Regeneration
"Our towns and cities are a sea of potential which has not yet been tapped. Mobilising this potential in a sustainable and responsible manner is the future challenge for urban regeneration." - Committee of the European Communities
The European Commission and the UK Government remain committed to urban and rural regeneration, with policy support and funding flowing from this.
A fundamental task for policymakers and practitioners is to ensure that investment made today will deliver value in the future. The process of securing lasting regeneration remains a challenge: agreement needs to be secured on what is to be achieved and how. Practitioners always need to focus in a more co-ordinated way on problems and the areas where they are concentrated. Good research plays a vital role in monitoring and improving the effectiveness of regeneration projects in the urban and rural sectors - at a local, regional and national level.
ECOTEC's regeneration team has extensive research and consultancy experience, together with a detailed knowledge of regeneration issues. Our work ranges from large-scale impact assessment and evaluation through to neighbourhood renewal research and understanding the impact of culture on regeneration. We have links with academics, local experts, specialist consultants and policy makers. By bringing together carefully selected teams we provide an individually focused response to your requirements within the context of fast-changing policy initiatives and demands.
We can deliver the full range of our services in any of our regions in this theme.
Service Portfolio: Evaluating the development of national planning policy in Wales
Working on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government, ECOTEC carried out an evaluation of the processes used to develop national land use planning policy, including minerals policy, in Wales. The study focused on how policy is developed and presented. The evaluation involved a mixture of desk based work and extensive consultations with organisations from all sectors of the planning community, and wider, across Wales. The input from these organisations has been extremely valuable by bringing differing perspectives and experiences from the wider planning community. ECOTEC were also pleased to work with an esteemed panel of experts - Patsy Healy, Cliff Hague, and Christabel Myers - who advised on practice in other areas to inform the recommendations.
A key finding of the evaluation was that the framework used in Wales is effective and there should be no wholesale change. A number of recommendations where the process can be enhanced have been made. The evaluation findings and recommendations are now being considered by the Welsh Assembly Government, with a view to amending the process. The findings are also being shared with the other national planning administrations of the UK.
chris.ralph@ecotec.com
+44 121 616 36 00
Other projects in this Portfolio
