Yorkshire Forward and Economic Development
Learning Legacy Module 12
Urban Renaissance and Physical
Development
July 2011
Written by: Seamus McDonnell and Les Newby
With support from: Kerry Lawson, Ian Keith, Rob Tranmer and Lindsay Allan
Executive Summary
In the wake of industrial decline and restructuring in the decades prior to its establishment,
Yorkshire Forward recognised the need to transform places to make them more attractive to as
places to live, work and invest in. After an initial focus on continuing the previous site
development based approach, it developed a pioneering Urban Renaissance approach.
Urban Renaissance was a radical departure from what went before and focused on ambitious,
community led change in town and city centres. This came to be Yorkshire Forward’s most
prominent physical development activity, with high profile processes in most of the region’s
major towns and cities. These included: Barnsley, Doncaster, Huddersfield, Scarborough,
North East Lincolnshire, Bridlington, Halifax, Rotherham, Selby, Scunthorpe, Wakefield and
‘Five Towns’, Cleethorpes, Dewsbury and Goole.
The Renaissance programme focused on delivering the ‘great places’ at the centre of the
Regional Economic Strategy and was driven by a 10-stage process, split into four concepts:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Thinking Places – culminating in of a strategic development framework for each town.
Designing Places – specialist capacity was used to put good design centrestage
Making Places – the delivery of physical developments and change.
Learning and Growing Places – ensures that interventions are inclusive and sustainable.
Whilst the elements above, including; community engagement, vision and quality of design
were consistent, the nature and scale of visions and the change that followed varied. The
nature of the cities created different issues and dynamics so a less intensive process was
adopted. That typically put more onus on ‘masterplanning’. Success will take many years to
be realised and measured, but early indications are that whilst results are varied and required
significant resources, the approach has the potential to be transformative.
Property interventions complemented and were then integrated with Renaissance. These
tended to focus on land and infrastructure and relied on a collaborative approach between
Yorkshire Forward, local authorities and the private sector. Projects were diverse and required
a multi-track approach to be adopted including land decontamination, office and commercial
development, ‘economic infrastructure’ and facilities for advanced manufacturing.
There has been considerable learning, and main insights and success factors include:
a) The most successful renaissance approaches are transformative. That often equates
to large and ambitious programmes to turn around a place, how it is perceived and how it
performs. Such approaches require strong leadership and sufficient community support
and will inevitably require serious resources, which in turn impact on the resources
available for renaissance work or other priorities elsewhere.
b) Ambition needs to be balanced with realism. Renaissance raises aspirations for places.
Vision is a key strength that can garner support and drive change. However, it must also
be realistic in delivery terms. Projects that can be delivered independently of one another
and early wins help to maintain support and a process of change.
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c) Focus and prioritisation is needed to avoid diluting resources, the renaissance approach
and its impact. The Yorkshire Forward programme had very broad coverage. This
responded to partner interest but meant that it was harder to concentrate capacity and
impact. Large scale transformative programmes are most appropriate when targeted at
sizeable towns/cities with underperforming economies but latent potential.
d) Renaissance processes can have variable and unpredictable outcomes and their own
‘personalities’ in individual places. They depend upon the leaders, the communities and the
professionals involved, and need to reflect the realities and opportunities of the places they
are grounded within. There is no set formula for success and the opportunity to achieve
major change is intrinsically coupled with a degree of risk and uncertainty.
e) There is much value from a well articulated renaissance process that combines
community engagement and professional capacity. The ten stage Renaissance
Process was innovative and combined these factors well. Masterplanning approaches in
the cities also achieved success, most notably in Sheffield.
f)
Community engagement and ‘Town Teams’ made a valuable contribution in many
programmes. Issues to consider include representativeness and ensuring effectiveness is
not reduced by becoming sidelined from decision-making. A balance of providing some
steer on their role coupled with the ability to guide change appears to work best.
g) Impacts are greater where partnership working is strong. Whilst the most important
partnerships have been formed with local authorities, critical partnerships have also been
developed with the community, the private sector, architects and other stakeholders.
h) A strategic approach is vital to ensure that property schemes are part of an overall plan
and that Renaissance is informed by a rationale for economic progress. Strategic
Development Frameworks (SDFs) were key in this respect within Renaissance
programmes, although the time and cost taken to produce them needs to be managed so
they do not unduly delay or distract from implementation.
i)
Design and quality matter. The Renaissance programme had a consistent focus on
quality design that has raised the bar for design standards and expectations.
j)
Property interventions require good planning, a focus on market failure, and
consideration of how they steer the market. They should only be required where the
markets would not operate effectively be that to do with activity, design, or target sectors.
Yorkshire Forward initially carried out property interventions in some isolation from its other
work but got much better at taking an integrated approach over time.
k) Acquisitions, Influence and Control. Whilst strategic vision should guide interventions,
real influence and control will generally remain with those owning and controlling the
relevant site. Property purchase and site assembly are key to successful delivery.
l)
Consider the relationship between out of town and urban centres. Out of town
development can hamper the regeneration of urban centres, which are the best places to
accommodate some uses sustainably. Realistically some developments will work better
outside the urban cores, but the connection to urban centres should not be overlooked.
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1. Task and Purpose
At their inception, RDAs were designed to contribute to the economic development and
regeneration of their area, as well as to sustainable development. These were broad goals and
left much scope for interpretation. Regeneration could be largely physical or social in nature or
mixed, and even a more specific term like physical regeneration had scope for vastly differing
approaches.
At the outset there was no single, clearly defined task for physical development to deliver. That
being the case, Yorkshire Forward’s initial role was seen as largely continuing the work of
English Partnerships (regional arms of which had been incorporated into the RDAs). English
Partnerships in Yorkshire and Humber had been focused on regenerating land and making
sites and properly available to businesses, often at strategic sites near motorway corridors as
well as in ex-coalfield areas. The aim was simple, to develop sites that would not be developed
otherwise, and to accommodate businesses within them.
However, Yorkshire Forward was a different beast to English Partnerships and it had wider
ambitions. Spurred on by messages from partners, its own internal thinking, and from national
policy and academia (such as the Urban White Paper of 20001), it took the view that physical
development did not just have a role in often isolated, out of town sites with environmental
problems. It was relevant to the region’s towns, cities and rural communities too.
Much of the region had undergone traumatic industrial decline in the 1980s and 1990s and its
economy needed to be rebuilt and restructured. Not only that, many of the perceptions of the
region (away from Leeds and from North Yorkshire) were dated and inaccurate; of run down,
unattractive, ‘behind the times’ places. Exactly the sort of image that would deter people with
locational choices, whether skilled, mobile employees, entrepreneurs or investors. The task for
regeneration was also about widescale transformation of places, especially those with
problematic images, outdated urban cores and economies trapped in downward spirals.
The urban (and rural) renaissance programme was borne out of that thinking. It built on major
transformations that had already been achieved or were starting in some of the North’s great
cities; Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle/Gateshead being prime examples. It also tapped into
the prevailing sentiment at the time about the need for good community engagement and to
ensure that regeneration was done with people not to them.
This combination of an inherited workstream and new thinking led to a dual task focused on:
a) Place – a belief in a holistic (physical, economic and social) approach to sustainable
improvements to ‘place’ and the economic benefits that could then accrue.
b) Property – an approach that acknowledged the role played by land and property in
supporting the region’s economy and the need to intervene to make best use of this asset.
This module covers both Urban Renaissance and Property and incorporates the work
undertaken and supported by Yorkshire Forward in terms of physical regeneration projects
across the region.
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Our Towns and Cities: The Future - Delivering an Urban Renaissance, ODPM, November 2000
3
In setting about the task in these areas, there was recognition from the outset that:
This change would not, and could not, happen overnight. The approach had to be a longterm one to see success.
The change had to be sustainable and provide positive impacts and benefits in the longterm.
A range of different and varied interventions would be undertaken to provide direct and
indirect positive impacts on the economy.
Renaissance could never address all of the economic and social disadvantage within a
place, but it could help plot a route towards increased prosperity and opportunity.
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2. Approaches Adopted
a) Overview of Emerging Policy and Structures
In line with the regeneration role that their task incorporated, the RDAs incorporated quite
sizeable regional branches of the physical regeneration agency, English Partnerships.
