The growth in regeneration schemes is stretching the ability of councils and consultants to cope, a key player in the market renewal initiative has claimed.

Mike Gahagan, chair of pathfinder Transform South Yorkshire, said shortages of planners and regeneration consultants posed a critical challenge for pathfinders as they moved into the second phase of their 15-year programme.

“We will be able to deliver in the big cities because the skills are there but … some of the smaller districts don’t have the in-house experience and aren’t able to recruit good people easily,” he said.

Regeneration consultants have reported huge growth in business on the back of recent initiatives such as the pathfinders and the decent homes standard. Tribal, one of the UK’s largest consultants, said its turnover had quadrupled in the past three years.

Source

Housing Today