Estates renewal: hype or hope?

The Government's new £3 billion cash boost for renovating Britain's run-down estates will surely have two predictable effects. The programme will enrich developers and ministerial careers. But, once again black communities in London's "problem estates" will lose out. This is a likely conclusion if the new bosses of renewal continue programs that bypass and impoverish black residents.

Milton Court, a south London estate with a majority black population, illustrates the point. Targeted for renewal by the Conservative government, Milton Court was a byword for a difficult, costly to maintain, hard-to-let estate, prone to crime, drugs and violence. In 1992, a government-led Estates Action programme promised a "dramatic physical improvement of the run-down estate and its social problems".

Transforming "sink estates"
Today, as the dust settles on six years of building works, major changes are apparent. Milton Court has been a proving ground of a potent policy idea -- the erasure and re-invention of council-run housing property. The "sink estate" has been transformed by bull-dozing tower blocks and inserting new low-rise housing for better-off car owning families, often at the expense of low income and disadvantaged African Caribbean residents

These flaws are magnified for Milton Court's black residents. Demolition of the tower blocks that council bosses deemed troublesome displaced vulnerable low income black families. The membership of estate management teams and residents' associations do not reflect the significant numbers of black residents. Hence, the organs of local democracy -- the "voices of the people" -- fail to reflect the actual predominance of Black households.

"Colour-blindness" ignores racism
This failure to "see" black people is often explained as a "colour-blind" or "value-free" commitment by renewal authorities and planners. They say that programme benefits will trickle down into households and wage packets of all residents equally, without regard to colour or ethnicity. This view is seriously flawed, however. Evidence indicates that Blacks do less well in the obtaining access to the benefits of estate renewal: better homes, jobs, and services, and respect from authorities. The planners "colour-blind" approach in Milton Court failed to address their specific needs. Being "colour-blind" was a convenient mask for ignoring the well-documented racism in the housing sector.

New agenda
Yet, new times and a changed political perspective could bring about a new agenda of positive policy actions. However, urban policy makers and professionals must learn to see estates in a different way. Troubled inner city estates are potential sources of creativity and achievement, not "problems" to be erased and reinvented.

Involving local people and their voluntary organisations are important first steps. Black-led and staffed job training and self-employment projects should be encouraged. Heritage-enhancing cultural projects and multi-language services are required. Estate-based health facilities and advice centres are needed, with particular concern for clients prone to sickle cell anaemia. Self-managed groups need encouragement to attract and reach out to elders, youth and women. In this way, residents can be prepared for active roles as stakeholders, participants, managers, and leaders.

If estates renewal is to be more than just a hype -- with dire results for Blacks -- positive actions for change are needed. Now is the most propitious moment to develop strategies for a New Agenda on Race, Housing and Urban Planning.

Historic moment
For the first time in British history blacks have direct access to the corridors of power in national government. The vehicle is the Race Relations Forum set up in May by Home Secretary Jack Straw. Its task, said Mr. Straw, is "giving ethnic minority communities a voice at the heart of government". Bernie Grant, the outspoken senior black parliamentarian, is a member, along with the Church of England Bishop Rt. Rev Wilfrid Wood, the law man Lincoln Crawford QC, and Ros Howells, the veteran enquirer into the racially motivated murder of Stephen Lawrence.

Their efforts are necessary to break down "colour-blind" barriers and set targets for new behaviour in the council rooms, corporate suites and government offices. Objectives for change must be set and appropriate funding and technical resources obtained. Members should urge wide-ranging estate renewal reforms to address the unmet needs of black residents.

Need co-operation
Noticeable initiatives in national policies should be used to advantage. Mike O'Brien, the government minister for race and community relations, says he is committed to equal opportunity polices. Tackling "social exclusion", is now part of the vocabulary of political mandarins in the Department of Environment and Transport. Local Government housing Minister Hilary Armstrong has urged "practical demonstrations that we value each and every person in this country".

Richard Caborn, regeneration minister, has declared his goal of funding urban regeneration and housing investment programmes to help deprived neighbourhoods. He has promised £3 billion under the "new deal for urban regeneration" to help bring the most run-down estates back into repair. In addition, "A further £800 million will be made available under the New Deal for Communities programme to provide intensive help in the most deprived neighbourhoods". Furthermore, "Tenant Participation Compacts will provide better management and empower tenants. They will be increasingly involved in developing plans for housing investment and for raising the quality of service delivery", says Caborn.

These pronouncements are fine on paper. The stated intentions are there. But what remains to be seen are the co-ordinated efforts of policy makers and responsible black leaders to cast off the disastrous renewal hype of past administrations and forge new hopes for Black communities.

For relevant articles see:

• Feature - archive
• Do Blacks Need a New London Mayor?
• Blacks and Europe's new melting pot cities - English
• Blacks and Europe's new melting pot cities - French