Innovas was appointed by Welsh Government and Powys County Council to carry out an evaluation of the Severn Valley Strategic Regeneration Programme (SVSRP), a £6m programme of physical infrastructure investments in Newtown, Welshpool and Llanidloes intended to improve the built environment and bring derelict land and buildings back into economic use.

The work involved updating a previous baseline study carried out in 2010 in order to assess how perceptions of the local areas have changed over time, the extent to which these changes have arisen as a result of the Programme and to capture economic impact.

Innovas worked with its market research partner, Future Focus Research. As part of the work, Future Focus conducted 800 on-street interviews with local residents across the three towns, 300 telephone interviews with local businesses and 90 telephone interviews with voluntary/community sector groups.

The outcome of the work assessed the effectiveness of the programme and contained a series of recommendations on future regeneration priorities for the area.

The commission adds to Innovas’ extensive portfolio of work in Wales. Other recent assignments include a mapping study of the energy and environment sector in Wales, an analysis of entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviour as part of Welsh Government’s Dynamo youth enterprise project and an evaluation of the Arwain Cymru 21st Century public sector leadership pilot. Innovas is also currently carrying out a review of Intellectual Property commercialisation in Wales for Welsh Government’s Academia for Business.

For more information contact: Simon Hallam

T: 01606 551122 M: 0741 371 810 E: simon.hallam@innovas.co.uk