Memorandum by the Regional Development
Agencies for England (UWP 62)
THE PROPOSED URBAN WHITE PAPER
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 The eight Regional Development Agencies
for England were established in April 1999. Our remit is to prepare
Strategies for the regeneration of the regional economies and
to lead the implementation process, working closely with partners
in the public and private sectors. Following extensive consultation,
we have now submitted these Strategies to Government. Their vision
is to create vibrant, self-reliant and outward looking regions
with the aspirations, ambition and confidence to unlock regional
potential.
1.2 This memorandum responds to the questions
set out in the press notice (sections 2 and 3) and offers some
conclusions (section 4) on the RDA's recommendations on the content
of the White Paper.
1.3 The RDAs are in a unique position to
bring about substantial regeneration across the regions and tackle
social exclusion in partnership with local authorities by community-based
regeneration activities.
2. THE REPORT
OF THE
URBAN TASK
FORCE
The key points for the Regional Development
Agencies from the UTF report are set out below:
2.1 The creation of the Regional Development
Agencies, the report of the Urban Task Force and the proposed
White Paper have created a "golden moment" in central
and local government and this now provides an excellent platform
for action. There is sufficient imagination to deliver the urban
renaissance, as long as the mechanics of development are improved.
2.2 While the RDAs agree that a stronger
element of "Designing the Urban Environment" is desirable
their main concern is to produce some practical pathfinders of
an integrated approach to design-led regeneration. They would
like to see DETR support for more competition-based regeneration
plans, as being developed by The Liverpool Vision and New East
Manchester regeneration companies, as well as through the extension
of the Millennium Village concept to each Region. Other procedural
recommendations, eg a design framework, can be taken forward in
parallel.
2.3 The RDAs can contribute to "Making
the connections", eg by experimenting with Home Zones, from
SRB Round 7 onwards, ie once they are free to write their own
guidance, while supporting local authorities and transport authorities
in implementing the other recommendations.
2.4 "Managing the Urban Environment"
in line with the UTF recommendations will require substantial
extra resources. The RDAs agree that high quality town centres
and commercial districts will encourage greater investment and
improve their image. Better consultation and participation methods
with local communities will be an important element.
2.5 "Delivering Urban Regeneration"
through focussed action (eg on Urban Priority Areas) or complementary
initiatives (eg with New Commitment to Regeneration Areas and
New Deal for Communities areas and Urban Regeneration Companies)
will ensure that the maximum synergy can be developed between
all sources of funding. The regeneration process indeed needs
to be speeded up by streamlined planning consents, broader and
quicker CPO powers and procedures and tax incentives; removing
the VAT from building refurbishment; creating a single and simple
appraisal process for applications for public funding towards
development projects; ensuring that competitive tendering does
not drive out design quality in public projects and allowing the
proposed Urban Priority Areas to have Urban Development Corporation-type
powers and resources. In many urban areas we are dealing not with
the possible consequences of market pressure, but with the reality
of market failure. Urban renaissance can only move forward with
economic renaissance and there is an urgent need to built market
demand in the regions through increased prosperity and economic
activity. New tools are needed to do this.
2.6 "Investing in Skills and Innovation"
by establishing Regional Resource Centres for Urban Development
will be promoted by the RDAs. They will allow the UTF's key messages
and the emphasis on design quality, sustainability and community
involvement to be adopted by local government and regeneration
partnerships.
2.7 As strategic bodies the RDAs need to
become influential in "Managing the Land Supply", and
this will require better information on developing a sequential
approach to the release of land and buildings for land and labour
markets. This needs more resources if we are to emulate comparable
European countries.
2.8 Large areas of previously industrial
urban cities and costal towns are effectively blighted for lack
of adequate resources to treat them. "Cleaning Up the Land"
will be a priority for a number of RDAs, working closely with
the Environment Agency on deciding on the level of treatment that
is required for different after uses.
2.9 All RDAs are actively seeking ways of
"Recycling the Buildings". The RDAs will actively seek
to change the attitude of the development industry to contemplate
more mixed use development, and at sufficient scale to create
a critical mass. This will require adequate levels of resources.
2.10 "Making the Investment" needs
to recognise the deep-seated and chronic problems of urban dereliction
and decay. The recent abandonment of the Partnership Investment
Programme will further reduce the impact that the RDAs can make
on the condition of this country's urban fabric. Even if the replacement
schemes currently being proposed to the European Commission are
accepted, their restriction to Assisted Areas, yet to be settled,
will not be an adequate substitute. Direct development will require
considerably more resources. This needs to be addressed by the
2000 Comprehensive Spending Review. Private sector investment
will also be required on a substantial scale if this is to be
achieved. The RDAs fully support the idea of a package of tax
measures.
