RDAs, Sub-Regional Partnerships and Local Regeneration

This article examines the structures and relationships being formed between regional, sub-regional and local levels of governance. It highlights how traditional methods for the delivery of regeneration, based on Weberian formalization, centralization and bureaucratic procedures, are being challenged by the call for more flexible arrangements with decentralized decision-making and wider participation, a key philosophy of contemporary regeneration management. It is suggested that the implementation of programmes is problematic because cultural and professional differences emerge between professional regeneration managers and the recipients of regeneration projects. By focusing on the emergence of four Sub-Regional Partnerships (SRPs), a new intermediary in regeneration, in the North East of England, this article will be of interest to both practitioners and academics. Early evidence tends to indicate that through SRPs, the governance of regeneration appears to be another 'managerial fix' rather than a new form of political articulation.