28.11.19
New Carnegie UK Report offers ‘turnaround’ for UK towns
A new report published by the Carnegie UK Trust called ‘Turnaround Towns UK’ aims to provide a pathway for change and prevent town decline.
According to the new study, vulnerable towns can secure their future and turn their fortunes around if they act now.
Key principles for change are offered in the trust’s report to enable struggling towns to overcome a lack of political power and declining economies.
The upcoming General Election has turned a lot of local areas into political battlegrounds, prompting the Carnegie Trust UK to set out the results of nine positive case studies.
The seven key principles are:
- ‘Anchor’ your town with a hub to stimulate relationships and bring people together
- Space-making is vital: creating social infrastructure that encourages change
- Embrace something new: recognise the need for change
- Celebrate local strengths and tell a local story
- Avoid siloes and create ways to collaborate
- Place your town’s values at the heart of change
- Have a long-term vision
Pippa Coutts, Policy and Development manager at the Carnegie UK Trust, said:
“Despite two in five people living in towns, in the last decade policy and funding has focused on cities. There are signs this is changing, with the recently launched Towns Fund, and commitments to towns in party manifestos. But many towns are desperately seeking advice and inspiration on how to make the most of new opportunities.”
“Town planners and authorities should think of this report not as the answer to their problems, but as inspiration for change. It is the first time anyone has identified genuine common ground across flourishing towns in the UK – and published practical inspiration for others.”
The towns featured in the full report are West Kilbride and Dumfries in Scotland; Portrush in Northern Ireland; Cardigan in Wales; and Morecambe, Todmorden, Grimsby, Wigan and Totnes in England.
During the studies, each location was able to flourish, different initiatives such as hosting festivals, restoring tourist attractions, commissioning films, reclaiming a high street and ‘guerilla gardening’ were carried out, with support from the Carnegie Trust UK to support and develop town communities.