2.11 The RDAs fully support the Task Force's
aspirations to "Sustain the Renaissance" by improving
the quality of the Urban Environment by 2021. Their Regional Strategies
extend over the same relatively long time period. This needs to
be recognised by Government, and sufficient resources committed,
to improve conditions significantly if this country is to play
its full part in the European and World economies.
3. OTHER QUESTIONS
RAISED BY
THE COMMITTEE
3.1 The integration of policies on employment,
competitiveness, housing, transport and public services are indeed
all essential in order to deliver comprehensive urban regeneration.
While the RDAs have direct responsibility for only a limited part
of the policy framework that can contribute to improving the quality
of life in urban areas, they are committed to working constructively
with all other agencies in their Regions.
3.2 The RDAs, particularly those in northern
regions, are acutely aware of the problem of Urban Areas suffering
from low demand for housing and social decline. Sizeable parts
of some northern cities are subject to abandonment on a significant
scale; the social infrastructure is breaking down as fast as the
physical infrastructure decays. Mechanisms need to be established
to secure a positive role for the private housebuilding sector,
given that much regeneration will be housing-led. Institutional
investors need to take a longer term view, particularly in regions
where the property market is not robust.
3.3 Where there are buoyant housing markets,
and often a limited supply of recyclable land, (particulary in
the south) there is a significant need for smaller, affordable
household units to meet the changing demographic profile in the
population. There is the absolute necessity to create a framework
that supports planning authorities to plan for more compact units
in the face of developer demand to build the larger more profitable
homes. This will help address the problem of increasing migration
from the town/city centres and the proliferation of urban sprawl.
3.4 Wherever possible the RDAs are committed
to developing Brownfield sites in preference to Greenfield sites.
They will support Regional Planning Guidance that incorporates
this advice. But, flexibility is required to deal with substantial
economic opportunities that might arise only in relation to Greenfield
sites. In those cases, the RDAs expect only to support development
that is sustainable, particularly in relation to access by public
as opposed to private transport, in relation to the quality of
the development and its impact on the surrounding environment,
and in relation to energy use and waste minimisation issues.
3.5 The RDAs would welcome any proposals
from planning authorities to speed up the release of Brownfield
land. In some cases this is a particular issue when it is in the
ownership of utilities. The RDAs would like to see more effective
vesting powers, greater readiness to use CPO powers, and speedier
planning enquiries. Creative urban designs can be encouraged by
competitions for large schemes but these can be very expensive
and other mechanisms may be required to improve design quality
on these flagship schemes. The RDAs also have a key role to play
in bringing forward brownfield sites quicker through working in
partnership with local authorities in establishing land assembly
mechanisms and identifying all the suitable sites for development.
3.6 The RDAs wish to see all parts of the
Region, towns and suburbs as well as cities, including their boundaries,
enjoy an Urban Renaissance. In addition to funding for areas of
greatest need (where possible aligned with areas of greatest opportunity)
they are aware of the importance of smaller towns in determining
the quality of life of large parts of their region, particularly
their rural hinterlands.
3.7 Historic Parks and Buildings are very
important in defining the urban quality of life. The RDAs will
be able to help improve them, preferably as part of an agreed
strategic approach, including better participation by local community
groups. The RDAs will also work closely with English Heritage
in respecting planning policies for the conservation of urban
landmarks and where possible seeking imaginative and economic
solutions for their re-use.
4. CONCLUSIONS
4.1 There is much to be welcomed in the
report of the Urban Task Force. The Urban White Paper will set
out a framework to enable Regional Development Agencies and partners
to tackle the challenge of urban renaissance.
4.2 The Agencies feel that the White Paper
should demonstrate the following:
— that Government is committed to the
Renaissance of the urban fabric over the next 20 years;
— resources are found to deliver a
Renaissance and the desperate need for affordable housing;
— it will create the more integrated
structures to deliver both urban and rural policy;
— to highlight the role that RDAs,
local authorities, private sector and communities will play in
delivery.
4.3 As a result of recent changes to urban
regeneration programmes, new mechanisms need to be found to attract
private sector investment to derelict sites and to address the
gap between cost and the end value of development.
4.4 This is particularly acute in the northern
regions and costal towns and cities, where there is considerable
evidence of market failure. Public sector support through a strategic
framework of investment would seek to create market conditions
to result in sustainable regeneration.
4.5 Barriers to development need to be removed,
and streamlined planning and compulsory purchase powers adopted.
The White Paper should set out the challenges for the regions
to accelerate the reclamation of brownfields land, encourage housing
led mixed use development and create the platform for competitive
businesses creating jobs in the heart of own cities.
January 2000
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