The aim of 'regeneration' in general is to enable communities that have suffered from economic, social and environmental decline to 'work' again. Although all local authorities have a duty to produce a community strategy that addresses economic, environmental and social well-being, contexts vary enormously across the country. Therefore, councils take very different approaches to their role in regeneration: some may focus on physical regeneration while others may prioritise economic regeneration. This briefing sets out the Commission's current knowledge based on over 60 inspections of local authorities' economic and community regeneration activity.
Analysis of the inspection reports shows that the most common recommendations involve the need for:
- clearer, evidence-based aims and priorities
- performance management and better monitoring of outcomes
- inclusive, imaginative involvement of communities and users
- the development of project management and partnership skills
Further work is needed to develop our understanding of regeneration. We need to find out how to take account of the interplay between economic, social and environmental factors and how councils can manage these tensions to deliver sustainable communities. The Audit Commission is therefore building on this briefing with further research into 'Sustainable Communities: People and Places', the results of which will be available in spring 2004.
There are no universal solutions to the problems of deprived areas and no guarantees of success. But the Audit Commission's inspections have identified encouraging examples of local authorities of all types and sizes that are making a difference. The Audit Commission commends these examples to other local authorities, to explore in partnership with their stakeholders how far these solutions are applicable in their own circumstances.