Regeneration is about transforming places for the benefit of people, about realising the opportunities from individual location, and about creating value and pride.
Foreword
Growing the economy in a sustainable way is the number one priority for the Scottish Executive. Economic growth leads to prosperity and gives us the means to tackle poverty and disadvantage. Economic growth is the route to a fairer society, to social justice, and to securing equal opportunities for all.
Regeneration is a crucial part of growing the economy and improving the fabric of Scotland. The Scotland we want to build is first and foremost a dynamic country: but it is also a country where everyone, regardless of their circumstances and regardless of their age, gender or race, has the chance to play a full and fulfilling role, and to realise their aspirations.
Our aim is to turn disadvantaged neighbourhoods into places where people are proud to live; to turn places that have been left behind into places connected with the opportunities around them; to create areas of choice and areas of connection, rather than inward-looking places excluded from the wider successful Scotland around them; and to build mixed and vibrant communities that sustain themselves. We want to make all of our cities, towns and neighbourhoods places that are attractive to live, work and invest in.
People - Regeneration is fundamentally about transforming places for the benefit of people who live and work in and around the area. This means responding to the needs of local people and creating opportunities from which they can benefit in terms of jobs, skills, training and employability. These issues are interdependent; and they are the key to tackling the economic and social problems facing communities across Scotland. We are determined to ensure that economic development delivers real benefits for the areas in most need. But we are also committed to creating new possibilities and new horizons for all communities.
Place - Regeneration is about realising the opportunities from individual locations, their distinctive buildings and structures, their past heritage, new cultures and proximity to other regional assets such as areas of business growth, new jobs and opening up new transport links. It is about transforming the way places look, feel, and serve the needs of local people. We will build on the local economies of Scotland and use regeneration to contribute to the continued growth of our cities, the key economic drivers for Scotland.
Partnership - No one body, whether local or national, holds all of the levers or has all of the answers. And regeneration is not just about public sector organisations and public sector expenditure. Where the private sector is willing and able to invest in the effective and sustainable transformation of an area then that opportunity should be grasped. Our approach to regeneration will seek to act as a catalyst, or lay the foundations, for private sector activity. Successful regeneration is based on a partnership between different players in both the private and public sectors. It needs to be structured in a way that harnesses and focuses partnership working between and across these various organisations. This may include the use of special purpose vehicles to encourage the development of a single vision and sustain the commitment of different organisations. And it needs to build on the strengths of individual partners to deliver outcomes that are greater than the sum of the parts; outcomes that meet the aspirations of the communities served.
Prosperity - Regeneration is about creating value, and about creating pride. Our commitment is to work to secure regeneration and sustainable economic growth that delivers real, tangible benefits for the whole of the country. We will ensure that our policies work together, in an integrated way, to build a better Scotland.
We have made good progress since devolution. But it is clear that we have more to do: to grow our urban communities; to grow our cities; and to regenerate our former coalfield areas. This is a challenge in which the Executive and all of its agencies have a major role to play. And it requires us to be clear about our priorities.
This statement defines the regeneration challenge; describes the role the Executive intends to play going forward; sets out our current strategic priorities; and says what action we will take, to complement the support we are already providing in support of local area regeneration.
Above all, it is a statement of intent; and it is a statement of our determination to step up the pace in transforming Scotland for the better.
Malcolm Chisholm MSP
Minister for Communities