Housing is a key part of urban renewal, and is often the driving issue behind the establishment of renewal areas by local authorities.
Renewal areas are based on a partnership approach, so as to engage communities and stimulate private investment alongside public resources. A key aim is to encourage confidence in an area and thereby halt its decline. Areas in decline invariably include abandoned houses and houses in a poor state of repair.
In order to justify the declaration of a renewal area, local authorities have to produce a report setting out:
- the living conditions in the area
- ways in which those conditions may be improved
- powers available and the local authority’s detailed proposals to exercise these
- the cost and financial resources available.
The key method used to evaluate an area; to ensure that a local authority has a thorough understanding of the relevant issues and views of stakeholders is via a Neighbourhood Renewal Assessment (NRA). The process is designed to provide assurance that the declaration of a renewal area is the most effective way of tackling the problems of a particular neighbourhood.