Urban Task Force (Hansard, 16 May 2000)

§ Ms Beverley Hughes

The Urban Task Force report, "Towards an Urban Renaissance", made more than 100 recommendations about how to revitalise our towns and cities. It formed an excellent contribution to the debate on how to reverse the social, physical and economic decline that many of our urban areas have faced in recent decade

The Government are looking at the report's conclusions in detail as we prepare for the forthcoming White Paper on urban policy. But we, and others, have already addressed around a quarter of the recommendations including: Setting up three pilot Urban Regeneration Companies in Liverpool, East Manchester and Sheffield. These will co-ordinate the regeneration of run-down urban neighbourhoods within a wider local strategy developed by the local authority and its partners, listening to local people's needs and ensuring local priorities are met. Setting up nine pilot home zones—traffic schemes in residential areas which will give residents more control over traffic movements and ensure that the needs of people. rather than traffic, come first. Publishing revised planning policy guidance on development plans(PPG12) which advocates simpler and more effective development plans. This helps to fulfil the Urban Task Force's recommendation to streamline the planning process. Piloting eight Private Finance Initiatives for Housing Revenue Account pathfinders, helping fulfil the need to attract private investment in local communities. Taking steps to put Local Transport Plans (LTPs) on a statutory footing, ensuring that local authorities take an integrated and strategic approach to planning transport provision in their area. Publishing draft revised planning policy guidance on transport (PPG13) to promote civilised towns and cities where the needs of people are given priority. Setting up a new Govermnent unit for neighbourhood warden schemes to provide pump-priming funding to test out these schemes. 91W Publishing revised planning policy guidance on Housing (PPG3) which introduces a new sustainable approach to planning for housing. This addresses many of Lord Rogers' recommendations through its main provisions which include: Targets to put 60 per cent. of new homes on brownfield sites—set at all levels of the planning hierarchy, from regional to local level, and contributing to the achievement of the national 60 per cent. target. A sequential approach—to ensure that brownfield land is used for development before greenfield land whenever possible. New policies on land take—to avoid inefficient development and encourage higher intensity development in urban areas around good transport nodes. Looking again at greenfield land in the system—to ensure that land already allocated for housing meets the new approach. New car parking standards—removing minimum car parking standards, and substituting a maximum of, on average, 1.5 car parking spaces per dwelling. A new emphasis on quality development—to stress the need for imaginative design, taking account of what people want and ensuring better links with public transport. Improved housing choice and affordability—encouraging mixed communities with mixed tenures and strengthening the preference for affordable housing to be provided on-site. Tackling unpopular housing—by getting local planning authorities to look at how to recycle existing buildings as well as recycle land.

Many other recommendations will be addressed in part or in full by the new power which the Government are giving to local authorities to promote and improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of their area. Other recommendations are also being taken forward in the context of the Government's Housing Green Paper.