dolphin who retired earlier this year.



He will lead both the London Plan team and the Planning Decisions Unit.



The Mayor of London’s office said: 


'This team will play a key role in helping to ensure that the mayor's priorities of ensuring strong and sustained economic growth, the enhancement and maintenance of our existing economy and securing 200,000 jobs over the next four years.'



He has also worked within the planning team at the GLA in the past and was a team leader in the GLA's former strategic development team."


Source:http://www.planningresource.co.uk/news/1133145/london-mayor-appoints-key-planning-official/

The Good Campaign Guide:

Winning planning consents in an era of localism bears more than a passing resemblance to a political campaign…

Ten years ago PR consultants were lucky to be invited to a project team meeting, and if they did they might appear at the bottom of the agenda, somewhere below Drainage and Foul Water issues. These days most team meetings, and the focus of most clients, are dominated by the politics of a site and the views of local residents and their representatives, rather than planners or planning policy. PR and engagement has quite literally been creeping up the agenda.

Again, ten years ago one of the great challenges for firms like MPC was to persuade clients to avoid public meetings, a forum where they could only come off badly. These days we try to encourage clients to engage communities far beyond holding public exhibitions. 

As those able to come to a public exhibition are self-selecting and rarely representative of the community at large, the challenge for everyone involved in development is how to find and engage local people who will support development.  This could include: First time buyers, those seeking to move out of accommodation, local businesses as well as stakeholders who could gain via community benefits associated with development.

We see increasingly effective opposition campaigns focusing on negative and emotional issues – supermarkets ‘tearing the heart’ out of local communities, new housing ‘destroying our green spaces’. In response we have to campaign more effectively, being positive, but highlighting the emotional reasons why we want development – ‘homes’ not ‘units’, ‘parks for local people’ not ‘green buffer zones’. We should go further by engaging those who want to see development through proper campaigns designed to show politicians, the media and the wider community their strength of feeling. 

In May, Meeting Place Communications is launching its own Good Campaign Guide. 

This is designed to show a range of ways in which effective campaign techniques can be applied to the planning process. Using the experiences of a range of political and single issue campaigners, we have brought together a series of approaches that provide those of us in favour of change the tools to support our projects.

In the era of localism, hands in the air, shows of community strength, the number of phone calls to a local councillor or the number of letters on a council website will count as much as any planning policy that applies to your site.

Whatever our professional backgrounds, we all need to be campaigners now. 

For more information about the upcoming launch events or for an invitation please call Ruth on 01225 422243

Local Election Preview

England: A new system of governance on offer for English cities as labour seek to bounce back

A patchwork of English local authorities face elections this year, notably in the urban conurbations of the North East, North West and Yorkshire where Labour will be targeting nothing short of outright dominance. It also looks likely that Birmingham will swing back to Labour having been run by a Conservative / Liberal Democrat coalition.

The Lib Dems national unpopularity may also lead the Conservatives to gain overall control in Cheltenham, Colchester, Mole Valley and Winchester. However, typically the Lib Dem support will be very strong in certain wards which may make this aim more difficult than polls predict. For the Lib Dems the election will be about seeking to retain what they already hold. There may be some small scale success for the Green Party as their relative strong spots of Norwich and Stroud have elections.

Ten cities in England will also be holding a referendum on whether to have a directly elected Mayor, with the exception of Liverpool which will actually be electing their Mayor having opted to “jump the queue” and passing the Mayoral decision through full council. Polling suggests most referendums will lead to wins for the Yes camp. Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester and Newcastle in particular look to be set to choose a Mayoral system. The Mayor will be voted for by the whole electorate and have executive powers to make policy. There will still be councillors as well, but the seat of power will shift to the directly elected Mayor. The Government hopes that this will lead to stronger city leadership and a better connection with the electorate. If cities opt for a Mayor, they will elect them on 15^th November 2012.

Wales: In 2011 labour limped to something of a comeback but can they re-assert dominance in Wales this time?

