Funding news underlines local comms challenges

This week’s announcement that the HCA is investing almost £2.5m in a vital estate regeneration project in Devon was particularly satisfying for me. The Forches estate in Barnstaple in not at the front of many people’s minds when they think about the lifestyle that Devon offers. But the area poses some very real issues of substandard housing, deprivation and unemployment which exist in pockets across [...]

Plymouth’s first council estate gains a bright future

I was delighted to hear today that one of the most important estate regeneration projects in the South West had got the green light to begin large-scale improvements in earnest. Plymouth Community Homes’ ambitious plans for North Prospect were granted planning permission by Plymouth City Council this afternoon. The news is a welcome boost for the city’s first council estate, which was initially built for former [...]

Locking gives the week a lift

It’s been one of those weeks, which I am sure happens in every job, when you charge through every day at full pelt, tackle all tasks at hand and still find that half of the ‘to do’ list remains unfinished. The reason for this is the subject of another post (when I have a bit more brain power to think about it).  One job [...]

Plymouth puts its partners to work

I was up at the crack of dawn today to travel to Plymouth, where the city council hosted a day’s session with partners to help it map out its housing strategy. Having witnessed the scores of partners in attendance, listened to intelligent, high-profile speakers and seen some amazing regeneration taking place, I left feeling impressed and energised by the the city’s ambition. Attendees included some of [...]

Bath’s news hits the headlines

I’ve been with the BBC in Bath today, who have covered a major announcement about the Homes and Communities Agency’s investment in one of the South West’s most important regeneration projects. My colleague David Warburton was joined by Bath and North East Somerset Council leader Francine Haeberling and director John Betty for morning interviews with broadcast crews outside the Bath Western Riverside development.

Anyone can ‘play’ at making better cities

One Christmas game that did not make it into our house this year, but sparked my interest when I read about it, was a computerised role play which casts participants as urban designers (of all people). In City Rain, players act as professionals who ’restructure cities’, making them environmentally friendly, economically resilient places before they are blacklisted by global authorities. Certainly [...]

Locking Parklands deal ‘good news’ all round

Congratulations to HCA colleagues and the South West team at St Modwen for finalising the development agreement that allows work to start at Locking Parklands, near Weston-super-Mare. The crucial deal unlocks development of the first 100 homes on the former RAF Locking site, which has been dormant for the best part of a decade. The history of the [...]

Work goes on after World Cup woes

If the media rage is to be believed today, our hopes of rebuilding the economy (and possibly win a football tournament) are up in smoke thanks to FIFA’s decision to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia. There’s no doubt that hosting the tournament would have delivered a huge economic boost to England and the South West, where Bristol and Plymouth were candidate host [...]