Southern Culture
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Luvvies
Actors born in the South East - Laurence Olivier (Dorking), Julie Andrews (Walton-on Thames), Nicollette Sheridan (Worthing), Orlando Bloom (Canterbury)
Neighbourhood Renewal FAQ
What does the term neighbourhood renewal mean and where is it taking place in the south east?
Neighbourhood renewal is about working with local people at a grassroots level to reverse the spiral of decline that has occurred in the most disadvantaged areas of England. It covers a wide remit and aims to deliver economic prosperity and jobs, safer communities, good education, decent housing, physical environments and better health, as well as fostering a new sense of community among residents.
The term neighbourhood renewal can be used in relation to any area where work is taking place to address decline. However 88 local authority areas are specifically designated by the government as neighbourhood renewal areas in England, with four in the south east: Brighton and Hove, Hastings, Portsmouth and Southampton. Each of these authorities has received Neighbourhood Renewal Funding (NRF) to help with the process of renewal.
How does neighbourhood renewal fit with ‘sustainable communities’?
Neighbourhood renewal can be considered as a first stage in improving disadvantaged areas, tackling some of the worst problems and getting the basics right, which then enables sustainable communities to develop. See FAQ on sustainable communities for further information on what makes a ‘sustainable community’.
How does culture contribute to neighbourhood renewal?
Evidence from around the UK and in the south east has shown that culture can make an important contribution to all of the key areas of focus in neighbourhood renewal areas: health; education and skills; worklessness; crime; housing and liveability, as well as to wider cross cutting issues such as diversity. Culture can contribute to:
- Health – by helping to tackle health inequalities and create healthier communities
- Education and skills – by helping to raise educational standards and improve workforce skills
- Worklessness and employment – by creating a prosperous local economy and providing employment for local people
- Crime – by helping to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour and the fear of crime
- Housing and liveability – by improving the quality of the built and natural environment and helping to create a sense of place
Who is responsible for neighbourhood renewal?
At a national level the ‘Department for Communities and Local Government’ is the government’s lead department for renewal and regeneration. Within DCLG there is a specific ‘Neighbourhood Renewal Unit’ who oversee the government’s neighbourhood renewal strategy and work across government departments to ensure it is implemented. At a regional level in each government office there is a neighbourhood renewal team responsible for implementation of the strategy at a regional level working with key partners such as the South East England Development Agency and the South East England Regional Assembly as well as individual local authorities. At a local level Local Strategic Partnerships and local authorities take the lead.
What strategic plans or policies exist about neighbourhood renewal?
‘ANew Commitment to Neighbourhood Renewal: National Strategy Action Plan’ was published by the government in 2001. It set out the government’s vision that within 10-12 years nobody should be seriously disadvantaged by where they live.
Four years later ‘Making it Happen in Neighbourhoods: The National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal four years on’ was published.
In 2005 the prime Minister’s Strategy Unit published ‘Improving the Prospects of People Living in Multiple Deprivation Areas in England’. These documents set out the government’s national strategy for neighbourhood renewal, identify achievements to date and recommend future actions.
At a local level the high level strategy and objectives for neighbourhood renewal and for regeneration will be included in the Sustainable Community Strategy of each Local Strategic Partnership (LSP). These will usually be underpinned by more detailed regeneration or neighbourhood renewal strategies prepared by the LSP or the local authority.
At a regional level there is not a specific regional neighbourhood renewal strategy, but many of the issues that need to be addressed will be covered in other regional plans such as the South East Economic Development Agency strategy ‘The South East Economic Plan 2006-2016’ and the ‘South East Plan’ produced by the South East England Regional Assembly.
Where can I find more information about neighbourhood renewal?
Government Office for the South East
Renewal.net