Labour had a poor local election results in 2008 and will expect to make take back serious ground  on this occasion. Much of their success will depend on whether those Labour-inclined voters who stayed at home in 2008 vote in 2012. They have ambitions to re-gain Newport and re-establish majority control in a number of the South Wales Valley local authorities. North East Wales will also offer the opportunity for further Labour gains.

The Lib Dems will be battling hard to retain their impressive victories which saw them leading the councils in three of Wales’ four largest urban areas.  They will also hope to retain councillors in Ceredigion and Powys. 

Plaid Cymru face their first election with Leanne Wood as leader and will hope this boosts their profile in the valleys battlegrounds with Labour, notably Caerphilly where the council is on a knife-edge between the two parties.

The Conservatives currently have outright majorities in Monmouthshire and Vale of Glamorgan, both of which they should hold. If they also cling to control in Newport as lead party in a coalition, then it becomes a very good night for the Tories. A good night becomes exceptional if they take control in Conwy but that remains an outside chance.

Scotland: Can anyone stop the SNP tide?

Scotland uses proportional representation for its local elections and the net effect is that only four authorities out of 32 have overall control, two with Labour in charge and two with Independent groups. Despite starting from a high point the SNP still hopes to make gains against all the other parties and Labour will be just as concerned to constrain this growth as they will of making gains themselves. The Conservatives and Lib Dems will be battling to try and remain relevant north of the border.

London 2012 – Ken v Boris in The Mayoral Olympiad

Plenty of headlines but little policy as London awaits the outcome of the Boris V Ken, the re-match.

Forget the Olympics, the contest of the year in London in 2012 is the clash of the political titans (or to some observers, the screwball scramble) for the keys to the mayoral office at City Hall. The campaign has been as fascinating as it has been entertaining to watch, but for all the fun, it must be noted that for one of the most powerful political positions in the country, if not Western Europe, the debate has been remarkably light on policy. 

Polling had been tight until recent weeks; at one point early in 2012, Ken even took the lead from Boris. This has changed laterally however, as the debate took a more comedic turn, arguably playing to Boris’s forte, as any reader of his Daily Telegraph will attest. 

We have had “Elevator-gate” at the offices of a London radio station, where Boris is reported to have suggested, in his inimitable way, that Ken might be something of a “f***ing liar”.  This was in response to an argument over the candidates’ respective tax affairs, something Ken had raised, sniffing out potential political capital in the background of perceived national chippiness over Boris’s status as a “toff” and “out of touch”.  He may have been on to something, but he should have consulted his accountant first as, after much argument and one-upmanship, Ken was forced to reveal his own personal accounts which revealed that he had only paid the equivalent of 14% tax on earnings over the previous four years, while Boris had been stung by the taxman to the tune of in excess of 40%. 

Since then we have had “tear-gate”, where Ken was reduced to tears in a political broadcast by the stories he was hearing from “ordinary Londoners” about the realities of their daily lives. Anyone who may have been moved by these scenes may have been less moved by the Evening Standard’s revelation that those “ordinary Londoners” had in fact been paid by Ken’s campaign team. 

Aside from the comedy, this has been a campaign that has been very light on policy. Emboldened by Ken’s gaffes, Boris may wish to consolidate his much stronger recent polling by playing the man and not the ball. Londoners may well tire of this approach however, so perhaps we can expect to see a bit more on policy in the final few weeks leading up to polling day on May 3^rd. Ken would certainly be advised to dig up some policies and quickly, as his attempts to play the man have tripped him up very badly. 

Latest betting odds:

Boris – 2/7

Ken – 11/4

Siobhan Benita (Independent), Carlos Cortiglia (BNP), Jenny Jones (Green), Brian Paddick (Lib Dem), and Lawrence Webb (UKIP) also ran. 

Long-awaited NPPF published today

By Callum Barton

The long-awaited final draft of the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was released early this afternoon (March 27), following an introductory statement to the Commons by Planning Minister Greg Clark, who presided over the document’s preparation.

