More Than 100 Housing Estates Receive Regeneration Cash Boost

Funding will be distributed to local authorities and housing associations to speed up the building of thousands of new homes. More than 100 housing estates across the country are set to benefit from a significant investment to kick-start their regeneration, the Communities Secretary Sajid Javid has announced. From Gateshead to Plymouth, the £32 million Estate Regeneration Fund will be distributed to local authorities and housing associations across England to speed up the building of thousands of new homes. After successful engagement with local communities, a total of 105 estates will benefit from the funding, to be used to speed up regeneration schemes in their early stages.  Read more on the CLG website.

Cautious Welcome For Government Estates Scheme

Housing professionals have broadly welcomed a new government blueprint for overhauling run-down estates across England, coupled with a £32m funding boost. The flagship Estate Regeneration National Strategy makes available £32m in grant funding on top of £140m in loan finance already earmarked for the scheme.  The strategy, which focuses on community-led regeneration, has been developed by a panel co-chaired by Lord Heseltine and the housing and planning minister, Gavin Barwell. It began work in February this year and aims to help transform 100 run-down estates around England over the next 10 to 15 years. Read more on the CLG website.

Heseltine Launches Panel Of Experts To Kick-Start Estates Regeneration

New tenants rights will be at the heart of the regeneration of some of the country’s most deprived estates, according to Lord Heseltine. A panel  will look at how the layout of estates can be best used to deliver more quality homes that people can buy and rent. The experts will also ensure that there are strong protections in place for existing residents so they will always be given the right to return to their communities. The 17-strong group, co-chaired by Lord Heseltine and Housing Minister Brandon Lewis and reporting to the Prime Minister and Communities Secretary Greg Clark, will develop a national estate regeneration strategy and work with up to 100 estates to tackle deprivation and transform them into vibrant communities. Read more on the CLG website.

Can Cameron’s Council Estate Plan Work?

David Cameron is on a blitz of housing policy announcements at the moment. First we had an idea for the direct commissioning of new homes, now we have plans for regenerating 100 council estates. Knocking down and rebuilding peoples’ homes is obviously always going to be controversial. But that doesn’t mean it is always wrong. If the hard work is done to win the support of estate residents, and more affordable homes get built as a result, it can be really positive. And where estates are old and run down it can be positively essential to invest in renewal or replacement. As we see it, Cameron’s regeneration proposals have two clear advantages:

·         You could get a lot more homes into London through council estate regeneration.

·         Second, the ‘Complete Streets’ approach the government is backing has real merits.

Read more on the Shelter blog.

Cameron's 'Ideas' For Council Estates Are As Ill-Formed As They Are Patronising

Once a decade, whichever party is in power, its leader notices that life on council estates isn’t quite the same as in – say – Chipping Norton. Then they make some noise about sprucing them up a bit. Perhaps the Prime Minister or an adviser saw an estate looking shabby from the train into Paddington station, or maybe in the run-up to last year’s general election they visited one briefly to canvass votes. The PM is to deliver just such a speech having noted that some of the 2011 rioters, apparently lived on estates and promising a paltry £140 million for a spruce up. Given this is to be split across 100 estates, that should allow for a few repainted front doors and giant wheelie bins then. The idea that some estates can be demolished and others rebuilt out of such a miserly sum is simply risible. Read more on the Independent website.