Following last week’s launch of the Welsh Government’s new ‘Targeted Regeneration Investment Programme’, Shadow Communities Secretary Mark Isherwood AM has expressed concern that the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children’s approach threatens to repeat the mistakes of the past.
- the Secretary in the Assembly Chamber this week over the new programme, which aims to support projects that promote economic development, with activities focused at individuals and areas most in need, Mr Isherwood said it is vital that it is delivered with people rather than for them.
He said:
“As your written Statement said, regeneration investment has a crucial part to play in driving prosperity and building resilient communities, and there’s no disagreement there. It also says that you’re inviting bids from local authorities, along with partner organisations.
“How will you ensure that the programmes that are delivered through this do things with people rather than to or for them, where we now have years of hard evidence showing what works and what doesn’t, and that those schemes that are simply delivered top down don’t have long-term sustainable benefits, whereas those schemes that break down the barrier between service providers and service users—and I’ve given you many examples over the last many months—actually have quantifiable, measurable and evidenced improvements?”
The Cabinet Secretary replied: “The guidance issued to local authorities and partners is very clear about the working together of the principles developed under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. The issue of partnership agencies working alongside local authorities is one that will gain support by the team who will be assessing the bids that come in through the programme. They will gain more points for working with partner agencies as opposed to working in isolation.”
Mr Isherwood added: “Shockingly, the Cabinet Secretary’s approach threatens to repeat the mistakes of the past rather than learn from them. Multi-million pound Welsh Government community regeneration programmes since devolution, designed and delivered by local authorities and ‘partner organisations’, have failed to deliver, in contrast to those approaches which have enabled communities to move beyond ‘programmes’ and government dependency, to establish their own independent institutions and work as equal partners in delivering real and valued outcomes.”