‘Right to Regenerate’ is an opportunity to do better

Proposals for a new ‘Right to Regenerate’ approach from the government have been welcomed by national property developer Godwin Developments as an opportunity to challenge the status quo and ultimately deliver more and better developments for local communities.

Lindsay McCombe, senior development director at Godwin, said: “The proposals would give communities, individuals and businesses the opportunity to examine local authorities’ plans for underused plots of land or buildings – and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“We know just how stretched public sector organisations are at the moment – both in terms of resource and time – so this approach may bring the opportunity to consider new options and bring unloved areas of the country back into community use. What local authorities need right now is the right partners to support them, bringing in expertise, investment and other resources that can lighten the burden and support them with creating long-term revenue streams while also delivering services and improving their towns and cities.

“There is a perception that developers are in it just for the land grab – but that simply isn’t the case. We are here to work collaboratively with public sector organisations to assess opportunities better and make the right decisions for their circumstances. We have the team and knowledge how to best bring a scheme together while also ensuring that development is of the highest possible standard and has a positive and lasting impact on the local area.

“That is why we have recently been appointed to Pagabo’s developer led framework which embeds social, economic and environmental value as the foundation of all projects delivered by us – and this approach is something that we replicate across all our work. We are committed to positively engaging with local communities and enabling public sector organisations to bring forward new homes and facilities for local people.

“Right to Regenerate is fundamentally the right approach to do better and deliver better – let us all get behind it – in a responsible way.”