MPs change their tune on use of demolitions to renew low-demand areas

The ODPM House of Commons select committee this week suggested that housing market renewal pathfinders should consider more refurbishment of existing housing stock and that they run the risk of repeating “the mistakes of previous clearance programmes that destroyed the heritage of the areas and failed to replace it with neighbourhoods of lasting value”.

In Empty Homes and Low-Demand Pathfinders, a report published last Tuesday, the committee added that pathfinders should review demolition programmes “as a matter of urgency” if there is strong evidence of a sustained rise in housing demand.

This is in sharp contrast to a 2002 report into empty homes from the then Transport, Local Government and the Regions Committee which recommended urgent, radical action on a conurbation-wide scale, including the “reconfiguration” of large areas to make them more attractive.

Mike Gahagan, chair of the South Yorkshire pathfinder, said: “There does seem to have been something of a change in emphasis but I’m not sure why.

“Personally I think the committee has over-corrected a bit and is almost implying no demolition. We are in danger of polarising this debate and saying ‘we must demolish everything’ or ‘demolish nothing’.

“[But] the committee goes on to say that there are circumstances where you just have to demolish. I would have liked to have seen a somewhat more consistent message through the report.”

About 10,000 homes are to be demolished by the pathfinders across the North and Midlands by 2006 and 24,000 refurbished. Up to 200,000 homes could be demolished over the life of the programme.

Clive Betts MP, deputy chair of the ODPM committee and who also sat on the 2002 committee, was keen to point out that demolition is still seen as a key part of the programme.

He said: “I personally believe that there is going to be a lot of demolition and that there should be. I am probably slightly less cautious on balance than the report.

“What we have got to get right is how we handle people in the communities [affected].”

The report also called on the government to make a long-term commitment to the pathfinder initiatives beyond the current three-year funding guarantees to enable them to enter into long-term agreements and start the compulsory purchase order process, which can take up to six years.