succeed and the history of the last 40 or 50 years demonstrates that. “Secondly, regeneration has to be about long- term sustainability, not just environmentally but economically. It is very clear that those regeneration strategies which have focused only on the physical regeneration of an area, basically fail. Without creating indigenous businesses and job opportunities and the ability for the community itself to grow and develop from within, as well as to attract investment from without, the regeneration won’t be a success. It is very important that it is not just physical regeneration, it is a social regeneration, an economic regeneration and an attitudinal regeneration. By giving the community the responsibility and empowering the community, [we will be] helping to develop a ‘can do’ attitude, rather than ‘we must wait until we are told what to do’ attitude. Tat is very important.”
Among other issues, the strategy looks at transforming the future of our poorest places. It states: “In order to address the deeply ingrained economic, physical and social issues faced by some of Scotland’s most disadvantaged communities, a sustained and coordinated approach across the public sector and its partners is required, alongside an increased focus on community-led regeneration. Solutions must be delivered across a wide range of outcomes and will involve utilising available resources from across mainstream budgets, including health, housing, justice and education. “Ensuring that local delivery is effective
is crucial. Local authorities are well placed to coordinate economic development and regeneration activity. Te Scottish Government is committed to supporting local authorities and will work with the Improvement Service and SLAED to implement the improvement guide for local authority economic development services.”
Community-led regeneration is also important,
according to Neil and is at the heart of the strategy. It will be implemented in part by developing a new people and communities fund to support registered social landlords, community development trusts and other community organisations to deliver local outcomes and by introducing the Community Empowerment and Renewal Bill to help support local people to unlock their potential for driving change on their own terms.
Te strategy also emphasises the importance
of realising the economic potential of Scotland’s communities through focused funding and other support mechanisms. Key funds have been brought together to form the Regeneration Investment Fund. Tis has different strands - SPRUCE, Scotland’s JESSICA fund; a £25m a year regeneration capital grant fund and the vacant and derelict land fund. Neil added: “I believe community development
trusts, there are about 400 in Scotland, are by far the best way to regenerate local communities and particularly those which have identified ways
Case study: Irvine Bay
The Irvine Bay Urban Regeneration Company (URC) was established in October 2006 by three community planning partners; North Ayrshire Council, Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Government, working together with the private sector. Their focus is the physical regeneration of the
Irvine Bay area which includes Irvine, Kilwinning, Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenson. The area has a rich industrial and coastal heritage,
but has faced major decline in recent years. Since the heyday of Victorian industrialisation and the new town developments of the 1970s, fortunes in the area have been mixed. Like Scotland as a whole, the loss of heavy industries has gradually changed the economic landscape – and more recently, the decline steepened as the area lost many manufacturing jobs between 1998 and 2003. An essential part of Irvine Bay URC’s strategy has
been to gain the confidence and support of local people via significant improvements to the town centres and to prominent historic, but dilapidated, commercial buildings that had fallen into disuse. The Irvine Town Regeneration Plan presents a
vision for regenerating the town centre and kick- starting the local economy, by building upon the town’s historic beauty. The work is being carried out in partnership with North Ayrshire Council and Rivergate Shopping Centre and will initially focus on four projects over the next five years - major public realm works and improvements in the Bridgegate
of raising money for themselves. If you look at Neilston Development Trust, for example, it used the Land Reform Act to community right to buy the disused Clydesdale Bank office. Tey bought that for a token amount and have turned the ground floor into a community café and upstairs into offices. Tey have now got a
Irvine’s Bridgegate area will be transformed
area; the refurbishment and redevelopment of A-listed Trinity Church as a commercial opportunity; the refurbishment of Bridgegate House and a new sports and leisure centre in the heart of the town. The projects will complement other exciting
developments in and around Irvine, such as the redevelopment of the harbourside and The Ayrshire golf complex. Working with Scottish Enterprise, the URC aims to re-develop the former Riverside Business Park to create south-west Scotland’s top innovation and industrial investment location. Now branded as i3 Irvine Innovation and Industry, the park has been divided into three distinct campuses. Development work is estimated to cost £1.2m over six years. A detailed, costed action plan is being drawn up. While much property development throughout the
UK has stalled, the URC see this difficult period as an opportunity to get everything ready for a fast re-start when the economy improves.
“It was time to take stock and to have a national regeneration strategy that identified, at a national level, the key areas where we needed to focus our attention for the next 10 to 15 years”
deal together with a private sector wind farm developer to create a community wind farm which will generate income of hundreds of thousands of pounds for them over 20 years. “In the longer term, they plan to reinstate a disused small hydro power station, which has been disused for 50 years. Tat can generate substantial additional income. Te community
development trust can then use that money to not only fund itself but to use it to attract other investment into Neilston. Tey can use the money in 101 different ways of benefit to the local community and that is a very classic example of what I want to see, and the Government wants to see, happening across the country where communities, urban and rural, take regeneration into their own hands and take the lead, with outside help from local authorities and government.” Regeneration work has not always been easy, especially in the current financial climate. Andy Milne added: “Regeneration
policy and resources have always struggled to keep up with the pace of change and the impact of national and international economic and social forces. Te massive economic upheavals of recent years have greatly increased the difficulty of this ongoing challenge. Over the same period, there has been a drift away from dedicated and targeted regeneration support for disadvantaged
12 December 2011
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