This paper seeks to address the way the politics of sustainability governance is spatially organised and contested by voluntary and community sector (VCS) groups in the United Kingdom. Using the research lens of the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP), we seek to demonstrate how sustainability governance at regional and national scales is negotiated and produced from the ‘bottom up’. We argue that VCS groups are agents of a complex process of ‘scalar manoeuvring’ whereby sustainability governance is produced and contested across a range of sites both within and across spatial scales. Such groups enter into external, nonstate-controlled governance networks as a reaction to state-orchestrated scales like LSPs. In the process, VCS groups engage with and utilise higher scales of state territoriality and governance to pursue quasi-autonomous sustainability objectives back at the local level. Such actions demonstrate how pragmatism is essential in enacting scalar agency in the pursuit of a local fix for sustainability. These findings contribute new insights into the ways in which local spaces of sustainability governance are produced and contested within wider UK state modernisation and rescaling processes.
BulkeleyH, 2005, “Reconfiguring environmental governance: Towards a politics of scale and networks”Political Geography24875–902.
6.
CoaffeeJHealeyP, 2003, “‘My voice: My place’: Tracking transformations in urban governance”Urban Studies401979–1999.
7.
Commission of the Compact, 2009Compact: Commissioning GuidanceCommission of the Compact, London.
8.
CoxK R, 1998, “Spaces of dependence, spaces of engagement and the politics of scale, or: Looking for local politics”Political Geography171–23.
9.
CraigGMcNameeSPeakeRWilkinsonM, 2005, “The future contribution of voluntary and community sectors to the Yorkshire and Humber region”, Report A21CVCS4Y+H, University of Hull, Hull.
10.
DaviesA R, 2002, “Power, politics and networks: Shaping partnerships for sustainable communities”Area34190–203.
11.
DaviesJ S, 2007, “The limits of partnership: An exit-action strategy for local democratic inclusion”Political Studies55779–800.
12.
DavisHGeddesM, 2000, “Deepening democracy or elite governance? New political management arrangements in local government”Public Money and Management8115–20.
13.
DCLG, Department of Communities and Local Government.
2007The Working Neighbourhoods Fund (The Stationery Office, London).
16.
DEFRA, Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
17.
2005Securing the Future: UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy (The Stationery Office, London).
18.
2007Conserving Biodiversity: The UK Approach.
19.
DETR, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (The Stationery Office, London).
20.
1998, “Modernising local government: local democracy and community leadership”.
21.
1999aA Better Quality of Life: A Strategy for the United Kingdom.
22.
1999bPreparing Community Strategies: Government Guidance to Local Authorities.
23.
2000Our Towns and Cities: The Future. Delivering an Urban Renaissance.
24.
2001Local Strategic Partnerships: Government Guidance.
25.
DoakJ, 1998, “Changing the world through participative action: The dynamics and potential of Local Agenda 21”, in Participation and the Quality of Environmental Decision Making Eds CoenenFHuitemaDO'TooleL (Kluwer, Dordrecht) pp 77–93.
26.
East Riding Community Partners, 2001‘Your future … our commitment’: Your Community Plan 2001 – 2006East Riding Council, Woodmansey, Yorks.
27.
East Riding Council, 2000Local Agenda 21 StrategyEast Riding of Yorkshire Council, Beverley, Yorks.
28.
East Riding Council, 2006‘Our East Riding’: The East Riding Community Plan 2006 – 2016East Riding Council, Beverley, Yorks.
EganJ, 2004Egan Review: Skills for Sustainable CommunitiesOffice of the Deputy Prime Minister, London.
31.
EvansBJoasMSundbackSTheobaldK, 2006, “Governing local sustainability”Journal of Environmental Planning and Management49849–868.
32.
FraserA, 2010, “The craft of scalar practices”Environment and Planning A42332–346.
33.
FreemanCLittlewoodSWhitneyD, 2001, “Local government and emerging models of participation in the Local Agenda 21 process”Journal of Environmental Planning and Management3965–78.
34.
FullerCGeddesM, 2008, “Urban governance under neoliberalism: New Labour and the restructuring of state-space”Antipode40252–282.
35.
GaventaJ, 2004Representation, Community Leadership and Participation: Citizen Involvement in Neighbourhood Renewal and Local Governance (The Stationery Office, London).
36.
GeddesM, 2006, “Partnership and the limits to local governance in England: Institutionalist analysis and neoliberalism”International Journal of Urban and Regional Research3076–97.
37.
