Case studies

Stevenage Town Centre is being transformed. A £1bn regeneration programme, being led by the council, is delivering a mixed-use town centre reflecting the aspirations of its people and businesses and addressing the need for change as town centres continue to evolve. The legacy of Stevenage as the UK’s first New Town and its pioneering spirit is reflected within the programme.

London Borough of Lambeth has benefited from over £800k from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) Land Release Fund (LRF), which is managed by the One Public Estate (OPE) programme, to support delivery of affordable housing and regeneration on council owned land.

A One Public Estate (OPE) funded masterplan has enabled the successful delivery of a major transformation programme in Waltham Forest.

The district councils have put significant resource into supporting businesses in their market towns through the development of, and investment in, a virtual high street digital platform.

COVID-19 has created the conditions to enable better working across all council services and being able to use different offers and services to reach people most adversely affected and help them back into a job and for those further left behind, into an employment pathway.

With the onset of the pandemic, the employment and skills service had to pivot to online and alternative delivery approaches in a very short timescale to continue to support learners, young people and those that were being made redundant or who had lost their business.

Successfully anticipating and meeting housing need is one of the biggest challenges facing local authorities. This project forms one initiative, as part of a broader aim, to meet the ambitious housing requirement across the district, providing a broad range of accommodation for local residents.

In 2018, East Suffolk Council took part in a placemaking programme to understand the public perception of Lowestoft and the priorities of businesses, stakeholders, and the community, and to tell the ‘story’ of Lowestoft through identifying the qualities that make the place.

Lowestoft has two Heritage Action Zones. Both schemes are working to secure lasting improvements to the historic environment and help breathe new life into the town’s shopping areas for the benefit of local communities and businesses.