Welfare Reform on the Web (November 2009): Community regeneration and development - UK

Measuring the impact of community engagement on policy making in the UK: a local case study

K. Purdam and R. Crisp

Journal of Civil Society, vol. 5, 2009, p. 169-186

There has been a growing tendency in the UK to devolve governance to the local level to engage communities in policy making. This is particularly the case with urban renewal programmes, with the New Deal for Communities programme specifically resourced and tasked to engage residents in the process of revitalising deprived urban areas. However, engagement activities vary considerably in the extent to which they actually devolve power. This article considers the numerous innovations in community engagement and participation that have been implemented as part of flagship initiatives such as the New Deal for Communities and examines the extent to which local residents have influenced policies that affect their neighbourhoods. It also considers whether such programmes have the necessary methods in place and evidence for measuring the policy impact of community involvement.