GibbsDJonasA E G, 2000, “Governance and regulation in local environment policy: The utility of a regime approach”Geoforum31299–313.
38.
GibbsDJonasA E G, 2001, “Rescaling and regional governance: The English Regional Development Agencies and the environment”Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy19269–280.
39.
GiddensA, 1984The Constitution of Society: Outline of the Theory of Structuration (Polity Press, Cambridge).
40.
GlassmanJ, 2002, “From Seattle (and Ubon) to Bangkok: The scales of resistance to corporate globalisation”Environment and Planning D: Society and Space20513–533.
41.
HaasPLevyMParsonT, 1992, “Appraising the Earth Summit: How should we judge UNCED's success?”Environment346 – 11, 26 – 33.
42.
TreasuryH M, 2006The Future Role of the Third Sector in Social and Economic Regeneration: Interim ReportHM Treasury, London.
43.
HowittR, 1998, “Scale as relation: Musical metaphors of geographical scale”Area3049–58.
44.
Hull City Council, 2001Local Agenda 21 StrategyKingston Upon Hull City Council, Hull.
45.
Hull City Council, 2005Compact for HullKingston Upon Hull City Council, Hull.
46.
JacksonTRobertsP, 1997, “Greening the Fife economy: Ecological modernization as a pathway for local economic development”Journal of Environmental Planning and Management40615–629.
47.
JessopBBrennerNJonesM, 2008, “Theorizing sociospatial relations”Environment and Planning D: Society and Space26389–401.
48.
JochumVPrattenBWildingK, 2005Civil Renewal and Active Citizenship: A Guide to the DebateNational Council for Voluntary Organisations, London.
49.
JonasA E G, 1994, “The scale spatiality of politics”Environment and Planning D: Society and Space12257–264.
50.
JonasA E G, 2006, “Pro scale: Further reflections on the ‘scale debate’ in human geography”Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, New Series31399–406.
51.
JonasA E GWhileA, 2005, “Governance”, in Cultural Geography Eds AtkinsonDJacksonPSibleyDWashbourneN (I B Tauris, London) pp 72–79.
52.
JonasA E GWhileAGibbsD, 2004, “State modernization and local strategic-selectivity after Local Agenda 21: evidence from three northern English localities”Policy and Politics32151–168.
53.
JordanA, 2008, “The governance of sustainable development: Taking stock and looking forwards”Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy2617–33.
54.
KendallJKnappM, 1995, “A loose and baggy monster: Boundaries, definitions and typologies”, in An Introduction to the Voluntary Sector Eds Davis SmithJRochesterCHedleyR (Routledge, London) pp 66–95.
55.
KruegerRGibbsD, 2007, “Introduction: Problematizing the politics of sustainability”, in The Sustainable Development Paradox: Urban Political Economy in the United States and Europe Eds KruegerRGibbsD (Guilford, New York) pp 1–11.
56.
KythreotisA, 2010, “Local Strategic Partnerships: A Panacea for voluntary interest groups to promote local environmental sustainability? The UK context”Sustainable Development18187–193.
57.
LefebvreH, 1991The Production of Space (Blackwell, Oxford).
LiddleJ, 2007, “Challenges to scrutiny and accountability in the UK state: New forms of governance and the dilemmas of legitimacy”Public Administration Quarterly31397–428.
62.
LiddleJTownsendA, 2003, “Reflections on the development of local strategic partnerships: Key emerging issues”Local Governance2937–54.
63.
Local Government Act, 2000Public General Acts—Elizabeth II chapter 22 (The Stationery Office, London).
64.
LoveringJ, 1989, “The restructuring debate”, in New Models in Geography Eds PeetRThriftN (Unwin Hyman, London) pp 213–242.
65.
LowndesVWilsonD, 2003, “Balancing revisability and robustness? A new institutionalist perspective on local government modernization”Public Administration81275–298.
66.
McCarthyJ, 2005, “Scale, sovereignty, and strategy in environmental governance”Antipode37731–753.
67.
McCarthyJ, 2006, “Neoliberalism and the politics of alternatives: Community forestry in British Columbia and the United States”Annals of the Association of American Geographers9684–104.
68.
MaguireKTruscottF, 2006Active Governance: The Value Added by Community Involvement in Governance Through Local Strategic Partnerships (Joseph Rowntree Foundation, York).
69.
MarkusenA, 1999, “Fuzzy concepts, scanty evidence, policy distance: The case for rigour and policy relevance in critical regional studies”Regional Studies33869–884.
70.
