Agenda item

To provide an overview of Levelling-Up in Blackpool.

Mr Alan Cavill, Director of Communications and Regeneration, provided the Committee with a detailed update with regards to the history of Blackpool’s journey within the Levelling-Up pilot.

Mr Cavill explained that the Council and partners had worked hard to win Blackpool’s status as a national Levelling Up Pilot in March 2022.  A strong working relationship with Department of Levelling-Up, Homes and Communities (DLUHC) and Homes England had been embedded and produced tangible results, which provided everyone with confidence that the partnership would continue to develop. 

Work had begun with other government departments to push and test their response to making levelling up work right across government.  He explained that in the coming months further commitment was expected across government to deliver on Blackpool’s ambitions over an extended period of time.  

The next strategic target is to secure a financial commitment to the first phase of physical housing intervention at scale via Homes England. In parallel, the Council will be working with Government to review capacity and governance arrangements to ensure Blackpool would be in the right position to deliver a wider programme of holistic regeneration, and start to truly level up for residents and businesses.

He advised that the ‘Team Blackpool’ ethos encompassed the partnership working with the Pride of Place Partnership, alongside commitment from civil servants and agency officials notably from the DLUHC and Homes England.  The joint working had proved invaluable in terms of the support the Council had received.

The Committee raised concerns with regards to inflation pressures on the funding awarded to Blackpool and whether it could potentially cause issues for the developments in hand, in terms of failure or cut back.

Mr Cavill advised the Committee that the Council had been realistic with regards to inflation, and there had been a reasonable contingency incorporated from the outset.  He added that a repeat investment plan would be undertaken to establish where the projects sit in terms of market inflation pressures.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Lynn Williams advised that the Levelling-Up pilot had prioritised developing the needs of the local economy by providing local people the skills and jobs they needed to have better lives. 

Members enquired as to how the Council defined outcomes and goals and measured success in response Mr Cavill explained all projects had been and would be analysed on a project by project basis.  He advised a number of economic factors such as the cost of living crisis, would have an impact on the wider economy.  Future performance indicators would be developed in partnership with the Department of Levelling-Up, Homes and Communities (DLUHC).

Ms Vikki Piper, Head of Housing, added that the Housing element of the Levelling-Up pilot would be a much slower process predicting a period of 10 to 15 years before major changes would be embedded and recognised.

Ms Piper advised that alongside the need for economic growth it had long been recognised that the housing conditions in the inner wards, particularly in the private rented sector (PRS), was amongst the worst in the country. The market was underpinned by rents set at benefit levels and was typified by short tenancies, a lack of quality and a transient group of tenants.  Without addressing the poor inner ward housing conditions Blackpool risked not getting the full social benefit of the economic regeneration agenda that was in delivery across the town.

She advised the Committee that housing failure in the centre of Blackpool was the Council’s number one public policy challenge.  Sustained intervention and investment was now needed to reverse decline and deliver a better future.

She advised that the Levelling-Up White paper contained an action plan which included:

•            Halving the number of non – decent homes by 2030 by introducing a Decent Homes Standard to the PRS.

•            Abolishment of section 21 “no fault” evictions.

•            Introduction of a new single housing ombudsman.

•            Introduction of a new property portal

In response to further questions the Committee was informed that the new development on Grange Park would be 100% affordable rented properties.  In addition, it was envisaged that the development was on track to be close to carbon net zero.  The Multiversity phase of the project was over budget and this was due to a number of factors, not the ambition to achieve net zero premises.

The Committee also discussed the proposals for the combined authority and the Private Members Bill. In addition, Ms Piper updated the Committee that the Homes England Master Plan had been delayed slightly until around autumn.