New initiatives to deliver decent, affordable homes in appealing communities. A seminar organised by the Institute for Local Governance.

This successful seminar rook place at Teikyo University, Elvet Hill, Durham on 21st June 2019

Since the establishment of the welfare state, good quality housing has been regarded as one of the central pillars of citizenship. And yet definitions of what constitutes ‘good housing’ seem always to be changing. Change can be driven by the confluence of a number of factors including the state of the economy, supply of land and planning policy, performance of the building industry, and government policies etc.

In recent years such factors have led to corners being cut in terms of the size, style and facility of homes. There are also important social and demographic pressures and specific government policies such as welfare reform, which can result in the structure and needs of households changing and transforming patterns of demand. Demand for housing is affected by more than style, structure and facility.

Since the 1980s ‘right to buy’ schemes were introduced, and debates about the efficacy of different forms of tenure in terms of renting, mixed provision, social and private housing have dominated discussions at a policy level. The evidence suggests that demand to buy homes is still strong, but the proportion of households which are able to achieve that aim has fallen, especially amongst the young.

These factors, taken together, have led to the development of a much more complex mix of tenures available to people – but the indications are that the current range of tenures and types of housing in the North East of England is not well matched with current or future likely patterns of demand. This seminar looks at how such a challenge can be met by looking at some of the innovative ways social landlords, the private sector and local authorities are tackling these mis-matches.

The seminar was chaired by Professor John Mawson, Director, Institute for Local Governance.

Speakers will include:

Professor Janice Morphet, Bartlett School of Planning, University College London, on the changing landscape in local authority provision of housing

Karen Brown, Senior Policy Advisor, Northern Housing Consortium, on the impact on national housing policy on housing in the North East England.

Richard Horniman, Director of Regeneration, Middlesbrough Council, on the ambitions of MHomes, Middlesbrough Council’s housing company.

Nigel Wilson, Chief Executive Officer, Gentoo Group, on adding value to the contribution of social housing providers though new build and improvement of existing stock.

Presentations from the seminar can be downloaded here:

ILG Homes – Janice Morphet – 21st June 2019

ILG Housing – Nigel Wilson 21 June 2019

ILG Housing – Karen Brown 21 June 2019

ILG Housing – Richard Horniman 21 June 2019

The Institute for Local Governance is a North East Research and Knowledge Exchange Partnership established in 2009 comprising the North East region’s Universities, Local Authorities, Police and Fire and Rescue Services. Further information about the content of the event can be obtained by contacting: – tony.chapman@durham.ac.uk or john.mawson@durham.ac.uk

A  seminar will take place at Bishop Auckland Town Hall, DL14 7NP, between 1.00pm and 4.30pm on Friday 29th March 2019, where policy makers, practitioners and young people will be asked to consider the differences between aspiration and ambition; attainment and achievement, and ask questions about what constitutes ‘success in life’ for young people from different starting points.

The Bishop of Durham, the Rt Revd. Paul Butler will open the event by setting the scene. This seminar is needed because many young people in County Durham are not achieving as much as they should while they make their journey towards adulthood. While much support is available to young people to achieve their potential, it falls unevenly and a lack of support is often more common in less affluent communities.

The County Durham Children and Families Partnership, County Durham Economic Partnership and the Institute for Local Governance, who are jointly hosting the event recognise that the aspirations and ambitions of our young people are vital for our communities’ success, whilst acknowledging the challenges and barriers our young people continue to face.

Recognising these challenges, both the County Durham Children and Families Partnership and the County Durham Economic Partnership commissioned research via the Institute of Local Governance, to start a debate in Durham on how to achieve more for young people from less advantaged backgrounds.

The research was led by Professor Tony Chapman, Director of Policy&Practice at St Chad’s College, Durham University.  A summary report of the research can be downloaded here: Tackling barriers to young people’s aspirations and ambitions in County Durham SUMMARY REPORT March 2019  The full report will be published on the day of the conference.

To instigate discussion across all sectors and with our young people, this research holds up a mirror to County Durham, and asks partners to look again at the situation of young people and challenge popular narratives about young peoples presumed lack of aspiration and ambition.

By doing so, it is hoped that organisations will be able to focus their resources individually, or in complementary ways, on those young people who are most in need of support.

Places are limited, so if you are interested in attending the seminar, you can register your place by completing the booking form before the 18th March 2019 at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/young-peoples-aspirations-and-ambitions-seminar-2019-tickets-56099466013

How to capitalise on secondary markets in North East England & Cumbria

A seminar organised by the Institute for Local Governance at Council Chamber, North Tyneside Council, Quadrant, Cobalt Business Park, North Shields, NE27 0BY

Friday 15th March 2019, 9.30 – 13.00

For too long, North East England was a throw-away society – but in recent years, the region has been learning to think again before dispensing with material resources which could have a second life or using up resources that, once gone, cannot be replaced.