Yorkshire Forward was no exception.
During the late 1990s, much of the work of English Partnerships had been focused on land
remediation and regeneration of ex coalfield sites, and creating new sites and property
portfolios. Many of these were fairly basic units in strategic locations, often characterised as
‘sheds by motorways’. This was very much the approach Yorkshire Forward inherited.
However, thinking within Yorkshire Forward and the region progressed quickly and the
renaissance concept was borne in 2001. Internally this followed on from the appointment of
Heather Hancock as Executive Director for Environment, who had no background in English
Partnerships and was keen to introduce urban and rural renaissance programmes to
complement the ongoing land remediation and property work.
Renaissance was based on a continually evolving subject area around place. It had directly
emerged from the Lord Rogers report ‘Towards an Urban Renaissance’ which identified the
demise of urban cores, the need for intervention if they were to be revitalised, and the important
role that architecture and design could play in this. But the references within Renaissance were
far broader and deeper. Since the 1950’s Jane Jacobs had railed against the demise of the
American City2. More currently, Richard Florida was developing a convincing argument and
narrative about the role played by place in influencing the locational choices of skilled and
creative people and the expansion of the creative industries.
Parkinson’s work on core cities3 points out that if cities are to attract the appropriate skills base
and investment suitable for the 21st century knowledge economy, then they must be able to
attract globally mobile individuals. The quality of the city’s environment, its cultural offerings, its
nightlife, its image as well as the quality of local schools/universities and the presence of
research institutions will all play a role in improving the attractiveness of places. Not just to
people, but also by implication to the businesses that skilled people run, or which rely upon
attracting highly skilled and able employees.
Renaissance sought to harness this thinking and to move it forward. Interventions would seek
to create urban centres where people would again choose to live, work and visit, and which
would be a platform for economic growth into the future. Whilst Renaissance would culminate
in sustainable economic success for towns and cities, the catalyst would be the physical
transition that could be shaped and secured.
Renaissance implicitly acknowledged the failure of past regeneration interventions that had
often been piece-meal, short-term, and flawed through the lack of a strategic approach. The
Renaissance approach led by Yorkshire Forward sought to overcome this. It was driven by
long-term visions for places that imagined 20 years into the future and a process which
2
3
Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jane Jacobs, 1961
E.g. Competitive European Cities, Where do the core cities stand?, Michael Parkinson for ODPM, 2004
5
incorporated a commitment to intensive community involvement (achieved through ‘town
teams’) to ensure that achievements were supported and hence sustainable.
The level of community involvement reflected the belief that the process of Renaissance is as
crucial as the content. The ethos was that maximising sustainable change requires people to
be involved, to own the outcomes, to believe that they are part of the process rather than
renaissance/regeneration being done ‘to’ them.
The first Regional Economic Strategy (RES) published in early 2000 had said nothing about
renaissance and little about regeneration focused on towns and cities. Its focus had been on
actions to ‘optimise the supply of land and property for business’ and to ‘develop strategic
development and trade zones…and the next generation of strategic sites’. Its content largely
continued the English Partnerships approach. But things were moving fast, and renaissance
thinking informed the next RES (2003-12) which said more about Renaissance (urban and
rural) and about towns and cities too in so doing further bolstered the Renaissance agenda.
This was in line with partner preferences, national thinking, and Yorkshire Forward’s and the
wider region’s growing focus on an approach more in tune with sustainable development.
Within its ‘Regeneration’ objective it included two relevant deliverables:
To boost the role of the region’s five cities as drivers of employment growth; and
To restore civic pride and engagement through integrated renaissance programmes in the
region’s major towns.
These were in reality still quite a modest component of the RES (see also module 1: Strategy).
But they went on to command a sizeable proportion of Yorkshire Forward’s resources and were
highly influential. They also pointed to an important distinction between towns and cities. The
more ‘pure’ renaissance approach became focused on medium and large sized towns.
However, regeneration was also needed in cities and these adopted often similar physical
improvement programmes to those that Renaissance led to in town centres, if with less
involved and prescribed community engagement processes.
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By the third and final iteration of the RES (2006-2015) renaissance
and place making was at its peak. ‘Great Places’ provided the
anchor and core concept of the strategy. The fact that place was
so central to the RES further strengthened the concept of
Renaissance, particularly among the external audience and
stakeholders. The concept of Renaissance provided a model of
how the great places at the centre of the RES could be delivered –
with a focus on the achievement of sustainable communities as a
key element.
The Renaissance Process
Rethinking Phase
Rethinking is about community
and stakeholder engagement and
visioning:
1.
Establish a Town Team of
the public, council and other
Internally within Yorkshire Forward, regeneration was driven by
separate ‘Renaissance Towns and Cities’ and ‘Property’ teams
which would merge some years later. Rural Renaissance work
went on in parallel (see module 15: Rural Renaissance).
partners.
2.
of architects, urbanists,
landscape designers.
3.
Renaissance and Property, adopted different processes for
developing and delivering projects according to their needs.
Indeed, each needed to be flexible depending on the type of
project being developed and the particular challenges faced.
It was crucial that the approach adopted was a flexible one. In the
case of Property this meant developing relationships and joint
projects with partners that could take into account local need and
opportunity. Urban renaissance work took a much more
community participation and vision based process. The
approaches, and examples of projects, are now discussed for both
urban renaissance and property.
Commission an Expert Panel
Hold a charrette to develop a
long-term vision for the local
area.
4.
Develop a Town Charter the 25-year vision for the
town.
5.
Publish a Strategic
Development Framework
(SDF) to enable delivery.
Remaking Phase
Remaking is about programming,
implementation and delivery:
b) Renaissance Towns and Cities – Rationale and Process
The Renaissance process for Yorkshire and Humber’s towns was
set out as a series of steps, grouped under ‘rethinking’,
‘remaking’ and ‘regaining’ phases and applied in all the
renaissance towns (see box on the right). It was underpinned by
the belief that the region’s urban cores were its engines of
economic growth. For these to function effectively they needed to
be places that people chose as a location to work, visit and live in.
6.
Develop an Investment
Management Plan.
7.
Plan and deliver the Projects.
Regaining Phase
Regaining is about embedding,
sustaining and disseminating:
8.
Align Policy and Strategy:
including economics of
The broad aims of the programme were to change places for the
better, to help address the physical decline that had often taken
place, and to generate a step-change in quality of development.
However, whilst many of the Renaissance principles were shared
across the region, the size of cities meant that a different approach
was adopted, with less community involvement, no town teams
and a strong relationship with local authorities and Urban
Regeneration Companies (where they existed).
Renaissance was a new and innovative approach that had been
adapted from a model developed in the United States where it had
Renaissance and strategic
links.
9.
Develop and deliver Skills
and Best Practice.
10. Create a Legacy: Embedding
and sustaining Renaissance
– including Renaissance
Advocates and Renaissance
Friends.
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been used to engage and involve local people in urban renewal. There had been a long, if
episodic, history of public participation in planning and development in England too with wide
ranging approaches adopted, including in ‘Community Planning’. In social regeneration,
community engagement was at the centre of the Single Regeneration Budget programmes that
the RDAs inherited.
The Renaissance Programme – Instigation, Selection and Coverage
The instigation of the Renaissance programme was largely welcomed by local authority
partners. This reflected the fact that local authorities found it difficult to dedicate sufficient
resources to stimulate major physical development in their centres. Inclusion within the
Renaissance programme was seen as a route to the financial support to enable this to happen.
With inclusion in the programme came the requirement of embracing the principles and
approach that underpinned Renaissance; design excellence, community involvement, longterm planning and so on. Such an approach received wider support and reflected that
advocated by Lord Rogers in his report Towards an Urban Renaissance.
The Renaissance programme was new and innovative and represented a steep learning curve
for Yorkshire Forward. There was no existing process to follow, staff needed to be recruited
and processes developed. Whilst the ultimate vision for Renaissance remained clear, it was
apparent from the outset that Yorkshire Forward would need to work closely with partners, be
flexible and (unavoidably) make mistakes if the vision was to be achieved.