The NPPF publication date was announced in George Osborne’s budget speech last week, with the Chancellor promising that the revised draft would usher in “the biggest reduction in business red tape ever undertaken”. This sentiment was clearly echoed in Mr. Clark’s Commons address earlier today, with the Planning Minister declaring that the “sorely needed” reforms would put “power in the hands of communities” and “help build the homes the next generation needs”.

The new-look NPPF is patently trim when compared to its regulatory predecessor, clocking in at just 59 pages (prior guidelines exceeded more than 1300). In his speech, Greg Clark explicitly stated his own wish to move away from a system of planning deemed “too complicated, too costly, too uncertain”. Yet despite Mr. Clark’s insistence that the document contains “clearly-written guidance”, shadow communities and local government secretary Hilary Benn warned that the reforms could create “chaos and confusion” in their ambiguity.

This concern is rooted in the NPPF’s use of the term “sustainable development”, which was condemned by some as ill-defined flummery. However, under article 14 of the new document, a presumption in favour of sustainable development is set to become “the heart of the NPPF”, and “should be seen as a golden thread running through both plan-making and decision-taking” (pp.4, article 14, NPPF 2012). Sustainable development is in this sense defined by the Coalition’s revised “guiding principles”, which originally shored up the 2005 sustainable development strategy.

The new framework has been met with a generally positive response. John Cridland, the Director General of CBI, stated:

“Future generations will be thankful that the Government has held its nerve on this. Having a presumption in favour of sustainable development gets the balance right between supporting jobs and growth, and serving the interests of the environment and society.”

The National Trust, who generated much opposition to what was expected in the finalised NPPF, released a press statement welcoming the revisions, in which the organisation’s Director General Dame Fiona Reynolds wrote:

“There are a number of important changes that have been made to the draft, responding to concerns that we and others raised. These include: a better definition of sustainable development, based on the 2005 sustainable development strategy (and); the insertion of references to the use of brownfield land and the need to promote town centres… we welcome improvements which have been made to the draft.”

Perhaps the most surprising reaction came from the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). Although tipped to publicly oppose to the revisions, the group’s chief executive Shaun Spiers expressed his relief that “Greg Clark (has) recognised the intrinsic value of the ordinary countryside, 'whether specifically designated or not'”.

He went on to note:

“We are pleased the Minister appears to have listened to the strong public views, which mirrored our concerns.”

For any questions relating to today’s publication of the revised National Planning Policy Framework, please call our Freephone hotline: 0800 148 8911

Planning success brings cinema to Trowbridge

Meeting Place Communications ran a successful campaign of supporter recruitment and stakeholder engagement to secure planning consent for the regeneration of a key town centre brownfield site. The proposal was for an Odeon digital multiplex, an 80 bed Premier Inn hotel and a range of family eateries, cafes and bars all within a landscaped riverside setting.

A rival development for a superstore and multiplex cinema was being proposed for another site in the town. Through a program of rigorous supporter recruitment on the ground, including exhibitions and displays in town centre shopping malls, deployment of our ViewPoint online consultation tool incorporating social media, and extensive stakeholder and political engagement, Meeting Place Communications won round the overwhelming majority of public support, with over 2,000 individual expressions of support registered from Trowbridge residents.

Centre for Cities: Outlook 2012

Centre for Cities launched their Outlook 2012 report at a small event, which took place at City Hall on Monday 26^th January.

Challenges facing cities today

The Chief Executive for Centre for Cities, Alexandra Jones commented that the report illustrates the difficult year cities have experienced. She stated the report highlights the key challenges facing cities today such as economic development and unemployment and the importance of encouraging private sector growth. Jones specified that growth has been low but unemployment has increased due to the recession.  

She highlighted cities need to support economic growth given the current economic conditions.  It is important to recognise that cities are different both in terms of their levels of growth and unemployment. Three key challenges were identified:

1)      Short term and long term focus. The short term focus should be to help alleviate youth unemployment. The long term focus cities should be to establish ‘city deals.’ (City deals are designed to give cities new powers to support economic growth through Local Enterprise Partnerships). 

