Transforming Places; changing lives:

A framework for regeneration

This document sets out an ambitious package of proposals – for consultation – that aim to shape the way that regeneration is carried out in future in England. The new approach builds on what we know works and aims to improve the value-for-money of regeneration investment.

It contains a renewed focus on ensuring that regeneration tackles the underlying economic challenges to increase social mobility and support people to reach their potential, regardless of where they live. Specifically, the measures proposed aim to:

• ensure that regeneration investment is co-ordinated and prioritised in the right places, with public; private; and third sector organisations working together in the same places towards a shared vision;

• devolve power – decisions about where to invest should be made as locally as possible, so this framework proposes an approach to prioritisation that starts with communities and their councils, and provides an approach, co-ordinated by Regional Development Agencies, to align investment behind local and regional regeneration priorities – making programmes fit places, not places fit programmes; and

• focus regeneration investment on tackling the underlying economic challenges that hold back deprived areas, in particular supporting people to get a job and get on in the labour market and boosting levels of enterprise in those areas.

Consultation

This consultation aims to shape the way that regeneration is carried out in future in England. It focuses on:

· improved economic performance in deprived areas
· improved rates of work and enterprise in deprived areas; and
· creating sustainable places where people want to live and can work, and businesses want to invest.

The consultation closes on 31^st October 2008