MAINSTREAM SERVICES
50. Areas with low demand suffer from many social,
environmental and physical problems, and there is a clear awareness
among the Pathfinder initiatives that other service providers
are required to address the non-housing needs. There are concerns
that the agencies responsible for non-housing issues such as education,
community safety and crime and transport should contribute towards
turning round those neighbourhoods. The Riverside Housing Group
in Liverpool called for a fundamental review of all the non-housing
services in low demand areas.
The Riverside Group believes that the scope of
the intervention so far has been too narrow, and that much more
work remains to be done on directing mainstream service provision
and investment to support the objectives of housing market renewal.
Work on non-housing issues, like the rationalisation of schools,
will help in taking a holistic approach to the needs of neighbourhoods.
Without it there is a danger of HMRI becoming another housing
regeneration funding stream (albeit a very significant one) rather
than a framework for transformational change.[33]
51. Several of the Pathfinders are drawing up neighbourhood
strategies and masterplans outlining the public services required
from different agencies. Oldham Rochdale set out its approach.
The intention is to make those neighbourhoods
identified as vulnerable to decline places where people choose
to live and stay whatever their background or housing needs. This
will be achieved through the development of comprehensive Neighbourhood
Plans based on Neighbourhood Profiles and other research and consultation.
Housing Market Renewal funding will complement other activity
and funding within these neighbourhoods.
In establishing the joint vision for the future
of the two Boroughs it became apparent that there was a need to
set a framework for the physical developments that will complement
the respective community strategies. Consequently, a Master planning
process of the built and natural environment was commissioned
both jointly and at individual Borough level. Although this master
plan is still in development, it is envisaged that it will nest
within regional, local and neighbourhood based strategic plans.[34]
52. Our evidence highlighted how local authorities
are represented on the Pathfinder boards and how the Pathfinders
are talking to the various agencies about the needs of areas including
the Police, education departments and social services. However,
it will depend on the various departments within the council and
in central Government to ensure that the funds are available and
the needs of low demand areas are prioritised.
53. Lord Rooker, Minister for Regeneration and Regional
Development, accepted that additional funds may be needed for
facilities. He told us: "If you are going to put a new community
there you want to start the school as early as possible. People
are more encouraged to go to an area if a school is open than
if it is promised".[35]
He did not confirm how these schools would be funded.
54. Low demand affects many areas but part of the
solution lies in creating sustainable neighbourhoods with high
quality services. The problems in many of the neighbourhoods are
caused by the poor quality of the environment and failing public
services as much as the condition of the housing and economic
collapse. As neighbourhoods are redeveloped, there will be variations
in the level of population which could, due to the funding formula,
affect the grants available. Rather than cutting funds to areas,
additional transitional support is required in some areas to improve
facilities and thereby create a more attractive and sustainable
neighbourhood as an incentive for new residents to move in.
55. The ODPM needs to secure commitments from the
Departments for Education and Skills, and Health, and the Home
Office that the level of funding can be sustained as housing is
redeveloped and population declines for a temporary period. Commitments
are required to provide funds for facilities in advance of new
populations moving in to the neighbourhoods.
COORDINATION WITH REGIONAL STRATEGIES
AND AGENCIES
56. Close coordination between the Pathfinders' programmes,
sub-regional and regional strategies will be key to concentrating
activity in areas with low demand within regions and also to providing
wider support for the Pathfinder's work. The priorities of the
different strategies often appear confusing, and, in some cases,
fail to reflect the needs of low demand areas.
57. Lancashire County Council highlighted the need
to coordinate a range of strategies emerging at a regional level
to ensure market renewal is achieved.
There is clearly a need to harmonise and integrate
strategies and planning processes at a sub-regional and regional
level if we are to have a coherent and comprehensive response
to the broad issues associated with housing market renewal and
transforming the economic, environmental and social future of
East Lancashire. There are significant challenges for all Lancashire
Partners in trying to prepare coherent responses to a range of
current strategic issues (Regional Spatial Strategy, Regional
Economic Strategy, Northern Way) all of which have different drivers
and often incompatible timescales and deadlines.[36]
58. The Pathfinder Chairs highlighted the need for
regional plans to address housing supply issues:
A greater challenge is ensuring that regional
plans take proper account of the supply and demand for housing.