2)      A partnership between the private and public sector and between cities and governments.

3)      Policies are needed to tailor the needs of cities.

Unemployment

Unemployment is a major issue.  Cambridge unemployment is low compared to Hull, which has seen a rise in unemployment in the area. The reasons why unemployment varies from each city is due to the structure and the size of the cities.

1) Structure: The structure of the local economy is important for each city. Those cities that rely on manufacturing have done badly compared to cities that specialise in knowledge services.  For this reason, London and Cambridge have experienced lower levels of unemployment than cities with a more prominent manufacturing base.

2) Size: A large city does not necessarily mean a successful city.   Successful cities tend to be nimble and with fast growing populations; such as Cambridge, Milton Keynes and York.

 The relationship between cities and government

The long term focus should be a strong working relationship between cities and the government. The problem is there has been too much emphasis on solutions originating from Westminster. Central government needs to foster a greater understanding of the local economy. Cllr Sian, Leader of Cambridge City Council noted that the Localism Act is an important step in decentralising powers to local government.

This was echoed by Greg Clarke MP, Minster of State for Decentralisation and Cities, who believes firmly that the relationship between cities and governments is crucial.  “City deals” will be effective once a balance is reached between the government and the Core Cities outside of London (Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, Manchester and Sheffield).  Cities must take the lead on certain key policies and not rely on the government for inspiration.  A strong leadership personality at city level is needed; someone that is visible and able to push through policies needed for economic growth.

Cities must cope with population growth in order to create economic growth and job prospects. The impact of globalisation has allowed cities to share economic resources, which has paved the way for new forms of technology and communication. It is important to create a knowledge driven economy, connecting the power of invention with that of production. It will be vital to maintain low transportation costs and a level of trust in order to share policies amongst cities. Cities need to develop initiatives to attract entrepreneurs. They also need to develop their own vision, with the support from the government.  However, cities are not a franchise of Whitehall.

He highlighted the importance of cities being able to compete globally and to provide high value in goods and services in order to export goods to other countries.  Cities need to market themselves both nationally and internationally.

In summary, the Outlook Report not only highlighted the challenges facing cities today but also emphasises their potential to drive economic growth. Local authorities must find new ways of investing to ensure economic and housing growth, both essential for prosperity.

MPC secures outline consent for retirement village in Mid Sussex

Councillors in Mid Sussex have backed proposals for the development of a new retirement village.

The scheme will provide new bungalows, a care home and a community centre for Age UK West Sussex.

The approval was won with 11 votes to 5, after the officer’s recommendation for refusal was overturned following a lengthy discussion and some strong opinions.

Council members assessed the need for a new care facility against the principle of a strategic gap between Haywards Heath and Cuckfield.

Council members in favour of the scheme noted its popularity with Haywards Heath Town Council, whom MPC had engaged with at an early stage in the consultation process.

Furthermore, MPC provided support for the developer and planning consultants during a Councillor site visit; those members who had attended the event also endorsed the scheme.

Prior to the committee meeting, MPC produced a short brochure explaining the key benefits of the proposal. The next stage will involve developing a detailed application which responds to the concerns raised by members.

Small-l Localism beckons Miliband

If Ed Miliband was hoping for a quiet, business-as-usual start to 2012, his post-festive optimism was rudely spurned by a cold – and very much “blue” - reality. 

A subtle but stinging attack from Glasman

Last Thursday (January 5), Lord Maurice Glasman – Labour peer and architect of the controversial “Blue Labour” ideology – launched a subtle but stinging attack on the opposition leader. Writing in the New Statesman, Glasman accused Miliband of a failing “sectional agenda, (which is) based on the idea that disaffected Liberal Democrats and public-sector employees will give Labour a majority next time around”. 

