David Jarvis

Where next for neighbourhood regeneration in England

There has been a ‘triple whammy’ for neighbourhood regeneration in England in 2010. Key agencies and infrastructure have been abolished or cut back since the election of a new government; the previous administration’s area-based initiatives are ending; and property-led developments have slowed markedly during the recession. However, while policy stands at a crossroads, the underlying drivers for regeneration remain as pertinent as ever, regardless of wider fiscal and economic circumstances. Within this context, the article considers the form which neighbourhood regeneration might take during the next decade, exploring how evolving policy developments (e.g. localism, ‘Big Society’, Local Enterprise Partnerships) could impact on practice. Analysis suggests that neighbourhood regeneration will exist in a very different world to that which practitioners are familiar with, characterized by resource constraints, organizational change, uncertainty and upheaval. However, there are opportunities: a more powerful position for voluntary and community sector organizations with the greatest capacity; new forms of collaboration between neighbourhood regeneration organizations; and the development of new relationships between commissioners and service delivery organizations.

The role of faith-based organisations in the Big Society: opportunities and challenges

The ‘Big Society’ is a key policy driver for the new UK Government. It is an agenda which purports to re-establish the relationship between the state and civil society, raising important questions for social policy. Driving this agenda is a focus on a reduced role for government, based on the notion that local communities and organisations are best placed to identify and respond to local needs. The voluntary and community sector (VCS) is posited as having a key role to play in this and the article looks at the particular case of faith-based organisations (FBOs), drawing on empirical work in Oxfordshire. Reflecting research findings, the article identifies opportunities for FBOs framed in the overarching promise of the Big Society to harness and support the potential of local responses to community needs. At the same time, key challenges are identified in relation to how the policy agenda will be implemented in reality. Specifically, policy makers face a dilemma in relation to, on the one hand maintaining standards of delivery and promoting social justice, and on the other protecting the characteristics which enable VCS organisations generally, and FBOs in particular, to meet the needs of their local community effectively in ways they feel are appropriate.

Low carbon mobility: Opportunities and challenges for local economic development

The automotive industry continues to face tremendous competitive pressures, an issue brought into sharp focus since the onset of a global economic downturn in 2008. Moreover, the sector finds itself on the cusp of a transformative shift, with commentators and politicians alike suggesting that its only future is one which embraces emergent low carbon technologies (see, for example, HM Government, 2009). This provides both challenges and opportunities with governments globally encouraging the manufacture and adoption of a range of alternatively fuelled vehicles and their supporting infrastructure. This is articulated through support both for manufacturers, to encourage investment in the design and production of electric, hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles and their components, and for public authorities and energy providers to install electric charging points and hydrogen fuel stations. At the same time, incentives to encourage consumer uptake of new vehicle technologies are being used as a demand-side stimulus. The driving forces behind these policies include concerns over CO2 emissions and their contribution to climate change, and the local economic impact of continued migration of volume car production away from established internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle markets. The effects of these processes could offer significant new economic development opportunities for regions with a strong tradition of automotive manufacturing, especially for automotive supply-chains. Other regions may benefit economically from the development of integrated low carbon infrastructure facilitating the establishment of sustainable transport systems. Such initiatives are being widely encouraged through the confluence of various local, regional, national and supra-national policy measures and instruments. At the same time, a shift to low carbon mobility presents societal challenges. Policy makers need to ensure that the transformative shift already underway does not exclude sections of society less able to afford new technologies entering the market, particularly in the short to medium term when their cost

Capturing the economic benefits of a transformative shift to low carbon automobility

The policy framework to encourage the manufacture and adoption of low carbon vehicles presents new opportunities for traditional automotive manufacturing regions. This article examines such opportunities in the West Midlands region of the UK, where the automotive ‘cluster’ remains significant and where failure to adapt to changing markets could have adverse economic and social consequences. Our analysis argues that the region needs to capitalise on existing strengths at the upper end of the technology spectrum and establish itself as a leader in the area of low carbon vehicle technologies. In doing so, it is recognised that a coordinated and holistic approach is required, involving multiple layers of government, in order to support industry in the development and application of new technologies, and critically, to overcome barriers to consumer acceptance and adoption. The article finds that, whilst the West Midlands experience to date demonstrates the effectiveness of a joined-up and holistic approach to policy delivery, much more attention needs to be paid to a demand push if potential economic benefits are to be maximised. As a cautionary point, the article also questions the sustainability of the partnership approach to policy delivery given the abolition of regional government in the UK.

Rural industrialisation in a declining coalfield region: the case of north Warwickshire

Abstract In recent years considerable research has been conducted on the phenomenon of rural industrialisation. Within this area of study the growth and performance of small and medium sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) have received particular attention. Competing schools of thought have sought to explain both the development and the competitive strategies of such enterprises in terms of the geographical context, industrial milieu and the labour market which companies experience. Nevertheless, this paper contends that some important questions remain unanswered. For instance, little parity exists between the types of rural area examined in recent theoretical contributions, whilst the highly generalised explanations which have been advanced are unable to accommodate either the complex causes of growth or the varied production strategies adopted by small rural manufacturing establishments. On the basis of empirical research in north Warwickshire, this paper suggests that a greater insight into the location and operational strategies of manufacturing companies may be obtained by considering individual establishments within the context of their particular supply chain niche. The study area, an old industrial (accessible) rural area, formerly associated with coal mining, also represents an important departure, contrasting with the new spaces of production which have been the focus of much recent research. Clearly a movement away from extended generalisation has an important implication for the way in which future research on rural manufacturing SMEs is conducted; and for the implementation of rural industrial policy, which needs to address the unique challenges faced by individual enterprises rather than ‘manufacturers’ in general.

Where next for neighbourhood regeneration in England? Two years on

This article updates previous research published in Local Economy in 2011 that examined the changing context of neighbourhood regeneration policy and practice in the first year of the UK Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government. At that juncture, based on early signs of political and policy direction, we set out what the policy and practice landscape might ‘look like’ for neighbourhood regeneration organisations over the next few years, given that the emerging policy framework appeared barren. For this new article, we reappraise our previous propositions by exploring where neighbourhood regeneration appears to be heading in 2013, identifying new challenges and opportunities along the way. The article does this by examining the impact that current government policy is now having ‘on the ground’ for those neighbourhood regeneration organisations trying to survive. Primarily, it centres on the changing relationships between these organisations and the local and central state, local communities and the third sector, with a particular focus on Neighbourhood Planning. Informed by this review, some examples of good practice are highlighted which might assist similar organisations to navigate this period of fiscal austerity. The article concludes that neighbourhood regeneration is certainly not dead, but only forward-thinking and inventive neighbourhood regeneration organisations and communities are likely to successfully navigate the policy landscape they now face.

National policy-making and the promotion of electric vehicles

This paper considers factors underpinning technology forcing by national policy makers in the low carbon vehicle sector. It focuses on five countries - France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK - and examines the driving imperatives for promoting alternative fuel vehicle and, in particular, electric vehicle uptake. It does so by looking at four overarching concerns for decision makers; energy security, sustainable development, impact on the existing automotive sector and the pressure from sub-national actors. The paper seeks to show that national policy in the five selected countries is heterogeneous in nature making consistent, standardised approaches to policy implementation a challenge, despite the similarity in ambition to advance instances of electromobility and to transition from conventional transport technology to alternative fuel vehicles.