The scale of resources, management and capacity, and learning required meant there needed
to be a process to prioritise which (and when) towns would enter the programme. A first group
of renaissance towns was selected in 2002, mostly medium to large towns that had
regeneration needs and opportunities but did not have the kind of masterplanning and urban
regeneration companies that the cities did. As Renaissance grew in prominence, more places
wanted to become part of the programme. Whilst not clearly set out or quantitatively scored at
the time, in effect three main factors were considered in identifying the pilot towns and those to
be included in the Renaissance programme subsequently::
Need – where was the need for intervention greatest?
Opportunity – where could intervention have the greatest impact?
Small ‘p’ politics – driven by the need to be seen to be fair, to have coverage across the
region, to engage with local political representation and reflect local priorities and strength
of feeling.
Ultimately the Renaissance towns programme would be made up of three phases:
Pilot Phase (2002) Barnsley, Doncaster, Huddersfield, North East Lincolnshire,
Scarborough.
Phase 2 (2004) Bridlington, Halifax, Rotherham, Selby District, Scunthorpe, Wakefield and
‘Five Towns’ (Castleford, Normanton, Featherstone, Pontefract, Knottingley)
Phase 3 (2009) Cleethorpes, Dewsbury, Goole
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By the time the programme ended, most of the region’s
medium and large towns were included within it.
Corresponding urban renewal work was also progressing in
the major cities. In some, such as Sheffield and Hull, major
investment in centres was linked to a masterplaning
approach if not a strict renaissance process, whilst in other
such as Bradford, the Renaissance process was much more
central, backed by an imaginative Will Alsop vision.
One reflection in hindsight is that the Urban Renaissance
programme evolved to become very wide and ambitious.
There were far reaching visions and community engagement
processes being developed in nearly every sizeable town in
the region.
Rethought…
Bradford Masterplan
Barnsley: a Tuscan Hill Town
The belief in and enthusiasm for the process meant that
entry was kept relatively open rather than strictly prioritised.
Whilst the general rationale about the importance of place in
achieving economic success remained clear, the specifics of
how it applied to particular places were less so. For instance
it was somewhat unclear whether the approach was aimed
chiefly at reversing cycles of decline in towns and cities with
the most troubled economies, or equally relevant and
needed in stronger towns and cities.
The inclusion of both ‘opportunity’ and ‘need’ as entry criteria
allowed just about everywhere to engage within the
Renaissance Programme. Whilst this eased partnership and
heightened the potential for renaissance impact across the
region, the lack of stricter prioritisation would have
consequences downstream for the capacity, resources and
timescale needed for delivery.
Across the programme, the scale of change achieved in
towns varied significantly. All the towns within the first two
phases were able to instigate and deliver significant
schemes. How far these added up to transformational
programmes or more individual if still sizeable projects
varied. As renaissance involved a thorough process of
vision, planning and engagement, it did take time. Inevitably
places that started earlier had more chance to achieve more
of their vision. However, with the timing of Phase 3 (2009),
coming so close to the closure of Yorkshire Forward
(signalled in 2010) it meant that far less could be achieved.
Progress in these towns was generally restricted to the
writing of the Strategic Development Frameworks and the
process of building Town Teams and community
engagement.
Castleford Bridge – Concept
Dewsbury – Plugging the Leaks
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Town Teams, Expert Panels and Community Engagement
Community involvement and Town Teams were crucial throughout the Renaissance process.
The first, ‘Rethinking’ phase of renaissance started with building the capacity to guide the
process in the community first of all, and then with the Town Teams support, from outside
experts.
The idea of Town Teams was to pull together a group of local people who were interested in
the future of their place and would commit time and energy to guiding its development. This
was intended to ensure community engagement and that subsequent expert involvement was
not ‘parachuted in’ but with the support and guidance of local communities. In each town, the
start of the Renaissance process signalled the beginning of the process to recruit Town Team
members.
Once formed Town Teams were encouraged, with their respective local authority, to determine
their roles in terms of how best they could support their town’s renaissance. This reflected a
decision by Yorkshire Forward not to be too prescriptive, that involvement was voluntary, and
that different groups would have different interests and abilities. However, such an approach
had a downside with the potential to generate uncertainty and a lack of clarity for town teams
unsure of their actual role and remit. A more formal process could have been used to provide
greater clarity over what each town team would do whilst retaining the flexibility for them to take
different approaches.
To complement the Town Teams and bring in different ideas and skills, the expertise of
architects, ‘urbanists’, landscape architects and others was recruited. This allowed
professionals to ‘enable’ the visioning process, work with the community to stimulate ideas and
thinking about ‘place’ and to help develop this into ambitious, aspirational and achievable
proposals.
The fact that the renaissance process put onus on community engagement was a real strength.
Once the Town Team and experts were recruited, wider consultation about the place, its
assets, needs and opportunities would ensue. In renaissance parlance, this was through a
‘charette’, which is an architectural term for a process that allows people to work alongside
architects and designers in the development of proposals. This usually took the form of a twoday event bringing together interested people from across communities to discuss their town
and its future. The model was in its own terms largely a success with hundreds of people
attending many of the events, and it allowed for detailed community participation. The
‘charette’ itself was just one model of a huge array of participation processes that have been
used in the UK and abroad. Some of these allow for much wider and more representative (if
less detailed) consultation. Combining the charette with less involved processes may have
widened input for those with less time available or less confidence to participate in that way.
The language of the charette was itself somewhat esoteric and increasingly a broader term like
‘community planning events’ was used instead.
Town Teams were central parties in the Renaissance process even if their effectiveness was
inevitably sometimes mixed. In towns where they worked well they were invaluable. In others
they could be marginalised and less effective. However, it is apparent that the towns with the
best and most sustainable results were those where the three parties were able to develop
productive long-term relationships. Ensuring that the membership of Town Teams was
representative of the wider community was a challenge, and even with innovation and targeting
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of certain groups, was probably never adequately achieved. The role of the local authority as
an elected and account table body that was also involved in the process helped to balance that
out. Perhaps the key consideration is of balance, and of getting the best from elected
representatives, community groups, funding agencies and experts.
Town Charters (long term vision)
The process of rethinking brought communities into close, structured contact with architects,
designers and urbanists. Resources for the renaissance process enabled professionals to be
hired to work with communities in developing their visions for their place, and to ensure that
these visions were ambitious yet achievable.
The process of consultation and dialogue would first be formalised in a Town Charter that laid
out a 20-25 year vision for each town. This would be used to agree a set of aims that would
galvanise interest, raise the level of ambition and aspiration within each town and provide the
basis for the development of each town’s subsequent Strategic Development Framework.
In practice, how far the Visions for places emanated from experts or communities varied. For
instance, the architect Will Alsop led the high profile vision for Barnsley inspired by a ‘Tuscan
hill village’ (see later case study). The idea was from the architect, but it was developed with
community support and involvement. By the time the Renaissance Programme was in full
swing, visions for places across the region were emerging for many towns.
Strategic Development Frameworks
The Strategic Development Frameworks (SDFs) were the documents that drove the
renaissance within each of the towns and were designed to identify how the aims set out in the
Town Charter could deliver renaissance. They were written independently and brought
together the views and ambitions of various stakeholders. Much of the ‘thinking’ that fed into
the documents was undertaken at various community and public events where people could
express their aspirations for their place. The resulting documents promoted analysis and
understanding of each town and included maps and drawings to detail and explain possible
interventions. The intention was that the community would act as ‘guardians’ of the programme
and ensure that developments were in line with the aspirations described in the SDF. They
were also intended to act as a marketing tool that would raise awareness in the development
market by setting out the ambition for a place.
The successful establishment of each of the programmes required both Yorkshire Forward and
the respective local authority to cede some control and influence. Whilst the development of the
SDFs did involve local authorities they were only one of the partners involved with the
community and other stakeholders also key. For some local authorities this may have
presented difficulties and could have been viewed as undermining the democratic mandate that
local people had already given to their councillors (especially when Town Teams were formed).
However, local authorities largely recognised that this was to complement rather than displace
the existing process and they were generally supportive of it.
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Yorkshire Forward would champion key projects that
emerged from the process. However, all projects would
have to pass through its project appraisal system to assess
both the need for intervention and the impacts and outcomes
that would be achieved.
