A renaissance for Rugeley Available to Purchase

This paper is about civil engineering schemes that have been devised and implemented with community participation to meet local needs. Against a backdrop of industrial and economic decline a multi-agency partnership, Trent Challenge, sought to direct local funding alongside European structural funds and Government funding through the Single Regeneration Budget to revitalise the area. Regional objectives of stimulating the economy and removing skills shortages and local aspirations to improve facilities, enhance the environment and develop infrastructure are brought together and progress is measured to demonstrate effectiveness. The appraisal and approval process for schemes to be implemented tests engineers' ability to develop solutions that not only comply with national and regional objectives but also engage local participation as a vital ingredient. A wide range of community groups with different and sometimes conflicting needs have been encouraged to participate in the regeneration process. The paper includes several case studies, describing individual schemes and commenting on the measurable outputs delivered and the consultation processes that took place. The purpose of the paper is to describe an approach to sustainable regeneration that can be developed in the future and, in the view of the authors, applied in other locations to good effect.