What can heritage-led regeneration do for our high streets, town centres and communities?

That’s one of the clearest messages to emerge from our Heritage Led Regeneration Series, a series of events that brings together people from local authorities, businesses, charities, and heritage professionals that are working to build resilient, thriving communities.

From Colwyn Bay to Oxford to Perth, and from historic town centres to historic mining infrastructure, the series looks beyond theory and asks a practical question:

Take Colwyn Bay. At Coastal Transformation in Action: Regenerating Colwyn Bay, delegates heard how an ambitious place plan is being translated into action, with Rachael Gill sharing the experience of Colwyn Bay Town Hall and David Rudlin exploring how towns can respond to the changing role of the high street.

The discussion went beyond buildings and physical investment. Liam McCormack explored a community-centred approach to town centre regeneration, while Stephen Anderson considered the relationship between heritage, tourism and regeneration in Caernarfon.

Importantly, the event went beyond discussions on regeneration, delegates saw it in practice through a guided tour of Colwyn Bay's regeneration projects. This combination of insight, discussion, and seeing projects on the ground is what makes the series so valuable.

Or, take Oxford, where we asked: What do you do with a “dead” department store?

Across the UK, former retail spaces are standing vacant at the heart of towns and cities. Though, as we learned in Oxford, sometimes vacancy brings opportunity. As our panellists in Oxford highlighted, the first step in a successful regeneration project is talking to people. We heard about the history of the department store, the changing retail landscapes of our highstreets, and saw firsthand some of the regeneration work happening in the centre of Oxford.

What better place is there to gain inspiration, insights, and make valuable connections with experts and community members than at one of our events dedicated to these very conversations?

The series brings together architects, regeneration specialists, local authorities, funders, researchers and community organisations to explore how historic buildings can become mixed-use destinations, cultural venues, workplaces, homes, education hubs and community assets.

A central element of this series is stepping outside of the conference room with guided tours and a chance to see how the ideas discussed are reflected in active regeneration on the ground.

If you didn’t make it to our events in Oxford or Colwyn Bay, we’ve got several other opportunities coming up!

28 October- 'Heritage-led Regeneration in Perth' (external link) (opens in new tab)

05 November- ‘Beyond the Bid: How Losing Town of Culture can Win Lasting Change (external link) (opens in new tab)'

And our first online event of the series this year: ‘Power From the Past: Heritage’s Role in Renewable Energy (external link) (opens in new tab)’ on 17 November.

We know that successful regeneration rarely comes from a single viewpoint, or a single solution. It comes from understanding what makes a place distinctive and worth investing in, ensuring that regeneration works for those who live and work locally, learning from project that are actively tackling challenges, understanding the funding landscape, and connecting people who can turn ideas into action.

Whether you're working in local government, planning, heritage, development, community regeneration, or the built environment, the Heritage Led Regeneration Series offers a chance to step back from the day-to-day and learn from places that are actively navigating change.

Find out more about the Heritage Network's Heritage Led Regeneration Series (external link) (opens in new tab).