This Open Forum gave over 60 delegates the opportunity to reflect on the experience of establishing Urban Regeneration Companies (URCs) in Scotland. There has been, for example:
- The recent publication of the Scottish Government’s Best Practice in Establishing Urban Regeneration Companies in Scotland;
- The current roll-out of the formation of Clyde Gateway as the next URC to be formed;
- Five years since SURF’s groundbreaking 2003 Open Forum on URCs, “Good Company to Regenerate In”.
The aim of this Forum, which took place in Stirling, was to hear about experiences and lessons from the setting up of URCs to help inform general practice and policy on structures and organisations for regeneration. SURF enlisted Liz Shiel, Director of Tribal Consulting and author of the above Best Practice report, and Robbie Mcghee, Policy Officer in the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Unit, to deliver opening presentations.
- Robbie McGhee’s presentation – “URCs – setting the policy context.”
- Liz Shiel’s presentation – “What Works – lessons from the first URCs in Scotland.”
Following the presentations, John Quinn, General Manager of Craigmillar (Edinburgh) URC PARC, and Graeme Palmer of Burness LLP, who is currently advising Irvine Bay URC, joined Liz and Robbie on a panel for open discussion with delegates.
Two versions of Outcomes Paper summarising the main points of the day are available:
