Remaking the North of England Urban regeneration, economic growth and the politics of emptiness

1
Remaking the North of England? Urban
regeneration, economic growth and the politics of
emptiness

• Chris Allen, MMU

2
Lets start by thinking about where we have come
from ...

• ... challenging the basic legitimacy of the
  individualised commodity production of housing
  for profit via effective programmes to socialise
  land, development and finance, and to
  redistribute profits and individualized gains
  over the whole population on the basis of need
  rather than ability to pay .... Owner occupation
  is supported for a variety of reasons both by
  those capitalist interests directly involved in
  producing it and by capital as a whole
• Harloe (1981) City, Class and Capital. London
  Arnold, pp 44-45

3
And where we are now ...

• our long-term vision has been to re-create
  neighbourhoods of choice within these areas
  where levels of home ownership are increased and
  property values are higher .... MSP has also
  overseen the selective demolition of 2,652
  obsolete properties and made 23 hectares of land
  available for new development
• (Professor Michael Harloe Chair, Manchester
  Salford Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder)

4
Not about capital labour struggles but oiling
the wheels of the market

• HMR is a consistent philosophy in terms of its
  rationale for intervention in housing markets,
  where the dynamics of supply and demand are out
  of kilter (Cole 2008 3)policy objectives
  such as better balance between housing supply
  and demand across the regions (Cole 2004
  11)the improvement of housing markets lies at
  the heart of the HMR approach. The distinction
  between a well functioning market (which may
  only be one that clears in a classical economic
  sense) and a balanced market (which will enable
  wider objectives) is brought out (Ferrari and
  Leather 2005)
• there is now a palpable need for public
  investment to be directed in a strategic manner
  to maintain a minimum level of activity to oil
  the wheels so the housing market keeps moving
  along rather than grinds to a halt altogether
  (Cole 2008a 18) public intervention, through
  HMR and other measures, needs to be supporting
  the market (p7)

5
So what are they trying to achieve in the North
of England?

• A fundamental issue is for policy to recognise
  the need for the North to readjust its housing
  stock to one that responds to the economic
  challenges of the 21st century, making it
  competitive. In simplistic terms, whilst the
  North still has a significant stock of housing
  intended for accommodating the workforce of an
  early 20th century industrial economy, it is
  positioned poorly in terms of a residential offer
  attractive for the workers that will drive a
  post-industrial 21st century economy (Ove Arup,
  2006)
• The significant majority of Britains housing
  stock reflects a different era and cannot be
  further modernised or adjusted sufficiently to
  capture the economic mood (Lee and Murie, 2004
  238)

6
What does that mean in practical terms?

• Terrace housing is obsolete (Nevin 2006)
  Terrace housing is life expired and unsuitable
  for modern living (Nevin et al 1999)
• Inner city housing built in the Victorian era
  may be less appropriate for housing contemporary
  households and lifestyle arrangements .... less
  appropriate for contemporary flexible service
  sector households who are increasingly influenced
  by a consumer driven society (Nevin et al 1999
  41)
• rising aspirations, modern day aspirations
  (Green 2006) homes fit for modern living
  standards (Elvin and Litton 2006) modern
  contemporary homes (Green 2006)

7
Havent we been here before and wasnt it a bit
of a cock up?

• Keith Joseph decided to seek industrialists
  views on the ways to tackle Britains urban
  problems . Taylor Woodrows team responded by
  calling for large scale rebuilding rather than
  piecemeal development of worn out housing areas.
  The necessity was argued not in terms of acute
  housing need there are very few slums in the
  area but in terms of a need for modern,
  purpose-built accommodation.
• (Dunleavy 1981 109, The Politics of Mass
  Housing in Britain 1945-75)

8
But it will be different this time because HMR is
evidence based

• a simple maxim to follow when devising a
  solution to a problem is to ensure that the
  causes are understood and that the responses are
  sufficient to produce the desired outcomes
  (Nevin and Leather 2005)
• HMR is a response to an identified problem of
  low demand (Ferrari and Leather 20052) The
  HMR programme was devised, one should recall,
  after academic research undertaken largely at
  CURS (Cole 2008b 6-7) HMR programme
  developed out of growing evidence about housing
  market weakness in certain areas in the North and
  Midlands (Nevin et al 2001) and since then a
  great deal of information and analysis has been
  assembled (see, for example, Leather et al 2007)
  (Cole 2008a 14)

9
And the evidence says ...

• The survey data suggests that up to 10 of
  people that currently work in the city could be
  persuaded to purchase a property in Liverpool if
  an appropriate environment could be created
  (Nevin et al 2001)
• However, there is a slight problem
• There is a lazy reliance on relatively
  meaningless tenure preference surveys (where
  nearly everybody says they would like to own a
  house with a garden) (Cole 2004 7)

10
In fact, there is a very big problem

• a simple maxim to follow when devising a
  solution to a problem is to ensure that the
  causes are understood and that the responses are
  sufficient to produce the desired outcomes
  (Nevin and Leather 2005)
• ... typically portrayed as objective,
  fact-gathering exercises undertaken through the
  application of systematic data gathering and
  analysis techniques which are separated from the
  political process .... but social research is
  anything but an objective activity .... because
  it is inextricably linked to whose interests are
  served (Loftman and Nevin 1998 17)
• The HMR programme was devised, one should
  recall, after academic research undertaken
  largely at CURS (Cole 2008b 6-7)
• evidence based policy making was always a
  fanciful term there is not a world in which
  policy makers would somehow suspend their
  preferences and priorities ... until instructed
  to behave by those disseminating their carefully
  crafted research findings (Cole 2008b 6)

11
But this is not so much a problem for the
architects as it is for their critics

• it is important to be aware of the issues which
  surround the production of a piece of work and
  influences and values contained within it and to
  counter the tendency to see the production and
  design of research as a technical issue
  uncontaminated by political and ethical
  questions (Loftman and Nevin 1998 11)
• Allen expects the Inquiry to accept that all
  funded research is potentially corrupted. There
  is no evidence to support this view at all. The
  key issue should not be who paid for the
  research, or who did it, but the quality of the
  evidence and arguments contained within it . I
  note that the Manchester Salford Project was
  commended by the Government in para. 55 its
  response to Select Committee CD72 (The
  Manchester Salford pathfinder has also
  commissioned some highly informative work through
  their Research Foresight and Intelligence
  programme, led by Professor Brendan Nevin.).
  (Nevin 2006)

12
Never mind. It will be different this time
because ...

• objectives that have remained the same
  throughout the programme include a focus on
  design quality (Ferrari and Leather 2005)

13
Fortunately, the preferred developer has an
impressive track record ...

• The most notable achievement being the
  redevelopment at Hulme, Manchester . Following
  on from the success at Hulme, Bellway could see
  significant regeneration opportunities emerging
  on Merseyside. Developer, Evidence presented
  to public inquiry, 2006
• Or have they?There is dissatisfaction with the
  design, quality and space standards . When set
  against the great strides forward made since 1992
  these disappointments, though real for individual
  home owners, are best seen as irritants rather
  than fundamental concernsResearch report on
  regeneration of Hulme

14
Werent we told we were getting more new and
better quality houses?

• the largest cost within this programme relates
  to the clearance of private sector housing,
  where an initial review of approved plans suggest
  that up to 100,000 dwellings will be cleared
  during the 15 year programme (Nevin and Leather
  2005)
• Around 72,000 properties have been identified
  for demolition over the lifetime of the
  programme (Cole and Flint, 2006, draft)
• To date 7,000 homes have been demolished .
  Clearance is a relatively modest element of the
  programme (Cole and Flint 2006 8, official
  publication)
• To equate HMR with demolition is extremely
  misleading. Between 2002 and 2008 some 40,000
  homes have been refurbished, compared to fewer
  than 10,000 that have been demolished (Cole
  2008).

15
Eh?

• If terrace houses are obsolete and unsuitable
  for modern living why the reduced emphasis on
  their demolition?
• Never mind, sometimes these things can be for the
  best
• No evidence for Nevins back to the city
  predictions (Smith 1989 1996 Ley 1996)
• 20 programmes about purchase and renovation of
  houses in one week on UK terrestrial TV
  (Sprigings, Nevin and Leather 2006).
• Importance of highly credentialized
  professionals . working in welfare and
  education . design and marketing, the media and
  the systems side of new technology . They have
  many years of higher education and a belief in
  what Gouldner has termed the culture of critical
  discourse (Butler 1997 95).

16
And Liverpools good fortune is ...

• 65 net growth in public sector (Wilks-Heeg 2008)
• Plus an outstanding critical mass of culture
  including the programme for delivering
  Liverpools European Capital of Culture 2008
  an internationally significant knowledge economy
  through the citys three universities, health
  related research, Liverpool Science Park and the
  national bio-manufacturing centre
  internationally and nationally significant
  clusters such as life sciences, tourism and
  creative cultural industries (Elvin and Litton
  2006).

17
But organic renewal not an option

• The fact that an unknown number of terraced
  properties have been renovated ... does not mean
  that the same will happen within an acceptable
  timeframe to the large numbers of such properties
  in Anfield, Picton and Edge Hill. (Nevin 2006)

18
And this is because emptiness is a problem that
needs urgent action

• the originating issue which brought about the
  Pathfinder programme was the more readily visible
  problem of low demand as characterised by empty
  and abandoned properties (Ferrari and Leather
  2005)
• empty houses are a source of nuisance ... and a
  source of danger .... Empty houses are a symbol
  of neglect (Goodchild 2008 248)

19
Its a case of making HMR areas more like city
centres

• An opportunity to consider how weaker markets
  can be connected to more prosperous and
  successful areas, like the more vibrant city
  centres (Cole 2008a 13)
• Bit of a problem, though, because 35 of
  Liverpools new city centre apartments are lying
  empty . BE Property Services said There are
  around 27,000 new-build apartments in Liverpool
  and around 15,000 of these are not occupied.
  There are more and more being built and I
  estimate that we are going to end up with around
  25,000 unoccupied flats in the city centre
  (Liverpool Daily Post 24th April 2007)

20
But some forms of emptiness are apparently ok ...

• Very few apartments in Liverpool are unsold.
  Some people prefer to keep them vacant. If they
  are empty, is that a major issue?"
• (Nigel Lee, LCC Planning Manager, quoted in
  Liverpool Echo, 25 October 2007)

21
Its a question of time not empty space

• Regeneration does not happen overnight. You
  need to invest for the long term. Liverpool's
  residential property market is going to have
  growing pains, peaks and troughs of demand,
  prices fluctuating. That's just normal market
  behaviour. It's right and proper that local
  politicians have concerns about oversupply but,
  at the same time, you have to be careful not to
  talk down the city. (Alan Bowers, Yorkshire
  Bank, quoted in Liverpool Daily Post 1st May
  2007)

22
All in good time ...

• It is perfectly possible that flats may be
  empty but being marketed for a period of time,
  particularly in markets which are currently
  oversupplied with properties for sale or rent
  .... It will take time to fill the available
  properties.(Cobbold, 2007, What is the extent
  of buy to leave empty in England? Report to CLG)
• But some empty spaces are not given timeThe
  fact that an unknown number of terraced
  properties have been renovated ... does not mean
  that the same will happen within an acceptable
  timeframe to the large numbers of such properties
  in Anfield, Picton and Edge Hill. (Nevin 2006)

23
So, its not about emptiness, but forms of
emptiness ....

• Youve got all these people rattling around in
  Liverpool so youve got to do something about it
  (Professor Brian Robson, OBE)
• Buy to Leave Empty investors have played an
  important role in enabling the development of
  city centre apartment markets .... giving
  developers the confidence to bring forward new
  supply (see Ball 2006 and GLA 2006 for a more
  detailed discussion).

24
Is it really about under used land with massive
rent gaps?

• the housing market renewal strategy should
  be developed using an entrepreneurial approach
  which maximizes the value of land and developer
  contributions (Nevin et al 1999 120)
• Building Assets by acquiring land where
  values are significantly lower (Cole 2008a, p8)
• Working with developers to improve
  marketability and emphasising some of the
  advantages for owners of new, as opposed to older
  obsolete properties (ibid, p8)
• Maintaining progress on existing schemes to
  avoid empty properties and neighbourhood blight
  if necessary through support for developers cash
  flow . Negotiating with developers to underwrite
  more of their risks (ibid, p7)

25
But dont say that if you are a critic because
your publisher will get a letter

• Essentially Chris Allen is developing a
  conspiracy theory which involves "ordinary
  working class people" being disadvantaged by
  "institutionalised profit making". It is
  necessary therefore for Allen to identify people
  who are propagating evil deeds and to demonstrate
  their moral inadequacy whilst illustrating his
  own superiority .... There appear to be few
  limits to what Allen will say or write when it
  comes to justifying his conspiracy theories
• (Nevin, 2007, Letter to Routledge)