Community Involvement in Rural Regeneration Partnerships in the UK: Evidence from England, Northern Ireland and Scotland

A core element of local contemporary public policy in the UK is community involvement in public-private partnerships for local development and regeneration. To date, much research has focused on urban areas. This report explores the dynamics of such involvement in rural communities in the UK. It explores the extent to which this rural context sets this involvement apart from experience in urban areas and highlights the key lessons for best practice. It also makes an effort to explore such partnerships across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Too often, public policy has been made on the back of English experience alone. This report challenges this tradition and highlights the key institutional similarities and differences. In particular, the report highlights the importance of: local voluntary and community sector infrastructure in supporting community involvement; community involvement in small-scale projects in order to build up expertise and confidence; and small-scale funding schemes to support community involvement.