Improving The Prospects Of People Living In Areas
Of Multiple Deprivation In England
Areas for more detailed analysis
The National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal represents a significant
step forward in regeneration. A range of programmes have been established
to realise the strategy and significant resources have been committed to
generic regeneration programmes.
The Strategy Unit (SU) and
Neighbourhood Renewal Unit (NRU) have identified the key elements of a
successful approach - in particular clear goals and a robust strategy to
deliver these goals. To support the strategy there needs to be a range of
effective practical measures focussing on public services, the physical
environment and quality of life, and economic development. The SU and NRU have examined each of these
components of a successful approach against the National Strategy and its
implementation.
Clear goals
The National Strategy provided a clear focus on neighbourhood renewal and
set out ambitious goals. However, this clear focus may now require greater
emphasis across government. Clarity is also needed about the role of
different tiers of government in setting goals for areas. Different
deprived areas have very different drivers and characteristics and this
needs to be reflected in practical and policy measures. The team has
developed a typology of deprived areas based on the different
characteristics of deprived areas.
A robust strategy for deprived areas
The national strategy is the most holistic approach yet taken by a
government and the government has made a great deal of progress on many
indicators since 1997. However, if we are to be successful in improving
outcomes for those living in deprived areas we must pay further attention
to the engagement of the private sector and improving the quality of local
public space. Understanding that outcomes can be affected by the order in
which interventions are introduced is also important - although this was
considered in the consultations for the National Strategy, it was
de-emphasised in the final report and implementation.
Effective Practical Measures: Improved public services
Satisfaction with and access to public services remains lower in deprived
areas than in non-deprived areas. Deprived areas continue to present a
number of inter-linked challenges for the delivery of public services. The
National Strategy highlighted the importance of addressing these problems
and new mechanisms, funding and floor targets were introduced to help drive
up minimum performance.
Effective Practical Measures: Improved physical environment and quality of
life
Housing dynamics play a key role in regeneration and this needs appropriate
emphasis alongside anti-social behaviour and liveability, which are both
worse in deprived areas than non-deprived areas, and are crucial drivers of
neighbourhood decline. The key role housing and liveability play in the
community is something that can be built upon in tackling wider
regeneration problems.
Effective Practical Measures: Investment in economic development to reduce
worklessness and promote opportunity
Worklessness remains a significant and complex issue in deprived areas.
Addressing worklessness requires a range of measures - for example
addressing private sector under-investment
Effective delivery system
In the case of deprived areas, effective delivery requires joined up
institutions that address the drivers of deprivation at a number of
different spatial levels. Who is best placed to deliver services needs to
be clarified - be it mainstream public services or other agencies. These
must be part of a simplified delivery chain, with appropriate
accountability to local people and the right capacity at all levels. In
particular we must address the high levels of bureaucracy driven by
proliferation of Area Based Initiatives (ABIs).
Outstanding strategic questions
A number of strategic questions remain that will help us define a strategy
responding to the issues raised above. These are:
-
What is the appropriate balance between people and place based
interventions
-
If an area-based approach is used to deliver some outcomes then how do we
target different areas?
-
Given the growth in the economy, precisely what distinguishes the
different types of areas that do not share in this growth. Is there one
primary characteristic of deprived areas that could become the driver for
policy (for example, is worklessness the key driver for policy)?