As the Communities Plan pointed out, low demand and abandonment
occurred because, in contrast to the south of England, housing
supply in the north and in parts of the Midlands exceeded demand.
Because of journeys to work this balance cannot be dealt with
at a local or even at a sub-regional level. It is incumbent on
the new Regional Spatial Strategies, as emphasised by the Barker
report, to ensure that supply and demand are in balance... if
overall demand is not increasing, new build can only be sensible
if it is matched, over the long term by the demolition of poor
quality and unwanted stock.[37]
The Chairs urged the Government and its Regional
Offices to ensure that the emerging Regional Spatial Strategies
support market renewal: "Current work by Regional Assemblies
in developing Regional Spatial Strategies to replace the Regional
Planning Guidance provides a unique opportunity for the alignment
of land use and spatial strategies. Support by Central Government
and the Government Offices will be necessary to ensure that these
and other opportunities are grasped".[38]
59. The Audit Commission raised concerns that in
some areas new housing is being proposed in strategic plans, which
could compete with plans in the Pathfinder areas. The Commission's
Head of Housing Markets, Mike Maunder, raised concerns about housing
proposals in Newcastle: "There is too much development outside
the Pathfinder area, whether it is on green or brownfield sites,
that will compete with what the Pathfinder is trying to achieve
in Newcastle/Gateshead".[39]
60. The need for economic development alongside the
housing renewal was mentioned in many submissions. The RDA policy
towards market renewal areas has yet to develop fully. The Chairs
of the Pathfinders suggested that progress was being made in gaining
support from the Regional Development Agencies for economic renewal
in their areas: "Some RDAs, for example, had difficulties
in the early days in taking account of the plans of the Pathfinders.
This was largely because of the high level of forward commitment
in their programmes. Recent experience has been far more encouraging".[40]
The Northern Way, an initiative led by the RDAs, is seeking to
spearhead the economic revival of many northern cities including
Liverpool, Manchester, Hull and Newcastle. Many areas suffering
low housing demand are on the fringes of these city regions and
will benefit only marginally from the growth of the main centres.
61. Regional strategies need to be aligned to ensure
that efforts to revitalise failing housing markets are maximised
rather than hindered by promoting competing developments in other
areas. The Government needs to issue guidance to regional planning
bodies and the RDAs, emphasising the importance of prioritising
the needs of areas with low housing demand.
62. Economic collapse is a major cause of low
housing demand which will only improve if links to economic development
are stronger than at present. Many of the areas with low demand
will benefit only to a limited extent from the Northern Way initiative
as they are on the fringes of the city regions where the RDAs
are concentrating growth. The RDAs should consider how the needs
of areas with low housing demand are addressed outside the core
areas, particularly improved transport links to nearby cities.
1 Empty Homes Sixth Report, Transport, Local Government
and the Regions Committee, March 2002, page 7 Back
2
Sustainable Communities: Homes for All A Five Year Plan from
the ODPM, January 2005 Back
3
Sustainable Communities: building for the future, ODPM, February
2003 Back
4
Sustainable Communities: Homes for All A Five Year Plan A Five
Year Plan from the ODPM, January 2005 page 49 Back
5
EV 112, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
6
EV 66, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
7
Market renewal pathfinders: invitation to submit a scheme update
and independent scrutiny framework, Audit Commission/ODPM, 15
February 2005 Back
8
EV 69, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
9
EV 59, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
10
EV 31, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
11
Q48 Back
12
EV 9, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
13
EV 39, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
14
EV 49, HC 295-II, Session 2004--05 Back
15
EV 50, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
16
The Role of Historic Buildings in Urban Regeneration, Eleventh
Report of Session 2003-04, HC 47-1 Back
17
EV 33, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
18
Q31 Back
19
EV 43, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
20
EV 2, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
21
EV 65, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
22
EV 7,HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
23
Homelessness, Third Report of Session 2004-05, HC 61-1, page 47 Back
24
EV 39, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
25
Q41 Back
26
EV 50, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
27
EV 50, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
28
EV 57, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
29
EV 110, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
30
EV 34, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
31
EV 113, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
32
Q216 Back
33
EV 47, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
34
EV 27, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
35
Q214 Back
36
EV 122, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
37
EV 56, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
38
EV 58, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back
39
Q143 Back
40
EV 58, HC 295-II, Session 2004-05 Back