The development of the SDF’s was intensive and time
consuming, reflecting the strategic, community led, nature of
Renaissance and creating a significant lead-in time before
projects could be delivered. Whilst this was crucial to the
process and would ultimately be viewed as a strength, it
could result in a lack of early wins and potential accusations
of inactivity. At times Yorkshire Forward had to stand firm
and refuse to allow certain projects to proceed. The
extensive consultation underpinning the creation of the SDF
resulted in Yorkshire Forward focusing on a role of
‘championing’ the contents of each town’s SDF.
The process of writing the SDF’s should have solidified the
community consultation. The process enabled communities
to shape and influence the future of their town and their
ideas and aspirations would help to shape the proposals
contained within the document. However, the lack of
significant ‘early wins’ and significant projects meant that
there were could be issues in sustaining community
involvement, with some members of the town team drifting
away in the early stages of the programmes.
The successful completion of the SDF’s provided the
framework for the development and delivery of projects.
Whilst all of the projects were different, presenting very
different issues and challenges it became apparent that
those SDF’s that created a clearer route-map to achieving
the vision with projects that minimised levels of complexity
had a far greater chance of success. Subsequent
incorporation of SDFs into formal land use planning
documents cemented their influence further where this was
achieved.
Remade…
Castleford Bridge
Barnsley Media Centre
Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre, Halifax
St Georges Square, Huddersfield
Design
Design was a crucial element throughout the process and
the Designing Places Team within Yorkshire Forward played
a key role in championing design excellence across both the
Towns and Cities programme.
Designing Places sought to ‘raise the bar’ in terms of the
design. Inspiration for new developments was provided
through precedent studies and identifying relevant
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international examples of excellence in design. They often remained involved within projects,
retaining a commitment to a quality of design and materials that raised standards and was fit for
the long-term. This sometimes meant that agendas differed and that discussions could be
intense, but it also meant that more options could be explored and often reinforced the view
that good design does not need to be expensive design.
Implementation
Whatever the qualities of its community engagement, visioning and design aspirations, the
ultimate test of renaissance was in delivering major physical enhancements that improved
places, perceptions of them and boosted their economic fortunes.
The important factor underpinning implementation was to develop a working relationship that
would enable projects and programmes to move from concept to delivery. The amount of
detailed involvement of Yorkshire Forward managers varied according to the nature of the
project. However, generally once a Renaissance programme was established then the day to
day delivery of individual projects was the responsibility of local authority project managers.
Yorkshire Forward received updates and sought to ensure that programmes remained on track.
The complexity of projects and the different agendas of the council, developer and local
community, could allow Yorkshire Forward to perform a non political role, free of existing
interests and able to help build consensus or find compromises and ways forward. At times,
other parties may have felt that the RDA was too prescriptive. However, throughout the
process Yorkshire Forward needed to comply with budgets and timescales, ensure economic
impact, value for money and that outputs and outcomes were achieved.
The flexibility inherent within the process helped to accommodate the difficulties and
complexities within projects. The initial visions within SDFs could never be followed to the letter
and it was necessary to shape proposals as projects progressed through design, planning,
consultation and construction. Negotiation and agreement between the various partners was
instrumental in this. The case studies that follow later in this section show examples of Visions
and subsequent progress towards their implementation.
Learning
Integreat was established as the Regional Centre of Excellence for Placemaking and worked
closely with the Renaissance Team. Integreat adopted a two-way approach to learning –
seeking to share the good practice and learning from the programme whilst identifying learning
and innovation from elsewhere. This was shared through the ‘PSP’, seminars and learning
events and through the Regen Academies within Bradford, Wakefield and York Councils.
The following case studies from different towns and cities provide an insight as to how the
process translated into projects and programmes across the region.
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Case Study: Trailblazing Urban Renaissance in Barnsley
Barnsley was included within the Renaissance Pilot Programme and was one of the first with a
completed Strategic Development Framework (SDF). The visioning process was led by Will Alsop
architects and the process was notable for the culmination of the process which imagined Barnsley as
a Tuscan hill town. This initial vision would play a key role in the design proposals for the town and
was particularly influential in terms of the of the new transport interchange within the town.
The process of visioning was a successful one and the completed SDF provided an aspirational and
inspirational view of what Barnsley could be become; challenging perceptions of the town and
generating new economic avenues for the town. The Vision attracted significant media coverage,
including nationally. This further helped to ‘put the town on the map’ and send signals to market that it
was a place ‘on the up’ and a good place in which to invest.
The projects that were identified in the SDF were largely standalone, not dependent on other projects
or part of a complex process of land assembly/acquisition, etc. However, they still contributed to an
identifiable ‘whole’ and together represented a catalyst for the town.
This resulted in major projects being delivered within Barnsley including; a new Digital Media Centre,
a revamped Mandela Gardens, Barnsley Civic, a new transport interchange and new council offices.
However, the most complex and ambitious proposals, to redevelop Barnsley Markets at the centre of
the town, has yet to be realised. The scale and complexity of the project meant that even with
ownership of the site secured through the Renaissance programme, implementation of the proposals
is yet to start on site.
Barnsley has achieved much through its Renaissance. Arguably a successful redevelopment of the
markets would have secured the Renaissance and this may well have come about without the credit
crunch and subsequent economic slowdown. However, the Renaissance programme leaves Barnsley
in a much stronger position. Its strategic approach has been a success and remains valid and there is
still a possibility that the proposals with regards to the Markets will come to fruition.
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Case Study: The Regeneration of Sheffield
Sheffield city centre suffered years of decline through the
1980’s and 1990’s and its public realm reflected this. The
opening of Meadowhall further knocked the city centre, and
despite the building of a tram system, by the late 1990s the
City was generally seen as underwhelming and in decline. Its
public realm was failing and the city had become a difficult
one to navigate with little or no sense of positive sense of
arriving somewhere impressive when arriving by train.
The City Centre Masterplan (2000) recognised the economic
importance of the city centre and developed a concept of the
‘Magnificent Seven’ projects. This concept built on and
included planned projects such as the Winter Gardens, Peace
Gardens and Millennium Gallery (all part of Heart of the City
scheme) and would transform the centre of the City. It further
took advantage of key assets in the City (e.g. its universities,
tram system and sporting/cultural venues) and the opportunity
of European Objective 1 funding.
The Magnificent Seven projects consisted of:
Digital Campus
Station Gateway
Heart of the City/ St Paul’s Place
New Retail Quarter (Sevenstone)
Barkers Pool/ City Hall
Castlegate
Transport and Accessibility
Yorkshire Forward was a key supporter of the projects that would be delivered across the city centre.
Providing financial support to Sheffield One and in acquiring land and property to ensure that projects
were able to proceed.
Throughout the process there was an emphasis on the need to incorporate inspirational design and
ensure that the choice of design and materials reflected issues of impact, sustainability and
maintenance of the new public realm.
The visual impact of the changes is stunning. They have made the centre a more welcoming and
impressive place and catalysed economic impact that is expected to last for many years to come.
Recent evaluations have identified the extent of the impact that is emerging from some of the projects
that have recently been completed. In the case of the Peace Gardens the public realm improvements
have been identified as crucial in terms of helping to attract activity to the city centre.
The findings that could be attributed to the improved public realm included:
Up to 500 additional jobs
Up to 800,000 additional visitors per annum
Up to £2.40 per square foot increase in rental value
The Renaissance started within Sheffield continues through the work of the City Council and Creative
Sheffield with the hope that the new retail development, Sevenstone, will come to fruition and will
embed and consolidate the gains that have been achieved through the Renaissance programme.
15
Case Study: Kissing Sleeping Beauty - Scarborough
Scarborough has been one of the most successful towns in developing and delivering a holistic
Renaissance approach. The process of developing and the content of the Town Charter and SDF
(‘Kissing Sleeping Beauty’) provided a firm foundation of community engagement and involvement and
a focus for the activity needed to revitalise Scarborough.
Central to the successes within Scarborough have been the Town Team and the work undertaken by
the Renaissance Manager within the town – Nick Taylor. Yorkshire Forward were instrumental in
helping to establish the Town Team and in agreeing a three-way split in decision-making, with an
equal partnership established between the Town Team, Scarborough Council and Yorkshire Forward.
