Need or opportunity Exploring councils approaches to housing strategy

1. Need or opportunity? Exploring councils� approaches to housing strategy Janis Bright CRESR Sheffield Hallam University How councils present themselves, when and whyHow councils present themselves, when and why

2. This presentation Background to the project  and the towns Analytical framework Methodology Early findings Divided into four sectionsDivided into four sections

3. What the project is about Towns with rural hinterlands (Smestos) Political research - �third way� Northern Way and other regional initiatives Housing strategy Considers what responses local housing authorities believe they can make Smesto = small and med (Espon) Towns that aren�t in conurbations, or city suburbs In rural areas but urban places Dealing mainly with period of New Labour govt third way Regions, city regions, RDAs, assemblies Housing strategy - rise from about 2001 Beliefs - qualitative tho� evidence of limited powers (Wilks-Heeg & Clayton) Smesto = small and med (Espon) Towns that aren�t in conurbations, or city suburbs In rural areas but urban places Dealing mainly with period of New Labour govt third way Regions, city regions, RDAs, assemblies Housing strategy - rise from about 2001 Beliefs - qualitative tho� evidence of limited powers (Wilks-Heeg & Clayton)

4. Some background Rural/coastal towns can be sizeable They generally lack the population density to trigger special government support Size: eg Harrogate 84,000, Scarborough 52,000 My limit: 10,000+ Support: some did have SRB but no NDC, no HMR pathfinders, etc. Market towns init very small Size: eg Harrogate 84,000, Scarborough 52,000 My limit: 10,000+ Support: some did have SRB but no NDC, no HMR pathfinders, etc. Market towns init very small

5. How are Smestos doing? Towns show extremes of wealth and �lagging behind� Rural areas in north do less well on gross value added (GVA) Evidence of geographical remoteness from city regions as negative factor Greatest and growing inequality is within rural districts (Yorkshire) Difficulty over stats for towns vs districts Some districts eg Ryedale feature in least deprived areas nationally - but not all have high incomesWealth moving south and to conurbations - Dorling GVA shows rural areas lower eg Cumbria, Durham as low as 65, 68% of national av. Remoteness - SQW research, E vs W Cumbria, Fothergill & Beatty on coastal econ Inequality - housing wealth = 40% so big factor. Tym and partners - �housing hard wires unequal access into the system� Cascading inequality - DorlingDifficulty over stats for towns vs districts Some districts eg Ryedale feature in least deprived areas nationally - but not all have high incomesWealth moving south and to conurbations - Dorling GVA shows rural areas lower eg Cumbria, Durham as low as 65, 68% of national av. Remoteness - SQW research, E vs W Cumbria, Fothergill & Beatty on coastal econ Inequality - housing wealth = 40% so big factor. Tym and partners - �housing hard wires unequal access into the system� Cascading inequality - Dorling

6. Third way and regions New Labour competition policy eg Northern Way Equality of opportunity not outcome Keynesian support rejected (but used) Regional approach sidelines Smestos? They have been subjected to the full force of economic competition policies Not left not right yet not middle globalisation inevitable Reich: Deregulation and privatisation, Free trade, Flexible labour markets, Smaller safety nets, Fiscal austerity BUT social inclusion - Mrs T without the handbag Rhetoric and action - Rowthorn Regional policy, failed democracy, RDAs married with central control, managerialism [initiativitis] deconcentration Northern Way - economic competitiveness Placemaking?? Smestos finding a place in regional setup? Some districts becoming unitaries Contention re competition without tempering social inclusion/support measuresNot left not right yet not middle globalisation inevitable Reich: Deregulation and privatisation, Free trade, Flexible labour markets, Smaller safety nets, Fiscal austerity BUT social inclusion - Mrs T without the handbag Rhetoric and action - Rowthorn Regional policy, failed democracy, RDAs married with central control, managerialism [initiativitis] deconcentration Northern Way - economic competitiveness Placemaking?? Smestos finding a place in regional setup? Some districts becoming unitaries Contention re competition without tempering social inclusion/support measures

7. The Northern Way Northern Way business plan 2004: It is essential that we focus on our city regions. To do otherwise would dramatically lessen the impact of our efforts. Yorkshire Forward 2007: The so-called trickle-down effect of increased wealth gradually making its way to the most deprived individuals is not enough. The team works to help ensure that our investment in rural and urban renaissance delivers the maximum benefit to those groups and communities most in need of support. Neil Ward Newcastle Uni All places beyond what sometimes gets called the urban core risk being marginalised .. The process actively marginalises places, consigning them to the periphery, dividing and polarising.Northern Way business plan 2004: It is essential that we focus on our city regions. To do otherwise would dramatically lessen the impact of our efforts. Yorkshire Forward 2007: The so-called trickle-down effect of increased wealth gradually making its way to the most deprived individuals is not enough. The team works to help ensure that our investment in rural and urban renaissance delivers the maximum benefit to those groups and communities most in need of support. Neil Ward Newcastle Uni All places beyond what sometimes gets called the urban core risk being marginalised .. The process actively marginalises places, consigning them to the periphery, dividing and polarising.

