Effective Place Partnerships
At the Institute of Place Management, we know that a place-first approach is key to successful economic growth. It is all about activating local assets, strengthening community relations, building pride in place and having a vision that has been collaboratively shaped with local people. By having this groundwork, places can boost investor confidence from both the public and private sectors, making their area investment-ready for the right projects which will have a long-lasting and positive impact on the local community.
Place partnerships play a vital role in ensuring regeneration efforts are strategic, evidence-led, and community-driven. This is why we were pleased to host an IPM webinar on the role of place partnerships in driving town centre regeneration.
With a fantastic line-up of speakers, we explored real-world examples of partnerships making a tangible difference. This discussion was backed by research from the High Streets Task Force and Manchester Metropolitan University. Research from myself, Dr Michael Sewell and Afroditi Maria Kazakou highlighting that the most successful partnerships are driven by local people with the right skillet set and ambition; built on trust, showcase visible action, and have clear storytelling that connects past, present, and future. These partnerships do not just address immediate challenges; they create a long-term framework for economic resilience.
One of the key takeaways was that place partnerships cannot be forced upon places. They must grow organically, driven by local stakeholders who know their communities best. However, this approach often conflicts with the way funding is allocated. Too often, the government announces funding opportunities, and partnerships are quickly assembled to meet application deadlines. This reactive approach prioritises speed over genuine collaboration, leading to partnerships that often lack long-term sustainability or community buy-in; which only further a deepening of distrust between authorities and local residents.
Successful place partnerships require time to build trust, align objectives, and develop a shared vision for regeneration. This is why ongoing investment in place leadership and capacity-building is essential. If partnerships are formed only in response to funding rounds, they risk being transactional rather than transformational. There needs to be a shift in approach, encouraging long-term place governance structures that are already in place when funding opportunities arise, rather than scrambling to assemble partnerships at short notice. The House of Lords report, High Streets: Life beyond retail?’, highlights the importance of consistent place leadership, calling for a more strategic and sustained commitment to town centre management. We will be discussing these challenges and potential solutions in a future event in May.
Following on from the academic research, we then heard from practitioners who showcased successful partnerships in action. We began with Andy Atkinson, who shared the inspiring Hamlet Court Calling initiative in Westcliff-on-Sea. This heritage-led approach has revitalised the high street through business collaboration, street safety improvements, and cultural engagement. The initiative demonstrates how well-managed, attractive places enhance business confidence, increase footfall, and support local economies.
In Ashton-in-Makerfield, Martin Ledson from Wigan Council and Ged Gibbons, High Street Task Force expert shared how the new Ashton-in-Makerfield Innovation Board evolved from a community-led conversation into a structured but inclusive advisory group. This partnership has now helped secure £6.6 million in Levelling Up funding. Their success highlights how bringing together businesses, policymakers, and communities under a shared vision can unlock investment. Similarly, Hannah Austin from Wirral Council outlined the journey of Liscard Together, a partnership that has successfully brought together businesses, community groups, and local government to deliver events, business support, and place-based improvements. Their work has demonstrated that sustained economic success comes from strengthening local networks, providing business support, and continuously activating the high street. Hannah also shared her concerns about working with volunteers and the impact of political changes in a place.
Crime and antisocial behaviour were common themes throughout the discussion. At IPM, we know these issues remain major barriers to regeneration. To address this, we invited Andrew Sharman to provide a different perspective on partnerships, focusing on business crime reduction. Andrew used Exeter as a case study to show how local business including the BID, police, and councils can collaborate to create safer, more welcoming high streets. His work in Exeter highlights the power of clear communication and shared accountability in place management, all of which build business and investor confidence. Andrew will be following up on these discussions in a webinar in July on town centre safety.
The key to unlocking economic growth through place partnerships lies in several factors:
- Delivering quick wins to build trust while also having long-term plans to sustain change.
- Strong place leadership that ensures partnerships are professionally managed by individuals who understand the local economy.
- A shared vision that coordinates place management efforts so that regeneration strategies reflect the needs and aspirations of local people and businesses.
- Visible action that demonstrates the impact of place management through small, tangible improvements that build confidence among investors, businesses, and the community.
- Strategic investment that leverages collaboration between public, private, and community sectors to secure funding and resources.
At IPM, we are committed to supporting places across the UK and internationally to embed place-led approaches to economic development. Our work with the High Streets Task Force and research into place leadership and economic resilience highlights that place partnerships are an important model for driving regeneration and securing investment.
Call to action
However, we realise that more needs to be done; in the fields of academic research and government policy to help support successful place partnerships to thrive in their places. This is vital because once more places have a place-first approach and a groundwork of trust and shared visions, which place-partnerships can help facilitate, our places will become increasingly liveable and attractive.
Therefore, as questions around devolution are being deliberated; how are place partnerships part of the discussion? We will be thinking about this on May 8th, when we host a webinar on town centres and devolution.
About the author
Michael is a Research Associate at the Institute of Place Management. He completed his PhD in History at the University of Essex where he focused on how different communities in Colchester used the town’s Civil War history to understand the contemporary world that they lived in, and how local stakeholders in the town used the past to reinvent Colchester throughout the last three centuries. During his time at Essex, he also ran a project called History Indoors. Before his time at Essex, he completed his MA and BA in History at the University of Winchester where he focused his attention towards memory and the forgetting of the past. Michael’s research interests focus on heritage, the useable past, contested pasts, and how towns can reinvent themselves using the stories, histories, buildings and landscape around them.