MarstonS AJonesJ PIIIWoodwardK, 2005, “Human geography without scale”Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, New Series30416–432.
71.
MasseyD, 1985, “New directions in space”, in Social Relations and Spatial Structures Eds GregoryDUrryJ (Macmillan, Basingstoke, Hants) pp 9–19.
72.
MasseyD, 1993, “Power-geometry and a progressive sense of place”, in Mapping the Futures: Local Cultures, Global Change Eds BirdJCurtisBPutnamTRobertsonGTicknerL (Routledge, London) pp 59–69.
73.
MeadowcroftJ, 2004, “Participation and sustainable development: Modes of citizen, community and organisational involvement”, in Governance for Sustainable Development: The Challenge of Adapting Form to Function Ed. LaffertyW (Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, Glos) pp 162–190.
74.
MorrisonT H, 2007, “Multiscalar governance and regional environmental management in Australia”Space and Polity11227–241.
75.
ODPM, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (The Stationery Office, London).
76.
2004aLocal Area Agreements: A Prospectus.
77.
2004bThe English Indices of Deprivation 2004: Summary (Revised).
OsborneS P, 2000, “Reformulating Wolfenden? The roles and impact of local development agencies in supporting voluntary and community action”Local Government Studies2623–48.
86.
Office of the Third Sector, 2006Partnership in Public Services: An Action Plan for Third Sector Involvement (The Stationery Office, London).
87.
ParkerJSelmanP, 1999, “Local government, local people and Local Agenda 21”, in Constructing Local Environmental Agendas: People, Places and Participation Eds Buckingham-HatfieldSPercyS (Routledge, London) pp 18–30.
RacoMParkerGDoakJ, 2006, “Reshaping spaces of local governance? Community strategies and the modernization of local government in England”Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy24475–496.
90.
RussellH, 2005National Evaluation of Local Strategic Partnerships. Issues Paper: Voluntary and Community Sector Engagement in Local Strategic PartnershipsOffice of the Deputy Prime Minister, London.
91.
ShawD, 2004, “Local development documents: The missing spatial dimension of community strategies?”Town and Country Planning7326–28.
92.
ShieldsR, 1991Places on the Margin: Alternative Geographies of Modernity (Routledge, London).
93.
SmithCKurtzH, 2003, “Community gardens and politics of scale in New York City”Geographical Review93193–212.
94.
SmithN, 1984Uneven Development: Nature, Capital and the Production of Space (Blackwell, Oxford).
95.
SmithN, 1992, “Geography, difference and the politics of scale”, in Postmodernism and the Social Sciences Eds DohertyJGrahamEMalekM (Macmillan, London) pp 57–79.
96.
StokerG, 2004Transforming Local Governance: From Thatcherism to New Labour (Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, Hants).
97.
SwyngedouwE, 1997, “Neither global nor local: Glocalisation and the politics of scale”, in Spaces of globalisation: Reasserting the Power of the Local Ed CoxK R (Guilford Press, New York) pp 137–166.
98.
SwyngedouwE, 2000, “Authoritarian governance, power, and the politics of rescaling”Environment and Planning D: Society and Space1863–76.
99.
SwyngedouwE, 2005, “Governance innovation and the citizen: The Janus face of governance-beyond-the-state”Urban Studies421991–2006.
100.
TaylorM, 2007, “Community participation in the real world: Opportunities and pitfalls in new governance spaces”Urban Studies44297–317.
101.
TaylorP J, 1982, “A materialist framework for political geography”Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, New Series715–34.
ValentineG, 2005, “Tell me about …: Using interviews as a research methodology”, in Methods in Human Geography: A Guide for Students Doing a Research Project Eds FlowerdewRMartinD (Pearson, Harlow, Essex) pp 110–124.
104.
VoiseyHBeuermannCAstrid-SverdrupLO'RiordanT, 1996, “The political significance of Local Agenda 21: The early stages of some European experience”Local Environment133–50.
105.
von HerderJ G, 1778, “Über die Wirkung der Dichtkunst auf die Sitten der Völker in alten und neuen Zeiten”, reprinted 1967 in Sämtliche Werke Ed. SuphanB (Georg Olm, Hildesheim) VIII, pp 433f.
106.
WardKJonasA E G, 2004, “Competitive city-regionalism as a politics of space: A Critical reinterpretation of the new regionalism”Environment and Planning A362119–2139.
107.
WilliamsP, 2002, “Community strategies: Mainstreaming sustainable development and strategic planning?”Sustainable Development10197–205.