The level of ambition and aspiration inherent within the town’s SDF married with the real influence and
decision making powers of the Town Team helped to attract large numbers of people to the Town
Team, particularly from local businesses. This resulted in an air of legitimacy for how the Town Team
was able to ‘represent’ the town and the strong leadership role of its Chair.
The numbers attracted to the Town Team meant that the Town Team was able to establish eight
different action groups to focus on particular aspects of the town’s Renaissance.
A range of projects were developed and delivered including:
New public realm along the seafront
A new marina
Woodend Creative Workspace – targeting digital and creative industries
Scarborough Spa
Scarborough Business Park – to root new and existing businesses within the town
Whilst Renaissance is not complete, with the ‘Futurist’ building not yet regenerated, the town is much
enhanced and better positioned for the future.
The catalytic nature of the programme and the extent of just how much the Renaissance programme
was fundamental in the town was recognised withthe Most Enterprising place in Britain and Europe
award, in 2008.
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Case Study: Urban Renaissance in Rotherham
Rotherham has been severely impacted by the decline in employment especially within manufacturing
and the coal and steel sectors. The town centre has also been particularly affected by out-of-town
shopping, particularly Parkgate in Rotherham and Meadowhall in Sheffield.
The decline was evident within the town centre with a sizeable number of empty shops and a very
limited retail offer.
It was apparent that for Rotherham there had to be intervention of a significant scale and the underused river frontage within the town provided the opportunity to do this. An ambitious plan was
developed for the town that would once again allow the river to play a key part in its economic future.
However, this required complex land deals in order to free-up sites and move occupiers, particularly a
large retailer within the town. Despite the best efforts of the parties involved, the complexity of the
issues added to the project time-frame and its scale and ultimately meant that the project could not be
delivered in the timescale available.
A number of other, more manageable projects were delivered within the town. Whilst these will have
a real impact, the town still lacks the catalyst project that the water-front scheme may well have
represented.
The case studies presented give a flavour of the wide ranging urban renaissance that
progressed across most of the main towns and cities in the region in one form or other. The
nature, scale and success of that activity varied considerably. In some places such as
Barnsley and Scarborough, vision and civic engagement were combined with wide ranging
delivery activity and plans to do more, even if some key elements required to complete the
intended transformation have not yet been realised.
In other towns, renaissance has led to some significant townscape improvements, which
include the revamp a major civic square in Huddersfield; the creation of the Elsie Whitely
Innovation Centre and restoration of Somerset House in Halifax; the building of a futuristically
designed leisure centre in Scunthorpe, and an elegant snaking bridge in Castleford, and
revived waterfront in Wakefield featuring the new Hepworth Gallery. These developments on
their own may not always be of the scale required to change perceptions wholesale or
transform economic trajectories, however, they would not have happened without the
renaissance process and are valuable and high quality enhancements to the region’s major
towns. Some may yet prove to be the turning points in a centre’s development, stories which
will take decades to fully unfurl.
17
In the cities, there have been major schemes progressed and visionary schemes, such as the
Mirror Pool and ‘Business Forest’ in Bradford, are advancing which were linked to the
renaissance vision. In Leeds and Hull major schemes have been progressed or secured, such
as the state of the art Leeds Arena, and are now being built. Like these, progress in Sheffield
has been less centred on a strict renaissance process, more on a series of major schemes
united by a Masterplanning approach and ambitious vision for the future of a place. In
Sheffield, the approach successfully led to the major and high quality public realm schemes
across the city centre which, backed by other developments, have transformed the city and its
economic trajectory in a fundamental way.
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c) Land and Property Interventions
Initially, just after English Partnerships in the region had been absorbed into Yorkshire Forward,
land and property interventions progressed with a direction of their own. The schemes
responded chiefly to evident site based needs and opportunities, such as land remediation and
redevelopment of ex-coalfield sites and areas. The driver was the need for intervention so that
land could again have a viable economic use and create (or at least accommodate) jobs and
growth.
The locations of land and property schemes varied. Initially, many schemes were outside of
town and city centres. These responded to the evident needs and created benefits for the
areas they targeted. However, their impact on traffic generation, CO2 emissions, and
competition with arguably more sustainable developments within the town and cities could be
questioned.
Over time, and especially after the 2003-2012 RES was published and the Renaissance
programme underway, Land and Property interventions became more connected with regional
and corporate strategy. Whilst initially separate to Renaissance, Land and Property became
increasingly complementary to it. Urban centres remained drivers of economic activity but
there was also a need for intervention to support some developments outside of the urban
centres that were difficult or inappropriate to site within them (e.g. the Advanced Manufacturing
Park between Sheffield and Rotherham). Property interventions were now seen not as almost
an end in their own right, but as a means of supporting other key agendas led by Yorkshire
Forward, such as developing sectors and clusters, supporting enterprise and innovation, or
facilitating inward investment. Other schemes supported the low carbon agenda through the
creation of flagship low carbon buildings (see module 4: the low carbon economy and
sustainable development).
It is difficult to provide a simple classification of all of the other land and property interventions.
However, two of the most prominent have been in land reclamation and decontamination and
enabling work with businesses within the priority sectors across the region.
Land Reclamation and Decontamination
The industrial decline across much of the region particularly in 1970’s and 80’s left a legacy of
large swathes of contaminated and unusable land. That was particularly the case in South
Yorkshire where large numbers of coal mines closed4 and heavy industry contracted. The
location of this land was generally within or close to urban conurbations and many towns
suffered the double impact of losing a major employer and being left with a site that was unfit
for any further employment use.
Wherever possible, land reclamation projects sought to re-use land and bring employment and
economic opportunity back to an area. For instance, the closure of Normanby Park Steelworks
in Scunthorpe left a huge legacy of contaminated land. The scale of contamination was vast
meaning that earth needed to be extracted up to 50 metres below the surface. The site is now
home to the Normanby Park Business Park. This model of clean-up and re-use has been used
4
For an account of the closure of the Yorkshire Coalfield and new opportunities see: Towards a Thriving Future - a
new look at Yorkshire’s ex-coalfield areas, Les Newby and Ed Poulter, Yorkshire Futures, 2009
19
across the region including in Grimethorpe (Barnsley), Europarc (Grimsby) and Capitol Park
(Goole).
Work with Priority Sectors
The RES identified high-growth sectors that would help to generate economic growth and
opportunity. These were for a significant period targeted through a ‘clusters’ based approach
that encouraged companies to cluster together within a location Before the focus returned to a
sectoral approach (see module 9: sectors and clusters), the priority clusters included:
Food and Drink
Advanced Engineering and Materials
Digital and New Media
Environmental Technologies
Healthcare Technologies
The Property function within Yorkshire Forward performed a key role in supporting the
development of these clusters. That involved identifying appropriate land and property,
securing ownership, helping to structure agreements and joint ventures, managing the process
of development from start on site to completion, and addressing problems and issues as they
arose.
Particular examples of the work undertaken to support sectors include the Advanced
Manufacturing Park in South Yorkshire and Europarc near Grimsby.
Land and Property Support of the Advanced Manufacturing Park, Rotherham
The site of the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) was formally the site of the Orgreave coking
works – made famous during the miners’ strike of the mid 1980’s. With the closure of the coking
works the highly contaminated site was left vacant. Levels of contamination were so high that they
prevented any use being made of the site.
The Renaissance and Property Team worked closely with the Business Directorate within Yorkshire
Forward to deliver the physical assets that constitute the AMP. This included working closely with UK
Coal (the owners of the site) and with managing the tender and construction process for the
remediation of the site and subsequent building programme.
The AMP has been a success and is now home to companies such as Rolls Royce and Boeing. It
provides specialist facilities in the shape of the Advanced Manufacturing Park Technology Centre
which supports the establishment and growth of new businesses within the sector.
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Land And Property Support of the Food and Drink Sector in Grimsby
Grimsby has a concentration of food related companies located in the town and has styled itself as
‘Europe’s Food Town’. This reflects Grimsby’s advantages in terms of its location and port, and the
existing skills and premises in the area.