In debates on patterns of consumption, waste and recycling, attention often turns first to issues surrounding the reduction in energy use and diminishing the need for waste disposal. These issues are, of course, vitally important – but under the surface of these headline issues lays much complexity and indeed opportunity.

This seminar took a fresh look at patterns of consumption by focusing on how to encourage people to recognise the value of using and wasting less. But in so doing, the debate must also explore what is understood by the term waste and explore which of its constituents might more properly be described as resources if they are handled well.

By using the term ‘secondary resources’ the seminar will encourage participants across all sectors to consider those good practices they already adopt but do not necessarily recognise as environmentally valuable. And, as importantly, to think again about how, if awareness is raised, such practices might be adopted in new contexts.

The seminar, which was chaired by Colin MacDonald: Senior Manager, Technical & Regulatory Services, North Tyneside Council, had a number of speakers who addressed the issue of consumption and waste from a number of stand points.

• Professor Mike Crang, Department of Geography, Durham University: on the current situation and how to increase awareness of secondary markets for materials.
• Stuart Foster, Chief Executive Officer, RECOUP: on the plastic recycling journey and the use of recycled plastics in manufacturing.
• Robin Osterley, Chief Executive Officer, Charity Retail Association: on the social, economic and environmental contribution of charity shops.
• Stephen Armstrong, Programme Manager, Groundwork North East: on changing public attitudes to issues surrounding consumption, waste and recycling.

This was the first of two seminars in this series.  A second seminar will take place in Redcar and Cleveland in the summer on the issue of ‘circular economies’.

Seminar presentations can be downloaded here:

Stuart Foster – ILG Seminar 15th March

Stephen Armstrong ILG Seminar 15 March 2019

Robin Osterley – ILG Seminar 15th March 2019

Mike Crang – ILG Seminar 15th March

The Institute for Local Governance is a North East Research and Knowledge Exchange Partnership established in 2009 comprising the North East region’s Universities, Local Authorities, Police and Fire and Rescue Services. Further information about the content of the event can be obtained by contacting:- tony.chapman@durham.ac.uk or john.mawson@durham.ac.uk.

A new academic article by Professors Keith Shaw (Northumbria University) and Fred Robinson (Policy&Practice) shows that governance in the English regions has been undermined and weakened by recent structural changes.

Although well established during the New Labour era, the regional level of governance in England did not survive the post-2010 process of institutional churn shaped by economic austerity and central government’s aversion to the regional level. This has subsequently led to rescaling to the sub-regional level and the introduction of devolution ‘deals’ involving new combined authorities with elected mayors.

This article looks at the experience of North East England, where regional structures have been broken up and the region disempowered by such changes. It reviews what has happened to governance in the North East over the past 20 years and discusses why the dismantling of regional governance matters.

While the region’s external relationships with central government are problematic, it is also argued that governance problems within the region are no less important and need reforming. Longitudinal research indicates that organisations providing public services in the North East have continued to be characterised by inadequate accountability, unrepresentative governance and lack of transparency.

The combined effects of the devolutionary consequences of Brexit and the ineffectiveness of small-scale ‘devo-deal’ interventions mean that the ‘Regionalist case’ in England will need to be refashioned and restated. The article concludes by considering the case for reintroducing regional-level governance and points to ways of bolstering the accountability and effectiveness of this level of sub-national governance.

Shaw, K. and Robinson F. (2019) ‘Whatever happened to the North East? Reflections on the end of regionalism in England’, Local Economy 33(8): 842-861.

Policy&Practice has had a productive year.  Projects have been completed for the National Lottery in an evaluation of a project in the Our Bright Future programme,  the evaluation of a National Youth Agency project for The Money Advice Service and a project on how to work with the third sector for the Economic and Social Research Council.  And new projects have started for Power to Change, Community Foundation Tyne & Wear and Northumberland, and Auckland Castle Trust.

Several more reports have been published this year from the Third Sector Trends study – which will start its fifth round of surveys in 2018 – representing over ten years of intensive study.  Two studies were published with IPPR North with groundbreaking data on the contribution of business to the third sector  and on the value of volunteering to local charities.  A study was also published on community business as a prelude for more intensive research in 2019 for Power to Change. The Third Sector Trends project, which covers the whole of the North of England has become increasingly influential on thinking about how best to support and fund charities in the North.

Policy&Practice has also continued to organise and host events across the North East of England with the Institute for Local Governance, including seminars on arts and heritage, community business, social isolation, the future of town centres, amongst other things.

To read about our past, current and future work in detail, you can download our report here: Policy&Practice Annual Report 2018