This is perhaps the most caustic advertisement yet of wavering party faith in the leader. “We (the party) show no relish for reconfiguring the relationship between the state, the market and society,” Glasman argues, “the world is on the turn, yet we do not seem equal to the challenge”. Stark criticism indeed. 

The inevitable media hyperbole that followed was rushed out in pretty predictable terms. The Guardian strung a panel of journalists together and asked them to confer judgement on “What Ed Needs To Do Now”, while Labourlist, an independent Labour website, ran the imaginatively entitled piece; “Labour’s Plan A Has Failed”. 

Yet beyond the press imbroglio, some important points have been missed: chiefly, that the most significant attack yet on Miliband’s leadership comes from a leftist academic who staunchly espouses local, democratic forms of community management. This indicates the political solvency of general ‘localism’ ideals (emphasis on the small-l), and suggests that localism per se is now firmly rooted in the cross-party political consciousness. Could it be that Ed is hopelessly overlooking a Labour-style localism – such as Glasman’s small-c conservative, Guild socialism-esque “Blue Labour” - in his search for policy alternatives to challenge the coalition? If so, does this mean that localism (or at least strives for greater community politics) will remain a fixed feature of British political discourse?

A politics of responsibility and reciprocity

Jim Murphy, the Shadow Secretary of Defence, followed up on Glasman’s remarks, stating that the Labour leadership cannot stand to gain “genuine credibility” without accepting some cutbacks to government spending. The implication here is that Labour also needs to start thinking out loud about how community politics can foster (as Glasman dubs it) a “relational” politics among people; a politics of responsibility and reciprocity. 

Putting aside policy matters for a moment, there are glaring indicators in popular culture that suggest a collective desire for greater community spirit. Forget Tory trees, Labour roses and Lib Dem birds; one of today's most ubiquitous - and pluckily British - political images is the crown of King George VI, sat atop the defining mantra of good ol' Blighty: Keep Calm and Carry On. 

Rekindling a cosy British stoicism

This populist reappropriation of a wartime morale-boost sticks, and for good reason. For better or worse, the coalition's austerity measures (as played out against a backdrop of global monetary woe) have rekindled a cosy British stoicism somewhat lost in New Labour's “grand” project.  Where once it was “Spend! Spend! Spend!”, the common wisdom now is “Circle wagons! Tighten purses! Show those pesky French what a triple-A really looks like!” Populist attitudes have almost subconsciously endorsed - if not explicit localism – then at least a “community” ideal. 

Community politics is very much trending

All of which suggests the following: community politics, whether under the guise of “Localism”, “reciprocity” , “relational politics” or any other branding, is very much trending in the political world right now, and looks set to do so well into the future. Ed Miliband and the Labour leadership would do well to consider seriously the standpoint of figures like Glasman, who articulate viable and alternative political strategies at the local level which simultaneously cater to the majority vogue for greater “community togetherness”. Small-l localism is here to stay; the question is not “will Labour throw their hat into the ring?”, but rather, “when?”


By Callum Barton

Can the Lib Dems halt their local government decline?

As we say goodbye to 2011, I am sure many of our Liberal Democrat friends will be pleased to see it go. In a recent poll, Lib Dems reportedly close the year with just a 15% approval rating. 2011 was a year that saw them nearly get wiped off the electoral map in Scotland, their defeat on the AV referendum, and the loss of just under 700 local government seats across England and Wales. With 2012 local elections fast approaching, the question remains, can the Lib Dems halt their local government decline? 

Local election results last May

The results for the Lib Dems in May last year can be interpreted in many ways. These local elections were the first time that the public had a chance to comment on the coalition. While these were local elections, austerity measures implemented by the coalition have been passed through to local authorities and front line services have been affected. This has made coalition politics, local politics. 

Voters who do not like the policies of the coalition that, in the past, had been inclined to vote Lib Dem, either did not show up at the polls or turned to Labour who profited hugely from the Lib Dems misfortune. The Labour vote increased by an average of four points more in wards that a Lib Dem was defending than it did in those that had previously been held by a Conservative. 