8. Analytical framework Politics and human geography Space versus time Bauman - Liquid modernity Tourists and vagabonds Fatalism Disengagement/disempowerment Marx - time will annihilate space Harvey - first cut production/consumption second - financial third - spatial. Displace devaluation geographically Jones & Ward 4th cut - crisis of crisis management Bauman - all that is solid melts into air Everyone turned into consumers, uncertainty, anxiety Power is held by those who control/overcome time ie the most mobile and fastest to react - Tourists and vagabonds - choice as fate Massey - uneven spatial development ie places - single history of those �ahead� and �lagging behind� Criticises Blair�s �modernisation�Marx - time will annihilate space Harvey - first cut production/consumption second - financial third - spatial. Displace devaluation geographically Jones & Ward 4th cut - crisis of crisis management Bauman - all that is solid melts into air Everyone turned into consumers, uncertainty, anxiety Power is held by those who control/overcome time ie the most mobile and fastest to react - Tourists and vagabonds - choice as fate Massey - uneven spatial development ie places - single history of those �ahead� and �lagging behind� Criticises Blair�s �modernisation�

9. Methodology and methods Hermeneutics - interpretation - participants� experiences - how they present need/opportunity, when and why Case studies Combination of interviews and text analysis Theorists background in Marx, critical theory, postmodernity Me - hermeneutics Gadamer, Geertz Why - lends itself to study of texts, concerned with time, history Also good for dealing with questions of culture, perception Strength - tacking between case and whole, now and history Criticism - doesn�t take account of strong social forces so will bring in some ideas from critical theory - losers in society Modern hermeneutics - Habermas, Giddens double hermeneutic US constitution Brennan etc. Intentions of the framers, practical interpretation �collision points� where rules/policy & individuals meetTheorists background in Marx, critical theory, postmodernity Me - hermeneutics Gadamer, Geertz Why - lends itself to study of texts, concerned with time, history Also good for dealing with questions of culture, perception Strength - tacking between case and whole, now and history Criticism - doesn�t take account of strong social forces so will bring in some ideas from critical theory - losers in society Modern hermeneutics - Habermas, Giddens double hermeneutic US constitution Brennan etc. Intentions of the framers, practical interpretation �collision points� where rules/policy & individuals meet

10. Research questions Bauman�s �choice as fate� - tourists and vagabonds Are district housing authorities �disengaged� and powerless to act? Do they believe so? Regional structures: do Smesto authorities perceive that these help or hinder? Can we apply tourist/vagabond label to orgs eg housing auths? Are officers/councillors fatalistic, believing cant change Or believe have power to influence/change? How are their responses shaped? New structures of networks & hierarchies - how affected? Helped or hindered? Lead them to choose need/opportunity presentation on different occasions? Bauman disengagement? Smesto auths more vulnerable? Do they feel geographical remoteness disadvantages them? Place-making versus mobility and competition?Can we apply tourist/vagabond label to orgs eg housing auths? Are officers/councillors fatalistic, believing cant change Or believe have power to influence/change? How are their responses shaped? New structures of networks & hierarchies - how affected? Helped or hindered? Lead them to choose need/opportunity presentation on different occasions? Bauman disengagement? Smesto auths more vulnerable? Do they feel geographical remoteness disadvantages them? Place-making versus mobility and competition?

11. Research methods Matrix of town/district characteristics Regional stakeholder interviews Triangulation to choose cases Analyse published texts Conduct and analyse interviews senior staff, councillors,  partner organisations Published texts - housing strategies, vision statements, community strategies Also Audit Comm reports, govt statements Long list of councils then narrow down to case studiesPublished texts - housing strategies, vision statements, community strategies Also Audit Comm reports, govt statements Long list of councils then narrow down to case studies

12. Very preliminary analysis Differing views on purpose and power of city regions Narratives - consciously constructed stories about regions and actors Differences among districts - �sometimes you feel like the dirt on the shoes� - �oil tanker syndrome: we can turn round quicker� Regional and sub-regional working not much contested - but city regions are. View depends on who is asking - econ dev, LA, etc Sometimes regional stakeholders fatalistic too - or is it fear? �The region is so remote from London, you will tend to lose out if it doesn�t keep getting its voice heard.� Narratives not naturalistic, linguistic - often say �they are using language like single conversation� or �we are changing from being a region that regards itself as managing decline� - double hermeneutic Differences - skills and resources yes, BUT - capacity. Unpick - tourist/vagabond attitudesRegional and sub-regional working not much contested - but city regions are. View depends on who is asking - econ dev, LA, etc Sometimes regional stakeholders fatalistic too - or is it fear? �The region is so remote from London, you will tend to lose out if it doesn�t keep getting its voice heard.� Narratives not naturalistic, linguistic - often say �they are using language like single conversation� or �we are changing from being a region that regards itself as managing decline� - double hermeneutic Differences - skills and resources yes, BUT - capacity. Unpick - tourist/vagabond attitudes