I really was rather taken aback by Phillip Blond (pictured) on the Today programme this morning. I am rather an admirer of Mr Blond generally and find his arguments on the need for a "trust culture" very compelling indeed (I'm not at all clear how you achieve this, but I am totally certain of our need for it).
Phillip Blond
However, I did find his recipe for estates renewal a little disturbing. His thesis (my apologies for this attempt to clumsily summarise it) is that shed loads of government financing gets poured into sink estates without making much, if any, impact and it would be rather better to give the resource to the residents themselves to have a local commissioning and delivery agency.
Now I do not wish to be defeatist here, and I do agree entirely with the premises for the argument (and heartily applaud it), but my problem is in the implementation. What Mr Blond describes is pretty much what was attempted by the New Deal for Communities Programme in 39 deprived areas up and down the country in the year 2000.
The - extremely well meaning - civil servants (all of whom I know well) held precisely the same views as Mr Blond in respect of community empowerment and were deeply, deeply disappointed about the programme's dismal failure to deliver for all sorts of reasons.
Now the money has run out, there are practitioners up and down the country (myself included) trying valiantly to clear up the mess and deliver against community expectations that have been ratcheted up.
In most cases, South Kilburn included, we have to look to the Local Asset Backed Vehicle (LABV) model to deliver assets out of thin air to deliver against expectations - a metaphor, really for the more-for-less agenda.
Now you could argue that we did not set about the formation of the NDCs in the right way but, frankly, it would be difficult to see what we could do differently were we to have our time over.
No, I regret to conclude that the entire strategy is wrong-footed (and I am, as you may know, almost fundamentalist in my views on community empowerment). Bitter experience tells me that you have to work with what you've got.
Surely "localism" must mean empowering local authorities, not unelected, unaccountable groups of residents venturing into an exercise of community empowerment which, in my direct experience, does not serve anyone at all well, no matter how well intentioned.
Believe it or not (and it still is not fashionable in the private sector to hold such views) I am a great - a huge - fan of local authorities. Sure, some have problems with capacity and so forth, but nothing that could not be solved were they to be - genuinely - empowered by central government to unleash their entrepreneurial potential and do the very best possible with their considerable assets for the benefit of their communities.
Admittedly, this is something I have never seen happen in my entire adult life.
Local authorities are run by democratically elected, accountable people and the (oft lamented) quality of candidate would surely get better were they to be thus properly empowered. Many of them also happen to, rather conveniently, be the self same cadre force that might catapult Cameron into power.
The local authorities may not be perfect but they do have the considerable virtue of already being there. It is, altogether, a safer (and miles more pragmatic) route.
A dismal failure? Jackie, please feel free to visit our New Deal area in the West End of Newcastle before making such a sweeping statement next time.
The New Deal programme set five key themes – health, homes & environment, jobs & business, education, crime & community safety - with the aim of ‘narrowing the gap’ between our area and the rest of our city.
Independent evaluation shows that we have narrowed the gap in all five. The crime rate, once notoriously high, is down by 46% since 2000, thanks to more joined-up policing and community safety initiatives.
Ipsos MORI surveys show that fear of burglary is now below the UK average – in an area which was once a byword for break-ins. Our projects have helped over 1,300 people into work, improved over 2,000 homes, and helped local schools to improve their results at Key Stage 2,3 and 4.
Take a walk around our area and the physical changes are plain to see too. Two parks upgraded, a busy new family centre, street improvements – and a series of neighbourhood level improvements chosen by residents themselves within each area.
It works because local people know the area best – and are more in tune with, and responsive to, community concerns.
Just ask our residents. Ipsos MORI did – and 65% said New Deal had improved the area. 72% expressed trust in the programme. Perhaps that is because – contrary to your blog comments – our community directors have always been directly elected by local people.
It wasn’t easy – and the early years were particularly challenging. But our community embraced New Deal because it was a change from years of feeling that regeneration was ‘done to us’ rather than with us. But it’s not a case of 'community or council' – we have achieved because our local authority – along with other partners like the police - has backed us and worked alongside us.
We know we have made an impact, but we know there is more to do. Our successor organisation, Centre West, is getting ready for a new role, using its asset base to ensure local people can continue to drive regeneration ourselves. Indeed, over 700 local people turned out to comment on our latest plans a couple of months ago.
I’d say we have proved that determined, well-organised communities, working closely with local service providers and backed by their local authority, can manage resources and find locally appropriate solutions in ways that the public sector alone finds difficult.
But deep down I suspect that you agree. After all, it’s only a couple of months since you wrote that:
“With all political parties committed to some form of localism, the community will be increasingly at the centre of government regeneration thinking and this, coupled with the fact that we are enter uncharted territory of a new phase of housing renewal (under the aegis of the Homes and Communities Agency) means we have all to play for in South Kilburn.”
Brian Hannah, Chair of Centre West (formerly Newcastle New Deal for Communities)