Decision details

To consider a report by the Cabinet Member for Housing seeking the commencement of a programme of city-wide masterplanning for estate regeneration.

The Estate Regeneration Vision is to create successful communities on our estates where people will want to live in the future.  The council’s estate regeneration has moved from the initial Phase 1 pilot at Hinkler to Phase 3, which includes the area based regeneration of Townhill Park.  The council now wishes to move to city-wide estates regeneration master planning in order to establish a development framework for up to 20 years. 

(i)  To delegate authority to the Director for Economic Development, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and Director for Environment to commence a programme of consultation and engagement with residents and stakeholders and to procure and appoint consultants to prepare a city wide Estate Regeneration Framework document.

(ii)  Subject to the approval of the HRA capital programme by Council on 15 February 2012, to approve for the purposes of Financial Procedure Rules, capital spending of £50,000 in 2011/12, and up to £450,000 in 2012/13 on the masterplanning of a city wide Estate Regeneration Framework and associated fees and costs, provision for which exists in the HRA capital programme being submitted to Council on 15 February 2012.

1.  Estate Regeneration is a major programme of renewal which is part of a wider commitment by the Council to deliver sustained economic growth and tackle deprivation on Southampton’s council estates. The Estate Regeneration programme has grown from the Phase One pilot at Hinkler Parade through to an Estate Regeneration Framework for Townhill Park, which is focused on developing a strategic approach to delivery across the estate.  It is proposed that the next phase of the programme, the subject of this paper, takes this a step further, with the preparation of an Estate Regeneration Framework which provides a long term strategic approach to the delivery of Estate Regeneration across the city.  The Framework will comprise a series of documents including master plan and delivery options.  (This will also enable economies of scale resulting in better value for money to be achieved).

2.  Producing a city wide Regeneration Framework will (together with the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan) provide the strategic direction and overview for the long term future of the council’s housing. This will enable a co-ordinated and focused delivery in a planned way over the next twenty years. 

3.  This strategic, long term approach will inform the long term business planning of the HRA , which is required as part of the new self financing regime.

4.  Selecting areas of the city which are the most deprived, but have the greatest potential for housing gain will also contribute to the city wide priority of economic growth, and the Core Strategy target of delivering over 16,000 new homes between 2010 and 2026.

The option of doing nothing would result in a lack of strategic direction for the regeneration of the city’s Council housing stock and a lost opportunity to meet the Council’s objectives of economic growth.