Shaping places - Regenerating places - How is regeneration managed? Flashcards
What is the UK Government responsible for?
The UK Government is responsible for planning regulation and regeneration polices, as well as major infrastructure investment and immigration, which provides a national context for local regeneration.
What are local councils key players of?
Local councils are key players in the success of local economies, and delivering regeneration in urban and rural places.
Why is rebranding an important element of regeneration?
Rebranding is an important element of regeneration, as it attempts to change people’s perception of places, both urban and rural.
Where does much of the funding for regeneration come from?
Much of the funding for regeneration comes from national government (and the EU) in the form of grants.
What was the 1950-1980 regeneration policy Regional Policy & New Towns?
Grants were directed at depressed regions, supported by new road development and the movement of government jobs out of London into the regions. New towns were built as inner city slums were cleared.
What was 1980-2000 regeneration policy Urban Development Corporations (UDCs) and Single Regeneration Budget (SRB)?
Focus on inner-city regeneration in deindustrialised areas in northern cities and London, led by quangos which were free from local council control and many normal planning regulations.
What are quangos?
A quango (quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation) is an organisation given the power to do a task that might be expected to be done by government. They are government funded, but act independently.
What was the 1998-2010 regeneration policy Regional Development Agencies (RDAs)
Regulation was led by RDAs which decided how to spend government grants within large regions, like the North East and South West
What was the post-2010 regeneration policy Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs)?
A much more local policy, focused on regeneration and job creation in specific small areas. There were about 40 LEPs in England in 2015.
What has been a feature of the UK since the 1950s?
A feature of the UK since the 1950s has been a distinct North-South divide.
What is the North-South divide?
The North-South divide is the difference in wealth between the industrial North, Midlands and North West and the more prosperous South and East of the UK.
How has national infrastructure investment tried to reduce the North-South divide?
National infrastructure investment has also tried to reduce the divide by improving transport accessibility in order to improve economic growth:
- The UK motorway network, begun in the 1950s, has attempted to reduce road travel times between regions.
- The proposed High-Speed Rail network between London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds is a planned attempt to connect the poorer regions to the economic core in London and the South East.
- Since the 1960s, there has been considerable investment in regional airports like Newcastle, Manchester and Glasgow.
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What planning policies does the UK have that are important in the context of regeneration?
The UK has a number of planning policies that are important in the context of regeneration:
- Greenbelt land, which surrounds most large cities, cannot be built on; it is protected greenspace, usually farmland.
- Conservation areas like National Parks have strict planning regulations that limit the development of all but small-scale residential and commercial schemes.
- Planning permission is often dependent on a scheme including ‘planning gain’.
- Planning laws allow for some developments that are ‘in the national interest’ such as fracking for shale gas, or quarrying, or new road building, even when these would not normally be allowed.
- National house-building targets set at 240,000 new homes per year in 2007 and revised to 200,000 per year for 2010-15 (these targets have never been met).
What scheme is planning permission often dependent on?
Planning permission is often dependent on a scheme including ‘planning gain’.
How many new homes do national house-building targets set at per year in 2007?
National house-building targets set at 240,000 new homes per year in 2007 and revised to 200,000 per year for 2010-15 (these targets have never been met).
What are affordable homes?
Affordable homes are those, usually for rent, which can be afforded by families on low incomes.
What are the consequences of the housing shortage in the UK?
The housing shortage in the UK means:
- There was a shortage of about 500,000 homes by 2016.
- 240,000 homes need to be built each year to meet current demand.
- For the last ten years, only 100,000-150,000 new homes have been built each year.
What can a lack of ability to build new housing prevent?
Lack of ability to build new housing can prevent economic development and regeneration by limiting the opportunities for new people to move into an area.
How have government policies contributed to housing shortages?
It could be argued that other government policies have contributed to housing shortages:
- Immigration: large-scale immigration from the EU, especially since 2004, contributed to increasing the UK population from 59 million in 2001 to 63 million by 2011. An open-door immigration policy may have economic benefits but it also creates demand for new homes.
- Deregulation: the UK is very open to foreign investment, including foreign people and companies buying property. In 2016 the Guardian estimated that 40,000 London properties were owned by offshore tax havens. These properties may not be lived in, or even rented.
- Second homes and holiday homes: there are few restrictions in the UK on people buying houses to rent out, e.g. as a holiday let or buying a second home. In some rural areas a large percentage of houses may not be available to local people.
How much did the UK’s population increase by between 2001 and 2011 as a result of large-scale immigration from the EU?
Large-scale immigration from the EU, especially since 2004, contributed to increasing the UK population from 59 million in 2001 to 63 million by 2011.
What are the problems of an open-door immigration policy?
An open-door immigration policy may have economic benefits but it also creates demand for new homes.
In 2016 how many London properties were estimated by the Guardian to be owned by offshore tax havens?
In 2016 the Guardian estimated that 40,000 London properties were owned by offshore tax havens.
What are the problems of the UK being very open to foreign investment, including foreign people and companies buying property?
These properties may not be lived in, or even rented.
What are the problems of these being few restrictions in the UK on people buying houses to rent out, e.g. as a holiday let or buying a second home?
In some rural areas a large percentage of houses may not be available to local people.
What are the effects of the factors: immigration, deregulation and second homes and holiday homes?
All of the factors tend to reduce housing supply and increase prices of other homes. Longer-term, there is a risk that very high house prices will prevent investment in some locations. UK-based or foreign investors could be put off investing in areas where housing for workers would be very expensive.
What do plans drawn up by Councils, called Unitary Development Plans, identify?
Councils draw up plans, called Unitary Development Plans, which identify:
- areas for new housing
- priority areas for regeneration
- new roads and other major infrastructure
- areas for commercial development, i.e. factories, offices and retail.
What are the aims of Unitary Development Plans?
Such plans aim to create environments that are attractive to both people and businesses (UK-based and foreign investors) and therefore create a successful place. This means planning has to provide a range of spaces such as:
- retail parks and shopping centres
- business parks for office functions, and industrial parks for manufacturing and distribution.
What are science parks?
Science parks are industrial and business parks focused on the quaternary industry and usually involve at least one university as a key partner.
How many science parks and business incubators (smaller sites, for start-up companies) are there in the UK, owned by TNCs, universities and local councils?
There are over 100 science parks and business incubators (smaller sites, for start-up companies) in the UK, owned by TNCs, universities and local councils.
Give an example of a science park.
NETPark (North East Technology Park) is a science park in Sedgefield, County Durham which is partnered by Durham University. Development, on a former hospital site, began in 2000 and the park now hosts 25 companies employing about 400 people. Other partners include Durham County Council, the UK Space Agency and Business Durham - the economic development agency for County Durham. Business Durham ‘manages a portfolio of business property and excels in finding the right space for businesses to grow - commercial office space, modern laboratories and industrial property units’ - in other words, its job is to attract domestic and foreign investment to County Durham.
How many companies does the NETPARK (North East Technology Park) host?
The part now hosts 25 companies employing about 400 people.
What is regeneration in the twenty-first century about?
Regeneration in the twenty-first century is about partnerships between the public and private sectors. Often public money from taxes is used as a pump-priming mechanism to ‘lever’ in private investment.
