News & Insights
All eyes on the Towns Fund- A test for post-Covid community engagement
Briefing Note release
All eyes are now on the Towns Fund!
The Consultation Institute has published its latest briefing note on the Towns Fund- a test for post-Covid community engagement. And a test it is indeed, not just for those councils that have secured some money through the Fund. All councils across the UK now have the opportunity to pave the way for better community engagement post-covid.
Unlike other ‘levelling up’ initiatives, the Fund invited the most ‘struggling’ towns to develop community-agreed proposals for a Town Deal by putting decision-making in the hands of the local people. This comes at a very important time as, after Covid-19, many people think there will be a demand for communities to be empowered through public engagement to influence positive change, particularly on urgent issues affecting their towns and the environment in which they live.
However, choosing the right projects will be a challenge as explained in the briefing note and the extent to which public consultation and community engagement is undertaken will determine the strength, popularity, and success of proposed projects. This briefing note considers the objectives of the Towns Fund and offers 7 key recommendations for local authorities to consider while developing their business cases.
The Towns Fund will be a crucial topic of discussion in tCI’s virtual conference, Connect 2021 on Wednesday 26th May.
Briefing Notes are exclusive members’ content. If you would like to read the full briefing note, click here. For any questions or queries relating to this briefing note, please get in touch with Shaheena Ahmed.