Core Team
Just like Bridging NewcastleGateshead, eleven other areas across the North and the Midlands are working to transform their neighbourhoods. They have different challenges and plans based on their local circumstances, but they share the same desire and commitment to
• Meet the needs of local people
• Attract new residents
• Support economic growth
• Combat disadvantage and exclusion
• Secure community cohesion
• Create opportunity.
Nine of the Housing Market Renewal (HMR) areas are four years into a programme that is expected to last between 10 and 15 years. Three newer HMR Partnerships received their first funding allocations in 2006. We have already made a strong start but securing major change in difficult urban environments takes time and there is still a long way to go.
We are now working together to make the case for continued Government funding at current levels at least, as well as greater certainty of funding to achieve the local plans that residents have contributed to and support. Our joint submission to the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 and the HMR supplement in the Guardian are a couple of the ways that we are doing this.
Transition to Transformation: HMR and our Changing Communities
Promised Lands, The Guardian, 14 March 2007
The HMR Partnerships
The other HMR areas in the country are listed below. You can read more about them on their web sites.
Elevate, East Lancashire
Gateway, Hull & East Riding of Yorkshire
Manchester Salford Pathfinder (web site under development)
New Heartlands, Merseyside
Partners In Action
http://www.oldhamrochdalehmr.co.uk Oldham Rochdale
Renew North Staffordshire
Transform South Yorkshire
Urban Living, Birmingham-Sandwell
The Government allocated HMR funding to three newer partnerships in 2006. They are:
Tees Valley Living
West Lakes Renaissance
West Yorkshire Housing Partnership
A Strong Start
The HMR areas have made a strong start in their mission to transform our neighbourhoods.
We are still at the beginning of a long journey, but by March 2008, the nine original HMR areas will have:
• Refurbished about 43,000 homes
• Assembled sites for, or contributed to the building of, about 6,700 new homes
• Demolished some 12,800 properties beyond economic repair which were blighting neighbourhoods. This will create more sites for new homes.
• Attracted an estimated £745 million of private investment.
In short, we will have radically improved the choices available to residents and incomers.
Collectively we will have improved three times as many homes as properties as will have been demolished.
We will continue to work with residents to develop plans that take on board their views and gain their support.