This was a comparative advantage that the town could build on and through close working within
Yorkshire Forward and with North East Lincolnshire Council and other agencies a number of
initiatives were developed in order to seize this opportunity. One example was the development of
Europarc. This provided business space to a variety of food related companies and incorporates the
Humber Seafood Institute and an Innovation Centre targeting small and growing businesses. The
successful development of the site resulted in 2,228 people being employed on the site and the
levering in of £16 million of private sector investment.
In its last few years, and after the renaissance and land and property functions in Yorkshire
Forward were combined in a single team, land and property interventions (beyond the AMP,
which had always been high profile) came more to the fore again. Their work included major
work within towns and cities, to promote renaissance activity in cities such as Leeds, Hull and
Bradford, as well as some work on out of centre business parks or opportunities.
Before the end of the RDAs was signalled in 2010, proposed large scale interventions were
coming under increased scrutiny and pressure from the Department of Business and Innovation
(BERR at the time). This came after the national evaluation of the RDAs suggested place and
property led schemes had on average lower GVA returns per pound invested than some other
RDA activities. Yorkshire Forward responded with much closer work internally with the Chief
Economist Unit on economic evidence and appraisal in relation to proposed schemes to assess
and make a case for them (see module 2: research, intelligence and evaluation).
A good example of a city based initiative that integrated land and property and renaissance
approaches was the Renaissance activity carried out within Leeds City Centre and the
development of Holbeck Urban Village.
21
Leeds – City Centre and Holbeck Urban Village (HUV)
Renaissance activity within Leeds was carried out in partnership with the Leeds Renaissance
Partnership.
The projects within Leeds were varied and included extensive work in developing Holbeck Urban
Village (HUV), new public realm within the city centre and developing the concept of a new Arena
within the City.
HUV represents a valuable resource where the city’s creative industries can cluster and
collaborate. Key projects include the successful Round Foundry Media Centre and the workspace
that is currently being developed within the city’s historic Tower Works.
New public realm within the city will help to maintain the city’s infrastructure as it competes with
other regional capitals such as Manchester and Birmingham.
Leeds Arena will provide a 12,500 state of the art all-seater facility that will have a significant
economic impact, inspiring design and add to the city’s and the city region’s cultural offer.
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3. Resources, Results and Outcomes
The scale and ambition of the Renaissance and Property programmes and the complexity that
accompanied them meant that the resources required for delivery were substantial. In order to
maximise impact it was crucial that the resources were targeted where they could either secure
the greatest opportunity or address greatest need. Limited resources also meant that wherever
possible investment needed to act as a catalyst for additional private sector investment.
Resources
Staffing and Finances
Yorkshire Forward initially established separate Renaissance and Property teams before these
merged in 2009 to form a single team. The Property team initially consisted of staff transferred
into Yorkshire Forward from English Partnerships, whilst the Renaissance team started as a
team of four before growing significantly.
In Yorkshire Forward, Urban Renaissance was originally a relatively small pilot-programme with
a small team initially led by Alan Simpson. Barra Mac Ruarí would later take over leadership of
the team and develop and refine the concept and content. Other key figures included Rob
Tranmer who became responsible for programme delivery and strategy and Elizabeth Motley
who led on design quality. The approach within cities was led by David Custance who led both
programmes (towns and cities, property and renaissance) from 2009.
Staffing for the property team consisted of a core team of project managers with specialist
professional skills such as building surveying, quantity surveying and civil engineering. The
combined Urban Renaissance and Property team reached a maximum of about fifty staff from
multi-disciplinary backgrounds. As well as property skills it included architects, landscape
architects and project managers. Whilst their focus was on the development and delivery of
projects they were also supplemented by two small teams with specialist and complementary
expertise:
Designing Places – a team of architects and urbanists focusing on aspects of design
Integreat Yorkshire – a team of people focusing on learning and good practice that
emerged from or impacted upon Renaissance.
The Renaissance programme also created an additional workload for local authorities if they
were to help deliver the process of change in their areas. This needed to be resourced and as
a result ‘enabling’ funds were approved for many local authorities that allowed them to employ
a small team of dedicated officers to deliver the Renaissance programme.
The initial pilot Renaissance programme was begun with a budget of around £3 million. This
was used to employ expert capacity and to develop Town Charters and begin the process of
developing the Strategic Development Frameworks for each of the pilot towns. The budget for
the Renaissance programme grew as the programme developed and expanded. Place based
interventions (also including rural renaissance) eventually commanded around a third of
Yorkshire Forward’s available budget, so the scale of expenditure was large and at peak
amounted to a figure approaching £100 million per year. Between 2007/8 and 2009/10 a total
23
amount of £273 million was invested in projects to deliver the ‘Economic Infrastructure’ (£127
million) and ‘Urban Renaissance’ (£110 million) Policy Product Ranges5.
5
YF Policy Product Range Evaluations – Estimating Potential GVA, Regeneris for Yorkshire Forward, 2010
24
Results
Renaissance and Property activity was ultimately about changing places. Although
interventions in town and city centres in particular were ultimately about creating a catalytic
change (that will take many years to assess), they needed to do so through delivering tangible,
physical improvements including new and redeveloped buildings and public realm.
The best way to measure these changes is to look at the projects that happened in each. Much
of that is better recorded pictorially than through descriptions, and a 2011 guide to the
Renaissance programme and the changes it brought about is good guide to the expanse of the
programme6.
Plentiful examples of projects that happened could be cited across all of the places within the
first two phases of the Renaissance programme, as well as in the big cities undertaking similar
work. The list below cites examples in renaissance towns, in city centres, and property
interventions beyond them:
Renaissance Towns and Cities
Barnsley – Digital Media Centre and refurbished Barnsley Civic.
Bridlington – Bridlington Spa and Spa public realm
Cleethorpes – Town Charter and SDF in place
Dewsbury – SDF now in place
Doncaster – New Civic Quarter and Doncaster College Campus.
Five Towns (Castleford, Normanton, Pontefract Wakefield) – Castleford Bridge
Goole – SDF now in place
Halifax – Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre and Somerset House
Huddersfield – St Georges Square and St Georges Warehouse
North East Lincolnshire – Grimsby – Victoria Street public realm and St James Church
Rotherham – Refurbished train station and work in the All Saints Quarter
Scarborough – Woodend Creative Workspace and Marina.
Selby – Abbey Precinct and Linear Park.
Scunthorpe – The Pods Sports Academy.
Wakefield – Wakefield Waterfront and Wakefield Westgate
City Centres
Sheffield – Revamped public realm, Electric Works
Leeds - Holbeck Urban Village and planned Leeds Arena
Hull - Humber Quays and St Stephens Retail Centre
Bradford – Mirror Pool and Business Forest
York – York City Vision now in place.
Out of Centre Business Parks and Land Remediation
Advanced Manufacturing Park, Rotherham
Reclamation and re-use of former colliery sites in South and West Yorkshire
Europarc, Grimsby
Capital Park, Goole
6
Urban Renaissance Programme, Designing Places Portfolio, Yorkshire Forward, 2011
25
External evaluations have been used to quantify the impacts of renaissance interventions. The
long-term nature of change led to a long lead-in time for a full evaluation and the subsequent
evaluation planned for 2010 was shelved following the announced closure of Yorkshire
Forward. In terms of direct impacts, the evaluation of 2008 [An Evaluation of the Renaissance
Towns and Cities Programme, EKOSGEN, 2008] identified:
£189 million of net additional GVA.
4,500 net additional jobs
Significant strategic added value through leadership, influence, leverage and engagement.
Whilst the process of formal evaluation was cut short, the evaluation of the impact of the new
public realm improvements within Sheffield City Centre identified additional GVA of between
£120 million and £190 million attributed to the Peace Gardens and between £29 million and
£52 million attributed to the improvements around Barkers Pool. (Research and Evaluation of
Public Realm Schemes – Sheffield’s Peace Gardens and Barkers Pool, Genecon, 2011).
More widely, PwC’s national impact evaluation report7 (as reported by Regeneris) suggested
the GVA return from economic infrastructure and urban renaissance investment was on
average around £9.8 per £1 invested (£6.5 for restoration of former coalfield sites). Around
1,326 gross jobs were created by Yorkshire Forward from economic infrastructure investments
between 2007/8 and 2009/10, at approximately £96,000 per job. The equivalent figures for
Urban Renaissance was 2,263 jobs created at approximately £48,600 per job.