It may have been that Lib Dem voters who sit more to the ideological left within the party were punishing the party for getting into bed with the right. These voters were voicing their distaste for the 'cosy' relationship that Lib Dems have been exhibiting with their coalition partners. Similar concerns were echoed senior Lib Dem politicians who called for a more concerted effort to establish an independent voice within the coalition. 

Why have the Tories done ok?

The Conservative Party, however, did not do too badly in 2011 finishing with a modest gain of 77 local council seats. You may be wondering if this was about punishing the coalition, then why did the Tories do OK? Nick Clegg and his party were perceived by voters as passive enablers to a Tory lead government. Conservatives were given the credit for coalition successes while Lib Dems took the blame for coalition failures. After rolling over on tuition fees and the party's muddied stance on NHS reform, Lib Dems have simply lost the faith of much of the electorate. 

It also could be that being in opposition is easier than being in government. Electoral downturn is common for the party in government at the time. You only have to look across the pond to America to see the truth in this. Obama’s party got a beating in the midterm elections for House of Representatives and lost control of the chamber. 

This however has not ruled him out as a presidential contender in 2012. Although the US and Britain are different political contexts - this is the nature of politics, support from the electorate fluctuates. The Lib Dems are new to government and to coalitions. In this case, the first vote post-general election turned out especially bad for the 'rookies'. 

Glimmers of hope

While it all may seem like doom and gloom, there are some interesting anomalies in pockets across the country that could bring a glimmer of hope to the Lib Dem 2012 campaign. Take Bath and North East Somerset (BANES) for example. In May 2011 the Lib Dems took three seats from the Conservatives and, with backing from the Labour Party, have taken control of the council. But, can the success in BANES be replicated in other areas? 

Before we get ahead of ourselves, there were some unique circumstances in BANES that helped the Lib Dems do well. Paul Crossley, the Lib Dem leader of the council, attributes this success to their ability to communicate with voters and differentiate local elections from a referendum on the coalition. This may be true but there are other factors that also added to their success. 

Firstly, up until 2007, the Lib Dems ran the council. Under their control, the council funded a number of controversial schemes that they ultimately paid for in the ballot box. The elections in 2011 had given the Lib Dems enough time to re-group and meant that they no longer suffered from the incumbency factor.  Secondly, the size and density of Bath means that it is an ideal place to run an on the ground campaign (leaflet drops, door canvassing etc). This is something that the Lib Dems are known for being effective at and is partly why they usually do so well in local elections. 

Finally, the local Lib Dem MP, Don Foster, did very well in the last general election. This gave the BANES Lib Dem campaign organisers a lot of canvas data along with a large core of supporters to call on. These three ingredients combined made BANES a recipe for success but also a unique case and unlikely to be transferred to other councils. 

Voters turning away from the party

Given that local government elections are usually a strength for the Liberal Democrats, last year was without doubt a setback for the party. The voters that the Lib Dems have relied on in past are turning away from the party in favour of others or not voting at all.  BANES may have bucked the trend; however it is unlikely that other areas will be able to replicate the series of factors that lead to their success. 

Recent polling figures paint a picture of a steadied decline in support but can the Lib Dems stop their loss of local government seats? In the short term, the brief answer is no but do not count them out just yet. With all political parties, support ebbs and flows. 2012 may prove to be another unsuccessful year but their future will be pinned on their performance nationally and their ability to establish an independent, truly Liberal Democrat voice within the coalition.


By Nikki Davies  

Urban regeneration: Can it continue under the same steam in this period of economic uncertainty?

The concept of urban regeneration is seen as one of the defining hallmarks of the previous New Labour administration. Ever since Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott set up the Urban Task Force in 1999, following Lord Rogers’ report into ‘Towards an Urban Renaissance’, the previous Labour government directed considerable resources towards regenerating our key towns and cities, particularly through quangos such as the Homes & Communities Agency, Regional Development Agencies and public-private Urban Regeneration Companies. 

