1. TOP DOWN MEETS BOTTOM UP IN SUNDERLAND!
Phil Spooner
Head of Regeneration and Housing
Sunderland City Council

2. STRUCTURE Background – City, structures, experience
The Challenge – achieving an effective
balance between top down and bottom up
Sunderland’s approach and experience
Stocktake and next steps

3. BACKGROUND: THE CITY
300,000 people in 3 main settlement types and over 150 neighbourhoods
broad, multi-faceted deprivation
focus of many special regeneration programmes but …
needed to sharpen up our act to attract funds in a competitive situation

5. BACKGROUND: STRUCTURES
Strong record of partnership
Go-ahead City Council with traditional values
‘Excellent’ rating in comprehensive Performance Assessment
Increasingly well organised and networked voluntary/community sector
Weak private sector
Regeneration and Central Policy formed core of Chief Executive’s Department from mid 1990s

6. BACKGROUND: EXPERIENCE
Regeneration programmes, their development, research, consultation, practical resident involvement
City Strategy produced since 1997
Public Service Agreement pathfinder
Best Value Pilot Authority 1998
Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, floor targets and the need to achieve clearer accountability and measurability
Connecting and reconciling the needs, wants, aspirations of all main interests

7. THE CHALLENGE

8. ‘DOWNWARDS’ Government, regional, City-level policies
Government floor targets
City Partnership priorities and imperatives
Consistency of standards (completeness and quality) and approach wherever appropriate

9. ‘UPWARDS’ Local research findings, issues, opportunities, priorities
Outcomes of focus groups and other consultation methods
Community Visioning Exercise
Community Spirit / MORI
Implementation practice, information, views, experience

10. WHERE TOP DOWN MEETS BOTTOM UP
A continuously evolving approach featuring:
Area Regeneration Frameworks
issues
opportunities
priorities
Area Regeneration Officers
Area Committees and Council restructuring
Area Partnerships
Area Budgets
Appraisals

12. Local Strategic Partnership Board
Community Strategy
Area
Regeneration
Framework
Themed Partnerships
Area Partnerships /
Committees

13. AREA REGENERATION FRAMEWORKS
OR PUT ANOTHER WAY …
Policies
Floor Targets
Standards/consistencies
AREA REGENERATION FRAMEWORKS
Common format
Outcome focus
Holistic approach
Performance management tool
Local priorities
Research
Consultation outcomes
Practice experience
Customer feedback

14. PRACTICE INFLUENCING POLICY
Primary care service delivery
Community Police Task Forces
Local labour in construction
‘Schools- plus’ developments
Youth Parliament
Diversity respected and valued
Fundamental changes in process and approach to local regeneration
Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy and Community Strategy

15. Stocktake
We can achieve a productive balance between top down and bottom up
The process is not without its tensions
The process has been evolutionary
Results have been promising but there is much more to do
It’s a team game – we need Government, strategists, policy officers, practitioners and the community working together towards common goals
The future will be exciting and challenging … will Government play its part?

16. NEXT STEPS Merge Community Strategy and Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy
Develop Area Frameworks – scope and content
Review how far all interests are ‘plugged in’ – minority ethnic communities, young, elderly private sector
Refine and develop Area Partnerships
Exploit e-technology to develop our approach