These figures need to be treated with due caution as they are based on limited data and
because physical development interventions are usually enabling in nature - they facilitate and
indirectly trigger jobs and growth outputs rather than doing so in a direct way that can be
catalogued. They have wider benefits including land regeneration and levering private
investment which are not included in the jobs data.
Outcomes
Renaissance and Property interventions are the beginning of a long term process. They (and
especially Renaissance) are best measured in terms of strategic added value and how far they
deliver transformative outcomes in the long term. It is a challenge to measure and attribute
these impacts at all, let alone at a time when some programme interventions have only been in
place for a few years and when others are still under development.
Impacts are likely to vary considerably by place, reflecting the scale and ambition of change
and how far that is likely to alter perceptions of a place, send signals to market, and to attract
and retain skilled people and business investment. In the places that have underperformed
previously and where transformation has been most apparent, most notably in Sheffield, then
there is obvious evidence of success. Anecdotally, many commentators note the City’s
turnaround over the last decade. This reflects high profile, high quality public realm
investments such as Sheffield’s ‘gold route’, which acts as an arterial route for pedestrians
thorough the City centre linking the key gateway of the train station to the city centre’s main
public squares, facilities and attractions. Evidence regarding the Sheffield programme
demonstrates that companies are making investment and location decisions based on the
public realm and other factors surrounding place. (Genecon, 2011).
7
Impact of RDA spending, PwC
26
Yorkshire Forward formultated and innovative way to assess the impact of Renaissance
programmes in the development of a ‘Quality of Place Index’ for the region8. The Index set
outcome targets in the Regional Economic Strategy (2006-2015). The RES set the target of
achieving ‘above trend improvement in the index for renaissance cities and towns’ by 2016.
The index underwent a process of development, but as initially set out in the RES, it included
12 equally weighted indicators grouped into one domain based on perceptions/attitudes and
another on outcomes:
Attitudes - to neighbourhoods, the town, attractiveness for business, and towards civic
engagement
Outcomes – the number of businesses, employment, population, incomes, skills, crime,
percentage of development that is brownfield, and private sector investment/demand.
The Quality of Place Index was further developed and agreed as one of the Region’s set of
high level indicators9. Assessment of progress against it over the period 2003-200810 used an
index (baselined as 1.0 in all areas in 2003) and showed that the renaissance towns had
improved marginally more (to 1.09) than the England and Yorkshire and Humber average
figures had (both 1.07). Figures were more notably different in individual towns, with
Scarborough (1.28), Bridlington (1.21) and Selby (1.29) the having the highest rises.
Whilst the Index would be a useful tool to measure change over time, it is premature to make
early judgements in 2011, especially without richer evaluation data that can provide insight into
other factors that may be driving change. In the interim period, qualitative and anecdotal
evidence will shed some light on how far places are changing and how far this is translated into
economic progress. Where change has been radical and fundamentally changed the
experience of a place, especially one that was underperforming given its size and assets, then
those changes may well have sparked a transformational impact. In other places where
improvements have been more modest and targeted at individual buildings and spaces, then
that is less likely.
8
For more information, see Regional Economic Strategy for Yorkshire and Humber (2006-2015) Companion
Document, Yorkshire Forward, 2006
9
As defined in A guide to Yorkshire and Humber’s High Level Outcome Indicators, Yorkshire Futures, 2008
Progress in the Region 2009, Yorkshire Futures, 2010
10
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4. Insights and Lessons Learned
There has been considerable learning in advancing the Renaissance and Property agendas
and it is a challenge to prioritise and summarise, however, main learning include:
a) The most successful renaissance approaches are transformative. That often equates
to large and ambitious programmes to turn around a place, how it is perceived and how it
performs. Such approaches require strong leadership and sufficient community support
and will inevitably require serious resources, which in turn impact on the resources
available for renaissance work or other priorities elsewhere.
b) Ambition needs to be balanced with realism. Renaissance encourages people to raise
their aspirations for their place. Having that vision is a key strength that can garner support
and drive change. However, vision must also be realistic in terms of its delivery. This
needs to be recognised up-front, with risks and challenges acknowledged and realism
about the time and resources required. Some visions were very ambitious – Barnsley as a
‘Tuscan Hill Town’, Wakefield’s ‘string of pearls’ and Scarborough ‘awaking sleeping
beauty’. The scale of ambitious overarching visions means they can be difficult to start as
well as hard to complete. It was crucial that programmes were to some degree
independent. A long chain of projects, each reliant on the one before, will increase
complexity and risks for timescale and project delivery. Independent projects allow
advances to be made on a range of projects. If one stalls then there are opportunities to
progress others. Ensuring early wins and milestones on the road to a long term vision
helps to maintain support and achieve a process of change.
c) Focus and prioritisation is needed to avoid ‘spreading the jam too thinly’ or diluting the
renaissance approach and its impact. The Yorkshire Forward programme was very broad
in its coverage. This responded to partner preferences but meant that it was harder to
concentrate capacity and impact. There is a strong case that large scale transformative
programmes are most appropriate when targeted at sizeable towns and cities with declining
or underperforming economies, but where there is latent potential to thrive in the future
because of their assets and location. Turning a cycle of decline into a virtuous circle is the
ideal, whereby a place is weaned off public support and instead fuelled by private
investment once a positive trajectory has been established. Land and property
interventions can be much more specific in nature and can have a role in any settlement,
whether that is about further exploiting success or tackling weaknesses.
d) Renaissance processes can have variable and unpredictable outcomes and their own
‘personalities’ in individual places. They depend upon the leaders, the communities and the
professionals involved, and need to reflect the realities and opportunities of the places they
are grounded within. The circumstances of what buildings and sites are owned by what
parties and such like all play a role, much of which cannot be controlled. Running a
successful process involves a balance between letting go so that localities and communities
can drive change, but also ensuring that the emerging plans are successful. There is no
set formula whereby a given mix of ingredients will produce a predictable outcome. The
opportunity to achieve major change that might be impossible through other routes is
intrinsically coupled with a degree of risk and uncertainty.
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e) There is much value from having a well articulated renaissance process that combines
community engagement and professional capacity. The ten stage Renaissance
Process was a bespoke and innovative approach that combined long term vision and
quality design. Community involvement was at its core, and importantly whilst it brought in
invaluable expert capacity, this was guided by the community engagement that had been
established first. The model of ‘experts on tap, not on top’ serves the process well. One
potential criticism was that the concept and process of Renaissance was sometimes difficult
to explain, and that it was possible to put too much emphasis on the process and
insufficient focus on delivery and outcomes. However, the overall thrust of the approach
was successful in challenging previous short-term and piece-meal approaches that had
been done to not with the people. Masterplanning approaches in the cities that shared
similarities with renaissance but not every intricacy of the process also enjoyed success, so
there is potential to vary the detail but stick with the principles.
f)
Community engagement and ‘Town Teams’ brought many benefits. The concept and
role of Town Teams was unique to Renaissance. Where they worked well they made a
valuable contribution, although in some towns they became sidelined from decision-making
and their effectiveness was reduced. Town Teams were helpful in enabling communities
and stakeholders to feel a sense of ownership. Consultation through a ‘charette’ process
further enabled engagement. There is scope to combine these mechanisms with other
public participation processes to enhance the scale and representativeness of input.
Yorkshire Forward decided not to dictate what Town Teams would do and allow them to
decide for themselves. Where Town Teams had a clear sense of direction, strong
leadership and local authority support they were able to grasp this opportunity. In other
cases it could mean a lack of focus and clarity. A middle-ground approach may succeed in
providing greater structure and guidance without compromising the organic development of
Town Teams and their ability to guide change.
g) Impact are greater where partnership working is stronger. Whilst the most important
partnerships have been formed with local authorities, critical partnerships have also been
developed with the community, the private sector, experts and architects and other
stakeholders. Partnership is essential to making the most of limited resources. The private
sector is especially important to property interventions, where a good balance between
collaboration and firm negotiation is needed. There is scope for greater community
involvement in informing some land and property interventions, and in this area
relationships with councils and the private sector are critical. The role of the private sector
has been particularly key in joint property ventures where changes occur as schemes
develop and there are complex agreements to be structured.
h) A strategic approach is vital to ensure that property schemes are part of an overall plan
and that Renaissance is informed by a rationale that will lead to genuine economic progress
and be seen through to delivery. The development of Strategic Development Frameworks
(SDFs) within Renaissance programmes demonstrated the commitment to long-term,
sustainable change. They harnessed the potential of places and focused investments and
interventions with an emphasis within Yorkshire Forward of seeking to champion the
contents of each SDF. Such documents help to cement long-term vision and to ensure that
the right things are done. They need to be well informed, supported, high quality and
deliverable, all of which will aid their impact and ability to lever in private investment.