While the inner sanctum of a number of cities and towns have seen marked social and economic improvement throughout this period, such as Liverpool, Sheffield, Salford and Derby, the wasteful nature of the organisations responsible, both in terms of the organisations themselves and the densely layered, ‘trickle-down’ structure through which they were funded, has been lambasted by the current Conservative-led government. The conclusion was the rather clumsy destruction of the RDAs, the drastic cutting back of funding to the HCA, and the resulting direct demise of URCs, with most winding up or continuing to run on skeleton staff.


A lack of gap funding

This left a number of important urban regeneration projects, including housing, commercial and retail developments, without the gap funding that they needed to continue. There is a strong argument that a large number of schemes were not designed to be respondent to market demand in the long term and did not survive because there was simply not the potential or current market for certain types of accommodation in certain areas. However a number of schemes simply required gap funding to ensure that complex urban brownfield development sites got ‘off the ground’, where difficulties presented themselves in the form of land ownership, ground contamination, demolition and remediation costs or, most crucially, the risks and difficulties involved in generating the finance required to invest in areas undergoing make-or-break social and economic transitions.

We are in an era where banks are likely to be, and already are in some cases, more selective and more cautious in their lending patterns and policies. Therefore, in order for these projects to continue in the storm of economic uncertainty, it is vital to reduce the perceived risk to the financiers of private sector developers and expanding businesses, both in terms of short term capital finance and the long term revenue potential of the development.


Short term financing options

In terms of the short term financing of regeneration projects, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has mooted the idea of Tax Increment Funding on a number of occasions, whereby local authorities can borrow from the Treasury against resulting rises in business rates from large development schemes. This could provide the funding required, reducing the risk for private developers in transitional areas to make schemes more attractive. However, this would place the risk firmly at the feet of local authorities, who in many cases have been accused of lacking the commercial awareness and ambition to enable development.

Funding for regional development that was previously provided by Regional Development Agencies now arrives through Local Enterprise Partnerships, under the guise of the Regional Growth Fund. While this arrangement is likely to be seen as a more efficient method for channelling funding towards regional and local job creation, a number of organisations have raised concern at the delay in establishing the LEPs and the resulting delay in accessing RGF funding. A large food-processing company in County Durham has recently entered into administration, having previously been promised funding from the Regional Growth Fund to expand its facilities. In the same news day, the Interim Chairman of One North East expressed concern that European Regional Development Funding for job creation and development is being lost with the inability to match it with local funding.


Long term viability

In terms of the long term viability of regeneration schemes, it is important for developers and occupiers to see the long term potential of the town or city, in terms of vibrancy, economic activity and most importantly, accessibility. It is therefore vital for the government to invest in making our towns and cities more accessible, making it easier and therefore more desirable to live, work and do business. After all, time is money.

In December 2011, the Secretary of State for Transport Justice Greening announced a £1.5 billion programme of investment in major road and public transport schemes, where schemes devised under the previous Labour administration were invited to submit revised bids for funding. This is undoubtedly a positive move for those places where transport schemes were approved, albeit with revised-down funding requirements, and will surely enhance the development potential of a number of towns and cities undergoing transformation change. However, the policy think-tank IPPR North recently noted a severe disparity in government spending on major transport projects, highlighting that £2,700 is spent on major transport schemes on average per person in London whereas only £5 is spent per head in the North East. If the government is to make a real commitment to regional growth and market-ready regeneration, it must reverse its policy of reinforcing the dominance of London as an economic centre and hence relieve the stress and strain placed on it in meeting the demands of Britain’s population.


Summary

Regeneration can continue and power through a challenging economic climate, but it needs the access to funding, whichever form it arrives in, and it needs it fast. It is difficult to argue against claims that Labour’s quangos have been inefficient and frivolous with the public purse; however, the current Government must maintain the momentum created throughout the last 15 years and quickly establish mechanisms to protect the future of regeneration schemes in the UK.


By Paul Erskine