Balfour Beatty is supporting a new report from the Institute for Government that contains recommendations for how mayors can regenerate urban areas.
Titled Devolution and urban regeneration: How can metro mayors transform England’s towns and cities, the report highlights the importance of government providing greater funding certainty and capacity to support combined authorities in delivering long-term strategies for regeneration.
The report sets out six recommendations for mayors:
- Design interventions that make best use of the full mayoral toolkit, including investment funds, joint ventures, development corporations, and development zones.
- Set a clear long-term regeneration vision and convene a coalition of support for this among local stakeholders and investors.
- Use of their mayoral mandate to promote key regeneration schemes to government and the private sector.
- Engage businesses and contractors early to identify risks and to secure wider opportunities for regeneration, such as high-skilled job creation.
- Align devolved powers over transport, skills, housing and the environment to secure the full benefits of regeneration efforts.
- Use mayoral development corporations to regenerate areas with complex land ownership patterns and those that need upfront public investment to ‘crowd in’ the private sector.
Nick Crossfield, chief executive officer of Balfour Beatty’s UK construction services business, said: “We are delighted to have participated in this important research project, as metro mayors and combined authorities become increasingly pivotal in driving growth and regeneration across the UK.
“In our experience, one of the best ways metro mayors can maximise the benefits of their investment in infrastructure is by involving contractors early in the process. This involvement allows us to provide vital input on buildability, deliverability and efficiency. Taking a programmatic approach, by grouping together related schemes, can unlock further efficiencies and drive social value, ensuring that the full potential of these transformative projects is realised.”
