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Appendix C: Summary of current regeneration activity
This statement sets out the key actions we will take as part of our new approach to regeneration. The actions build on the significant work already being taken forward by the Executive, its agencies and our partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors. Some of the most important actions already underway are detailed below.
Working in partnership - policies, infrastructure and finance
We are already:
- Investing an estimated £2.4 billion over the three years 2005 to 2008 in programmes which directly support regeneration;
- Providing, through our Infrastructure Investment Plan (February 2005), a clear picture of where we will target our investment over the next 10 years to grow the economy and provide better public services. This enables the private sector to plan ahead and gear up to take advantage of the opportunities available;
- Investing nearly £2 billion in the water industry (2002-06);
- Delivering the £318 million CRF to bring about improvements in employment, health, education and the environment in Scotland's most disadvantaged neighbourhoods;
- Working with Scotland's 32 Community Planning Partnerships to develop and deliver 3-year Regeneration Outcome Agreements to ensure they take a strategic and joined up approach to regenerating the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods and make use of the CRF;
- Providing £20 million to support three pathfinder Urban Regeneration Companies ( URCs) in Clydebank, at Craigmillar in Edinburgh and at Raploch in Stirling to help kick-start a range of area-based regeneration projects such as the creation of business parks, infrastructure and land improvements and new housing and environmental improvements. These URCs plan to lever over £400 million of private sector investment to support the delivery of their regeneration plans;
- Piloting, through the Raploch URC, Glasgow Housing Association, Dundee City Council and Inverclyde Council approaches to public sector procurement which aim to validate use of community benefits such as training and recruitment opportunities; an essential component of physical regeneration to build long-term sustainable communities;
- Supporting pilot Business Improvement Districts ( BIDs) as a potential powerful driver for city/town centre regeneration. These will be initiated by local businesses to secure additional services to improve the business environment. BIDs will be funded, in part, by an agreed increase in business rate payments;
- Using resources from the European structural funds to support infrastructure development, high quality learning facilities and community regeneration initiatives;
- Working with key stakeholders to ensure that the future European structural funds are closely aligned with our regeneration priorities;
- And, engaging with the UK Government on the interaction between devolved and reserved powers in support of regeneration.
Circuit in Rutherglen and Cambuslang - return on investment |
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 The Circuit in Cambuslang was, for many years, recognised as one of the most deprived and run-down local authority areas of housing stock within the Rutherglen and Cambuslang area. Estate management problems, including deterioration of properties through lack of investment, high void rates and associated socio-economic problems, meant that the estate had been stigmatised for many years. In 1996 the housing transferred to Rutherglen and Cambuslang Housing Association with 175 tenants occupying 220 units of inter-war tenemental housing on the site.
The regeneration aimed to create a mixed community. Following the refurbishment of 60 of the original flats during 1998-2000, Phase 3 saw the first new build of 40 houses for rent which started in 2001. Phase 4 provided 53 rented and 12 shared ownership new build units, and a final phase of a further 57 units was completed in 2004. Part of the remaining land was identified for owner occupation. This site was the subject of a Grants for Owner Occupation ( GRO) competition, however, the success of the regeneration was shown by the fact that prices increased beyond the need for any GRO grant input in the final phase. Rutherglen and Cambuslang Housing Association will receive £1.3 million from the developer. |
Land and property
We are already:
- Taking a Planning Bill through the Scottish Parliament which sets out proposals for changes to the development planning process including a statutory duty on planning authorities to update development plans every five years and measures to improve the framework for using planning agreements, including increased transparency;
- Providing £20 million over the years 2004 to 2006 to tackle vacant and derelict land in the Glasgow, North Lanarkshire and Dundee - the three local authorities with significant amounts of long term vacant and derelict land. This will help reclaim 115 hectares of vacant or derelict land in Glasgow, 154 hectares in North Lanarkshire and 50 hectares in Dundee;
- Providing £20 million to local authorities over the years 2005 to 2008 to help them perform their regulatory role more effectively and to identify, assess and remediate contaminated land. This is additional to the £24 million already provided from 1999 to 2004;
- Through HM Revenue and Customs, enabling businesses to claim relief from corporation tax if they clean up contaminated land. Further information can be found at www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/cirdmanual/CIRD60000.htm ;
- And, through a dedicated website, Scottish Property Link ( www.scottish-property.gov.uk ), helping Scottish public sector bodies dispose of their vacant and surplus land and properties quickly and efficiently and helping potential buyers find out who is marketing particular vacant and surplus sites and properties.
Dundee Contemporary Arts - a vibrant city centre |
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 Dundee Contemporary Arts, situated in the heart of the city, is an internationally renowned centre for the arts, an award-winning leader in the field of education and a vibrant and hugely popular social and cultural meeting place for city residents, students and visitors. DCA has five floors of cinemas, galleries, artist facilities, education resources, the University of Dundee visual research centre and a café bar.
Ranked in the top 10 visitor attractions in Scotland by VisitScotland, DCA visitor numbers exceed over 300,000 a year. In economic terms, the venue's payroll of approximately £560,000 has generated a net impact of an additional £3.6 million in the Tayside economy. |
Creating Mixed Communities
We have already:
- Introduced the Prudential Regime and Community Ownership Programme - enabling significant new investment in housing improvement and the reshaping of communities;
- Legislated to ensure that local authorities produce comprehensive local housing strategies for their areas;
- Provided Housing Association Grant ( HAG) to enable the building of new homes for social rent, levering significant funds from the private sector;
- Injected substantial new private sector housing into many low demand, mono-tenure areas through 'Gro-Grant' for owner occupation - helping to initiate tenure diversification and pump-prime the remodelling of communities;
- Established the new 'Homestake' shared equity scheme to help first-time buyers get a foot on the property ladder;
- And, set a benchmark in new planning advice for 25% of all new housing developments to be affordable.
Growing Vibrant Communities
We have already:
- Invested around £60 million over the period 2005-08 through the CRF in creating safe, strong and attractive communities in Scotland's most deprived neighbourhoods;
- Published the Policy on Architecture (2001) to promote good quality design and established Architecture and Design Scotland ( A+DS);
- Published our first Planning Policy Statement on Designing Places (2001) and followed this up through Planning Advice Notes, such as PAN68 on Design Statements, which emphasise the importance of good design and identify and communicate best practice;
- Set a specific Closing the Opportunity Gap target, supported by the CRF and funding for tackling antisocial behaviour, to improve the quality of the local environment in Scotland's most deprived communities by 2008;
- Provided £6 million over the next three years through Historic Scotland's support of City Heritage Trusts to facilitate the improvment of Scotland's historic city centres;
- Improved the quantity and quality of greenspaces throughout Scotland through programmes such as Scottish Natural Heritage's £2.4 million Greenspace for Communities Initiative;
- Published, jointly with CoSLA (March 2003), guidance for local authorities on implementing the National Cultural Strategy, highlighting the role of arts and culture in planning for and delivering regeneration;
- And, supported woodland planting linked to regeneration through the Forestry Commission's new locational premium.
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