Memorandum submitted by the City Planning
Officer, Portsmouth City Council (UWP 37)
THE PROPOSED URBAN WHITE PAPER
REPORT OF
THE URBAN
TASK FORCE
While the overall thrust of the Report is to
be commended, there is a very real danger that many of its recommendations
will not be realised unless there is a genuine commitment on the
part of Government, local authorities and all other regeneration
agencies to make available the resources necessary to implement
the proposals and courses of action put forward. In that regard,
therefore, it is clear that Parts Two and Four ("Making Towns
and Cities Work" and "Making the Investment" respectively)
should be given priority.
The necessary commitment, referred to above, has
two dimensions:
— the political will to drive forward
regeneration initiatives, including the courage to make what may
be controversial or unpopular decisions in the short term for
the benefit of longer-term objectives; and
— the availability of appropriate and
adequate fiscal measures to enable the regeneration authorities
and agencies to realise their plans and objectives, for example
by direct or indirect financial assistance in land assembly and
de-contamination exercises.
Not to demonstrate such commitment would reduce
the recommendations of the Task Force to the kind of rhetoric
that has frustrated urban regeneration for so long. The introduction
of streamlined planning procedures, including more effective compulsory
purchase mechanisms, while fully supported, could prove to be
wasted effort unless there is political and financial backing
for what is trying to be achieved.
This fundamental principle of regenerative planning
underpins the following other matters to be addressed by the Committee:
— integration of employment, housing,
transport and other policies; and the role of Government departments/agencies/RDAs;
and
— areas of low demand for housing and
social decline.
RELEASE OF
BROWNFIELD SITES
AND FOSTERING
CREATIVE DESIGN
The mechanisms and procedures by which brownfield
sites are released for development are varied and complex. To
single out local authorities as being in some way responsible
for encouraging their "speedy" release is, therefore,
misguided. Many brownfield sites are in private ownership or in
the hands of Government departments or other privatised agencies.
Despite the best intentions of local authorities through the preparation
of development plans and/or planning briefs, the "release"
of the land in question depends on decisions related to obtaining
the best financial return. While local authorites themselves are
not immune from such considerations, the point here is that it
is not the speed of release that is the most important issue.
Ultimately, it needs to be balanced against the type of development
that is to be delivered and its benefits to the community, whether
on an ad hoc basis or (preferably) part of a wider, "spatial
master plan".
Fostering good design is also part of this process.
Unnecessary haste in releasing sites for development can have
deleterious effects if insufficient time has been allowed to work
up and agree design principles. There is also a financial aspect
to encouraging good design, whereby adequate resources need to
be made available to local authorities and other regeneration
agencies to employ or engage design expertise.
ADDED VALUE
OF THE
WHITE PAPER
TO URBAN
POLICY
The proposed White Paper should not be perceived
as merely adding value to existing policy. Rather, it should be
the means of consolidating and (where appropriate) rewriting urban
policy with a view to becoming the principial driving force behind
the renaissance of our towns and cities.
Paul Newbold BSc DipTP MRTPI
City Planning Officer
January 2000
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