podcast
The Balancing Act
Shaping NextGen Cities
Delivering successful regeneration projects is increasingly challenging. From funding and procurement to planning, ESG and long-term partnership models, public sector bodies are under increasing pressure to balance ambition with delivery. The Balancing Act is TLT’s new podcast series exploring how that balance can be achieved in practice.
Hosted by Real Estate Partner David Meecham, each episode focuses on a single, high priority issue shaping local authority-led regeneration, offering a practical, real-world lens on the challenges faced when bringing regeneration opportunities to market.
David is joined by leading external voices from across the public and private sectors, alongside those directly involved in delivery on the ground.
Combining legal insight with commercial and strategic perspectives, The Balancing Act goes beyond theory to tackle real world issues head on, reinforcing TLT’s role as a trusted adviser at the heart of the public sector regeneration conversation.
Listen to the latest episode
5: Regeneration by the community, for the community
In this episode of The Balancing Act, David Meecham is joined by Paul Oster, part of the team behind Mayday Saxonvale – a community‑led initiative aiming to deliver one of the UK’s largest town centre regeneration schemes in Frome.
Drawing on Paul’s experience shaping the vision and fundraising strategy, the conversation explores how local ownership, aligned capital and strong governance can enable communities to lead complex regeneration – and retain value for the long term.
The discussion looks beyond traditional public‑private models to examine what it takes to put communities in the driving seat, from early mobilisation through to delivery.
The episode explores:
- What “community‑led” regeneration really means in practice — from planning to delivery
- How local ownership and community shares can unlock funding and long‑term value
- The challenges of building consensus across diverse community voices
- Why social enterprise models can prioritise place, not just profit
- What needs to change to make community‑led regeneration viable at scale
