A hot topic around the country for years, urban regeneration has only recently gained airtime in the southwest. So why – with billions of pounds of actual projects now underway there – has it taken the region so much longer to embrace the concept?

One argument is that, historically, the southwest's geographical and economic layout did not produce the same levels of city-based manufacturing industry as other areas. With the demise of manufacturing in Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle – to name the obvious examples – vast swathes of dereliction and desolation resulted.

An alternative view is that when the southwest's major centres did have such problems, they were often tackled swiftly, effectively, and to the benefit of the surrounding population. For instance, the closure of Swindon's world-famous rail engineering works in the mid-1980s was soon followed by much of the site being transformed into a mixture of new homes, industry and retail operations.

Similarly, while people tend to think of Bristol Harbourside's regeneration as a recent, on-going phenomenon, the initial phase – around Lloyds TSB's major presence on the waterfront – has now been up and running for well over a decade.

What is not in dispute is that, through a combination of factors, the whole desire for, and pace of, urban regeneration across the extensive southwest region has picked up in recent years.

Certainly, the presence of the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) has been a major catalyst. Without this body's ability to target public funds at redevelopment projects – particularly through acquiring significant town and city centre sites – many proposed schemes would still be floundering over their economic viability.

Another key element has been Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's now famous PPG3 requirement. This has severely restricted the potential for new housing on greenfield sites by requiring planning authorities to steer 60% of it to brownfield – in effect, urban – development.

Sitting alongside this policy is the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act, which received its Royal Assent earlier this year and is now introducing sweeping changes to the planning regime throughout the country.

The major thrust of the legislation is to speed up the planning process through a series of measures. These include setting out a smoother route for compulsory purchases, reducing the time to act on planning consent from five years to three, and specifying that appeals against refused applications are lodged within three months rather than six. The actual effects of the new Act are, however, still open to question.

One of the great truisms of housing development is that nine out of 10 people agree the UK needs more houses, whereas nine out of 10 also believe they do not need more houses in their area. Many experts have therefore predicted more challenges to consents, particularly with the requirement for local planning authorities to factor an element of community involvement into decision-making.

True, councils are not obliged to act on local people's views. But community groups – having realised that nimbyism on its own will not stop unwanted developments – are becoming better organised and more sophisticated in their campaigning.

Developers are therefore more likely to call on heavyweight legal advice earlier in the process, to make sure they win their consent. Companies will also want to know that permission is judge-proof in the event of an appeal – particularly given the latest planning Act which ends the twin-track approach whereby a developer could continue with an alternative application alongside an appeal.

For years, law firms have divided their legal teams along clearly-defined commercial and residential lines. However, one particular aspect of urban regeneration schemes has been their focus on mixed-use sites – the idea being to build better communities by locating leisure and other facilities, as well as employment opportunities, near new homes. Also, the commercial viability of many schemes depends on having a significant element of housing, retail, leisure and industry partners to share the costs and benefits.

Certainly, almost every major urban regeneration scheme on the drawing board or at planning stage across the southwest features this mixed-use approach – not just in conurbations like Plymouth, Exeter, Bristol, Gloucester and Swindon but also in the host of smaller towns throughout the region.

Many such plans involve sites vacated by an area's historic major industry. Key projects here include Taunton's Firepool site – this involves not only redeveloping the town centre with a mix of new homes and shopping, but also upgrading the cricket ground to an international standard with a view to attracting test matches to Somerset.

Also in the county, a 19-acre former rail-works site in the heart of Norton Radstock is being cleared to provide a new community and leisure facility for the town, along with residential and retail elements.

In the centre of historic Trowbridge – Wilt-shire's county town – the former Ushers brewery provides a focus for restored life and economic vibrancy. Likewise, the old Lister Petter works at Dursley in the Forest of Dean.

Not even the World Heritage city of Bath has been immune to the ravages of urban blight. A lack of a major cinema in the city has been addressed by transforming a former car dealership into an eight-screen multiplex, complemented by fitness club, shops and new homes.

Elsewhere in the city, a £300m plan to revitalise the Southgate part of the main shopping area – including a new bus station and under-ground car park – should soon be underway.

Other major centres in the southwest are also gaining from significant urban regeneration schemes. Plymouth and Exeter are both benefiting from major developments. Gloucester's former cattle market site and the upgrade of Swindon's Brunel shopping centre are other high-profile projects.

Perhaps inevitably, Bristol is the biggest focus of attention with several prestige schemes. These include the current Harbourside development which is transforming a derelict, contaminated area into a suitable gateway to one of the UK's largest cities.

It's also remarkable that, for a metropolis of its size, Bristol has no large concert venue. But this situation's set to change by 2008 when a new 10,000-seat arena – accompanied by surrounding housing – is due to open for business alongside Temple Meads Station. A decision on which of two schemes to select is due in February. Nearby, the £500m expansion of Broadmead, the city's main shopping area, will soon commence.

Given the volume and diversity of projects at various stages of development, the immediate future of urban regeneration in the southwest certainly seems secure.

However, such projects are sited at locations offering the most straightforward opportunities. The challenge in later years will be to achieve similar community and economic gains from places which – because of the difficult-to-evaluate costs of cleaning up contamination – represent riskier ventures.

Inevitably, developers are turning their attention back to greenfield sites. In fact, they have never stopped looking for them – while PPG3 specified 60% of development on brownfield, that left 40% to be located on rural plots.

Already lawyers are winning more strategic work in identifying land options on greenfield sites. This is only likely to increase as the scramble for such opportunities intensifies – particularly given the reality that there is simply not enough brownfield land to satisfy the region's housing needs.

Whether it is green or brown – you should watch this space.

David Powell and Stephen Rosser are partners at Clarke Willmott in Bristol.