Equally, the time and cost taken to produce them needs to be managed so they do not
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unduly delay or distract from implementation. The power of an SDF grows the more it is
incorporated in to other local planning documents and strategies.
i)
Design and quality matter. The Renaissance programme had a consistent focus on
quality design that has raised the bar for design standards and expectations in many towns
and cities. The approach benefited from learning about how good design was achieved
(design competitions, use of precedent studies etc), and sharing this and avoided the
‘imposition’ of design preferences. Achieving good design (including high environmental
standards) required intentions to be clear at the outset, which also helps to minimise costs
and complexities involved with raising or changing standards as a project progresses.
Support for good design is not automatic and there is a need to challenge the view that it is
merely an optional add-on, to build partnership with architecture and design bodies, and to
build and learn from evidence. Building good design into property ventures away from
urban centres is also a challenge, where cost and functionality are critical, but impacts of
design on perceptions of a place still arise.
j)
Property interventions benefit from good planning, a focus on market failure, and
consideration of how they may steer the market. They should only be required where
the markets would not operate effectively and in the required manner – be that to do with
activity, design, or target sectors. Generally the private sector will intervene where it can
gain a profitable return in the relatively short-term. However, there are many instances
where the economic benefit for society cannot be isolated and allocated to those making
the investment and where returns accrue in the long term – including making town and city
centres more attractive, improving public realm, and large-scale infrastructure projects.
These investments remain desirable, generate economic benefit and can point to a market
failure where the public sector can act and add value. Over the years, Yorkshire Forward
became more sophisticated in developing property projects to support other agendas and
needs (e.g. sector or enterprise development).
k) Acquisitions, Influence and Control. Whilst strategic vision should guide renaissance
and property interventions, real influence and control will generally remain with those
owning and controlling the relevant site. Hence, property purchase and site assembly are
key to delivery. This brings with it caveats in terms of exercising caution where acquisitions
are pursued without a clear end use; the danger that sellers will attempt to create premium
prices where assets are pursued by the public sector; and the need to avoid distorting
markets by driving prices higher or crowding out the private sector.
l)
Consider the relationship between out of town and urban centres. Recognition of the
impact of out of town development on urban cores has grown. Renaissance activity has
sought to improve town and city centres to help address this. Large-scale out of town retail
development can be particularly detrimental with around 70% of retail ‘growth’ based on
displacing existing activity rather than generating new. Where possible it makes sense to
locate commercial and office space in urban centres to avoid displacing employment from
urban centres and to avoid sustainability problems (e.g. transport generation, CO2
emissions and the accessibility of jobs). Realistically some developments will work better
outside the urban cores, such asheavy industry and warehousing. However, the
connection to and relationship with centres should not be overlooked.
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Annex A: Renaissance and Property Timeline
1999 – Relevant English Partnerships property staff and projects transfer to Yorkshire Forward to form
the nucleus of the Property Team
2001 – International Panel of experts established by Alan Simpson – Head of Urban Renaissance
2002 – Renaissance Pilot Project Formed
2002 – Four staff employed in developing the initial Renaissance projects
2002 – Barnsley Planning Weekend takes place and Barnsley Town Charter commenced
2002 – First Renaissance Conference takes place in Scarborough
2002 – Regional Alliance the forerunner for Yorkshire’s regional centre of excellence and Integreat is
established.
2003 – First SDFs completed in Barnsley and Scarborough
2003 – Barra MacRuari future head of Renaissance Towns and Cities Team is recruited
2005 – Integreat Yorkshire – Regional Centre of Excellence for Placemaking established
2005 – Phase 2 Renaissance Towns Begin
2006 – Designing Places Team created
2007 – Integreat formed from the regional centre excellence Programme Director (Richard Motley)
recruited
2008 – Castleford Renaissance the focus of a Channel 4 TV programme
2009 – Scarborough wins most Enterprising Place in Europe.
2010 – Integreat brought back into direct management within Yorkshire Forward
2010 – Merged Renaissance and Property Team created under the leadership of David Custance
2011 - Integreat closes – ‘Integreat+’ formed as a new independent entity to champion place-making.
2011 - Outstanding Renaissance and Property projects due to move to the Homes and Communities
Agency (HCA).
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Annex B: Experience Elsewhere
It is difficult to be conclusive about the approach to regeneration that has been followed
elsewhere. However, the innovative nature of the Renaissance approach and the level of
resources committed to it means that the model and approach have not really been replicated
elsewhere. Other regions have promoted urban regeneration too, often successfully, but
appear to have followed a more traditional approach of the development and delivery of
bespoke projects that have generally not formed part of a wider strategic approach to place on
a wide scale across the whole region.
The main elements within Renaissance are likely to be viewed as general ‘good practice’ it is
the level of commitment to them by Yorkshire Forward within the Renaissance approach that
differentiates it. This can be split into three main areas:
Community Involvement – other approaches will have involved consultation and
engagement but it is unlikely to have been as extensive and nowhere else has used the
concept of Town Teams in the same way.
Design – good design is generally viewed as important and other RDA’s have recognised
this. However, the Renaissance programme has placed design as one of its central pillars
and committed resources to ensure that good design permeates the Renaissance
programme. Other RDAs have promoted and supported good design, although this often
appears to be more focused on specific prestige projects.
Strategic Approach – all RDAs developed Regional Economic Strategies.
The
Renaissance strategic development frameworks were distinctive in ensuring that this was
cascaded into individual towns and Renaissance visions created.
The decline that has been witnessed within town and city centres has not been limited to our
region and the approach of revitalising town and city centres as a means to promoting
economic success has been used across the Country. Good examples include:
‘Liverpool One’ - a retail and leisure development in the heart of the city designed to bring
life back to the city centre and to consolidate the gains that have been achieved along the
city’s waterfront and within Ropewalks.
Newcastle has seen huge investment in its Waterfront – creating a unique cultural and
leisure offering – with neighbouring Gateshead and the Sage.
Nottingham has revitalised its city centre – building on previous works and seeking to
revitalise the public realm across the city centre.
Manchester – comprehensive redevelopment across the City in the wake of the Arndale
Centre bomb, featuring cutting edge design and high quality public realm.
Strong use of public art, including in the North West and especially the North East.
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This paper is part of a suite of ‘Learning Legacy’ reports produced by Yorkshire Forward
in 2011. The series is intended, as far as we can, to capture knowledge, achievements and
lessons learned from regional economic development. It seeks to pass knowledge on to other
bodies who may be able to apply it now or in the future.
We are grateful to all the many partner organisations, businesses and individuals who have
contributed to this work over Yorkshire Forward’s lifetime.
In addition to an Overview, the full range of modules in the series covers:
1: Economic Strategy
2: Research, Intelligence and Evaluation
3: Responding to Economic Shocks
4: Low Carbon Economy
5: Enterprise - Helping New Businesses to Start and Survive
6: Supporting Existing Businesses
7: Access to Finance
8: International Trade and Investment
9: Sectors and Clusters
10: Innovation
11: Skills
12: Urban Renaissance and Physical Regeneration
13: Social Regeneration and Inclusion
14: Transport
15: Rural Renaissance
16: Tourism and Major Events
Useful web links and access points for modules from this series will include:
Leeds City Region LEP http://www.leedscityregion.gov.uk/LEP.htm
Sheffield City Region LEP www.sheffieldcityregion.org.uk/local-enterprise-partnership
York and North Yorkshire LEP http://www.ynylep.co.uk/
Humber LEP (web address to be confirmed)
BIS Local http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/economic-development/bis-local-offices
Yorkshire Forward www.yorkshire-forward.com
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