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We are still waiting for real ambition from the government on housing-led regeneration
The English Devolution White Paper hints at being a catalyst for much-needed regeneration. But a transformative change is still needed, writes Tracy Harrison, chief executive of the Northern Housing Consortium
The Northern Housing Consortium (NHC) has consistently asked over many years for greater devolution to meet the diverse needs of Northern communities. In recent years, we’ve seen great strides forward, and the North has been leading the way with our seven metro mayors.
The English Devolution White Paper, which launched in December, ramps things up further, with proposals for decentralisation of funding and decision-making. It hints at being a catalyst for much-needed regeneration. The NHC has produced a briefing on the English Devolution White Paper.
Almost a decade ago, the NHC acted as secretariat for the Commission for Housing in the North. The commission recommended greater local control of public investment with increased flexibility; a new approach to developing partnerships, skills and capacity; and a renewed focus on the need for regeneration to revitalise those areas across the region with poor-quality homes.
The white paper sets out Labour’s vision and picks up on many of the themes highlighted by the commission. I’m confident it will help our members deliver for the communities they serve.
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Greater local power and control over housing, regeneration and retrofit funding have been longstanding priorities for the NHC. We welcome proposals set out for deeper devolution across several policy areas, including planning, skills and transport.
Recent NHC research reports – Brownfield First and Warm Homes, Green Jobs – identified the challenge of centralised funding models acting as a barrier to delivering the change needed in communities. Both reports called for genuine acts of devolution, and a removal of the conditions, rules and requirements imposed on how mayoral combined authorities deliver funding.
These issues are addressed in the new white paper, and the proposed new way of working should enable government funding to yield a greater impact.
“The government should now consult closely on where powers sit between mayors, strategic authorities and, critically, housing associations and others who are tasked with building these much-needed homes”
The government’s commitment to a new ‘meaningful partnership’ between central and local government should also help our local authority members to deliver for their communities. This includes simpler funding pots, longer-term funding and the removal of a secretary of state veto over certain actions.
The government has already removed the need for local authorities to seek permission from the secretary of state to set up selective licensing schemes, which are essential to enforce standards in the private rental sector. More similar reforms are very welcome.
The NHC has advocated for mayors to have a bigger say on affordable housing provision, so it is good to see this addressed in the white paper. To strike the right balance, the government should now consult closely on where powers sit between mayors, strategic authorities and, critically, housing associations and others who are tasked with building these much-needed homes.
For some strategic authorities, a place-based operating model for Homes England and strategic direction over funding may be enough. It would allow them to continue to benefit from Homes England’s expertise, capacity and scale to support the delivery of new homes, while avoiding an overly fragmented programme for developing housing associations delivering much-needed social and affordable housing over multiple areas.
The white paper rightly highlights the ‘Great North’ partnership of Northern mayors as a model for regional collaboration. I’m pleased to say collaboration has filtered down, with the launch of several Northern housing partnerships, made up of registered housing providers and local authorities.
The partnerships are proving their value and are supporting mayors to deliver national and regional ambitions. They’ve helped the housing sector work even better together and have improved collaboration with other public services such as health and education.
“The transformative change that Northern communities need is still not yet at the top of the agenda with the government”
Many NHC members are also seeing benefits from working closely with mayors as part of joined-up, place-based approaches — the developing devolution agenda is already supporting our members to go further, faster.
The Northern mayors also potentially represent a new era of regeneration champions. However, the transformative change that Northern communities need is still not yet at the top of the agenda with the government.
The white paper tentatively raises the prospect of a national regeneration programme, referencing a reformed ‘Long-Term Plan for Towns’ and ‘New Deal for Communities’. This is a good first step and would address some of the challenges highlighted by the Commission for Housing in the North, and by Northern residents in our community engagement project Pride in Place: views from Northern communities.
However, housing-led regeneration is yet to be backed by the kind of ambition displayed in the commitment to deliver 1.5 million homes over this parliament.
The deputy prime minister is a powerful champion for the delivery of social and affordable housing, and it would be great to see a similar drive for the revitalisation of our existing homes and neighbourhoods. This would ultimately strengthen the government’s housebuilding mission, ensuring resources and capacity are not spread too thin between the twin challenges of building homes and addressing unfit properties and connected social problems. The forthcoming Spending Review represents an initial opportunity for the government to address this.
Working together with the regional housing partnerships to provide a pan-Northern voice, NHC will continue to lead in advocating for an ambitious vision for housing-led regeneration, underlining the importance of housing and housing providers to a truly ‘Great North’.
Tracy Harrison, chief executive, Northern Housing Consortium
