Addressing rural problems
The rural communities across Breckland have a wide variety of economic and social needs. Previous attempts to implement a ‘one size fits all’ approach to service delivery have failed. Attracting significant funding for regeneration projects in rural areas such as Breckland can sometimes be difficult because deprivation and isolation are perceived as less of a problem than in larger urban settlements.
Breckland Council’s Economic Development team needed to get people from across the area working together in a way that recognises the differing needs within that area. Working with voluntary and community organisations, as well as local businesses, enabled the Economic Development team to implement projects in direct response to local needs. By packaging a range of projects together, the team was able to approach the regeneration initiative on a large scale and secure £12.7 million of funding from a range of sources.
Historic ruins were
restored through
the programme
Identifying projects
From an initial batch of project proposals, the Breckland Economic Development team selected the ideas that most closely aligned with the council’s priorities, including its community engagement strategy, and requested full business plans for each of these. The chosen projects varied widely in type and scale but each one had the potential to deliver strong results. The Economic Development team, which is made up of four permanent employees and three project-funded posts, worked with 13 partners and 11 funding streams to deliver the regeneration initiative.
Topics associated with this project
Community engagement, East England, Economy, Employment, Energy, Financial management, Partnership working, Project management, Regeneration, Rural, Training