Report: Let councils lead regeneration efforts
Author: John Geoghegan, Regeneration + Renewal |
A report launched today by local government think-tank, Localis, and umbrella body the Local Government Association (LGA) calls for councils to be given more powers over raising finance to achieve a locally-driven approach to regeneration.
In its conclusion, the report states that central government interventions using large-scale capital funding “are only able to achieve certain objectives and should be consigned to the past, particularly given the decreasing amount of funding available”.
Among the key recommendations to central government are an expansion of the community budgets project across the country, allowing them to be used in support of regeneration programmes.
The government has said pilot community budget programmes, in which control of spending on public services is handed over to local communities or councils, will take place in four areas in December.
The report calls for the private sector to be included in community budgets and given a greater voice in regeneration efforts.
It also wants councils to be able to use “bolder” funding mechanisms, such as tax incremental financing (TIF) and municipal bonds, to help finance regeneration programmes.
Alex Thomson, chief executive of Localis, said: “Regeneration is essential to the vitality of the country, but is tricky to get right. “The most consistent ingredient that we found in successful regeneration efforts is strong, effective local leadership”.
Peter Box, chair of the LGA’s economy and transport board, added: “Local communities across the country are badly in need of a growth stimulus to get their economies kick-started, and now is the time for action.”
A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said: “This government’s localism agenda is already handing more powers and resources to local authorities to stimulate regeneration and support the local economy through a wide range of initiatives.
“Local enterprise partnerships and city deals are putting councils in charge of local growth while the New Homes Bonus and Local Government Finance Bill, with its business rate retention and TIF proposals, will give councils even more control over their own resources.”