Collaborative governance and territorial rescaling in the UK: a comparative study of two EU Structural Funds programmes

Abstract

Contemporary capitalist development facilitates the large-scale geographical reorganization of economic activity, involving both spatial clustering and decentralization. In the European Union the resulting regional disparities have provoked concerns about growing inequality on the one hand and poor competitiveness on the other. The concept of 'territorial cohesion' has been adopted to address such issues, with the need for co-operation across local, regional and national boundaries encouraged as a means of constructing more effective economic zones. This then raises the question whether the European Union's own Structural Funds programme has been able to contribute to such collaborative working. Evidence from South Yorkshire/Sheffield in England and the Central Valleys/Cardiff in Wales suggests that any contribution is likely to be modest. Both areas were covered by Objective 1 programmes between 2000 and 2006, but differed markedly in the extent to which collaborative governance structures and processes developed. Key factors were the extent to which moves in this direction were already under way, and the extent to which management and decision-making were devolved from the centre to local and sub-regional actors.

Cities and their hinterlands 10 years on: Local and regional governance still under debate

“…This Combined Authority is now focused on the core South Yorkshire part of this area, with the others linked as 'non-constituent' members. Within that core, the high degree of cooperation we noted at the time of our JRF case study appears to have dissipated somewhat, partly due to the diminution of resources available following the reduction in European Structural Funds support, and partly due to the perception that Sheffield may be seeking to be the key location, instead of pursuing the previous polycentric trajectory that helped keep all players at the table (Gore, 2008; see also Henderson, 2015, for a parallel example in the Black Country). In response, two of the four local authorities in the area are currently exploring a wider cross-regional set-up which would cover 15 of the 20 council areas in Yorkshire (Perraudin, 2017).…”

Cohesion policy after Brexit: the economic, social and institutional challenges

“…Reverting to full national control of regional development policies will entail choices about much more than future funding models (Bachtler and Begg, 2016). Administratively, the procedures for managing Structural Funds have become ingrained in the domestic policy thinking and practice of the UK government and the DAs (Gore, 2008: Bachtler et al ., 2016). UK regional and local development has also been influenced by wider EU policy frameworks, often applied through the ESIF, notably the Europe 2020 strategy, successive social inclusion initiatives, EU competition policy (state aid controls) and EU environmental policy.…”