Abbey Park Estate

HC Deb 20 February 1986 vol 92 cc340-1W

Mr. Galley

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has reached a decision on Calderdale council's submission to his urban housing renewal unit in respect of the Abbey park estate; and if he will make a statement.

Sir George Young

I am pleased to announce today my right hon. Friend's favourable response to proposals for the Abbey park estate which Calderdale council has prepared in conjunction with my Department's urban housing renewal unit. The council has developed a comprehensive range of measures to tackle the problems of this run-down estate of some 700 dwellings. am confident that the proposals will offer a new future to the residents of the estate and significantly enhance the quality of life on it.

The measures proposed include:

1. i. the setting up of responsive, locally based management arrangements on the estate as part of the Department's priority estates project. A fully staffed and accessible office has now been opened on the estate and it will provide a comprehensive housing service to the residents.
2. ii. a renovation programme to modernise and repair approximately 450 rented houses and flats on the estate. For this purpose I have agreed in principle to an additional capital allocation of up to £689,000 in 1986–7 to the council's housing investment programme.
3. iii. A community refurbishment scheme under which some 120 locally unemployed people will work on the improvement of the environment of the estate and the approaches to the houses and flats. This scheme will be funded by the Government's community programme, subject to the agreement of the Manpower Services Commission's area board, and my Department's urban programme. Resources of the order of £1.65 million will be involved, including up to £742,000 of urban programme funding, which I am pleased to approve in principle.
4. iv. Proposals are in hand to dispose of some 250 empty dwellings on the estate to the private sector for refurbishment and onward sale to private purchasers including council tenants, waiting list applicants and others. Tenders are currently being assessed. The involvement of the private sector will provide a valuable opportunity for the diversification of tenure on the estate.

I welcome the fact the Calderdale council has involved tenants closely in the development of this valuable package of measures and I am sure that it will continue to do so as the proposals are implemented. The Abbey park initiative is an exciting and pioneering partnership between Calderdale council, private enterprise and central Government. It has involved close collaboration between members and officials of the council, my Department's Yorkshire and Humberside regional office and the staff and consultants of the urban housing renewal unit. I hope that we shall see many more such schemes.