Apologies to those of you not in the UK.  And for cross posting.

With due apologies to Paul Treanor, those Blairite running dogs at
LEPU are organising a seminar in London:

'Development Trusts - community assets for sustainable regeneration?'

Wednesday 28th November 2001
South Bank University
202 Wandsworth Road
London

Development Trusts are now a regular element of the regeneration
scenery, especially in strategies that put the ownership of real
resources in the community at the heart of regeneration.  While often
DTs are recognised as a valuable exit tool, less clear is what sort of
DTs ensure the maximum community ownership, what sort of assets they
should be gifted, and what sort of high-value income generating
activities they can be expected to operate.    This seminar will draw
together a range of Development Trusts to examine their place within
community-owned regeneration strategy and ways that regeneration can
facilitate their development.

Development Trusts: a misunderstood term ?

Paula Howley, Development Trusts Association (DTA) will set the
seminar in context with a discussion of the key principles of
development trusts and how those principles are understood - or
misunderstood.  Paula will outline latest best practice and current
debates about the future of DTs and reflect on the DTAs experience of
facilitating the emergence of new Development Trusts.

Representing diverse communities.

A key principle of development trusts is to reflect the community
they are working within - in terms of Board, staff and beneficiaries.
Development trusts operate in the most deprived and the most diverse
areas of the country. Neil Johnson from Paddington Development Trust
will outline how Development Trusts are addressing this challenge.

Developing DTs in a cold climate? Making regeneration policy work for
you.

Its one thing having a vision for a Development Trust - its quite
another making it happen given the barriers that and often
unresponsive and bureaucratic regeneration policy environment puts in
the way.  Christine Goldschmidt from Hastings Development Trust helps
chart a route through the maze from idea to reality.

DTs and property development - a Case Study of the Elephant and
Castle

Private sector led property development can regenerate an area - but
often at the cost of gentrification and exclusion of local people. Can
community ownership of assets ensure the local people benefit from
rising real estate prices?  Richard Lee from Elephant Links Community
Forum discusses whats going on at the Elephant to make sure local
people benefit.

Community Assets - making regeneration last?

Gurdev Dahele from Action for Business Bradford (ABL) will discus the
experiences of one of the last generation of regeneration vehicles,
the Bradford Task Force in working to develop ABL and it's Carlisle
Mills managed workspace in a places like Bradford where 'the
community' is in conflict.  Ten years after the Task Force, has the
Development Trust meant that regeneration has lasted?  What is an
asset for the community, what is a drain?

The seminar would be of interest to regeneration policy makers,
practitioners, Local Authority members and officers, academics, and
all involved in local regeneration, who want to reflect critically on
how policy could be improved to facilitate better local area
regeneration, and discuss ways to make these changes locally.

Programme:

10.00   Introduction Pete North, LEPU

10.10   Development Trusts - what works and why? Paula Howley,
                Development Trusts Association

10.40   Questions and discussion

11.00   Tea and Coffee

11.20   Representing diverse communities - Neil Johnson, Paddington
                Development Trust

11.40   Questions and Discussion

12.00   Making regeneration policy work for you Christine Goldschmidt,
                Hastings Development Trust

12.30   Questions and discussion

13.00   Lunch

14.00   DTs and property development - Richard Lee, Elephant Links
                Community Forum

14.30   Questions and discussion

15.00   Tea and Coffee

15.20   Community Assets - making regeneration last. Gurdev Dahele,
                Action for Business Bradford

15.40   Questions and discussion

16.00   Closing remarks

16.10   Close

Costs and booking:

Call Julie Miranda on 020 7815 7798
Fax 020 7815 7799
[log in to unmask]

Voluntary sector 75 pounds

Public and Private sectors 200 pounds

a limited number of places for individuals paying with a personal
cheque are available - please enquire

____________________________
Pete North
Local Economy Policy Unit
202 Wandsworth Road
London SE1 6HF
020 7815 7706