Developing Coalfields Communities: Breathing New Life into Warsop Vale

Developing coalfields communities examines the impact of government investment in Warsop Vale, a village which has starkly emphasised the negative consequences of coalfield decline.Based on over 100 in-depth interviews between 1998 and 2003, the report provides a revealing insight into the often frustrating but ultimately fruitful attempts by residents and professionals to ensure government policy worked to the community's advantage. Distinctive features of the report are that it:adopts a rarely-used longitudinal approach to understanding the effects of community decline and regeneration; provides a novel and much-needed assessment of the impact of government regeneration measures at the level of community; andemphasises crucial lessons for best practice regarding the development and empowerment of de-industrialised communities.·[vbTab]Written in an authoritative but accessible style, the report will prove valuable to academics, policy makers and practitioners interested in area regeneration and/or community development and empowerment.[vbTab]

David Waddington, School of Cultural Studies, Sheffield Hallam University