The signs of regeneration are not always clear, say the MPs

The criticism of the way regeneration money has been spent in the UK comes in a new report from the Commons Urban Affairs Sub-Committee.

The MPs say there are just too many different Whitehall schemes and they argue local councils need more freedom to choose what works for their area.

Too much regeneration money is also currently spent without the results being properly judged, says the report published on Tuesday.

It continues: "Consultants reports often claimed that output measures (eg the number of jobs created) had been met.

"But, in fact, large sums of additional money have been spent on the same deprived areas over and over again without bringing a significant or lasting improvement."

The report, called The Effectiveness of Government Regeneration Initiatives, suggests the fact that many disadvantaged areas remain deprived proves the point.

Swathe of schemes

In some areas, the people behind regeneration schemes are not properly analysing an area's needs and instead "chase any and all programmes".

Evidence from the government's regional development agency suggests there can be about 27 different area-based initiatives under way in any one of the English regions, says the report.

Labour MP Clive Betts, the committee's chairman, said: "There are too many centrally driven national area-based initiatives.

"Those working on the ground cannot hope to make sense of all the different national programmes, never mind the associated bureaucracy.

"Government tasked the Regional Coordination Unit with reducing the number of initiatives, indeed the Unit was termed the 'gatekeeper'.

"We however are far from convinced it has sufficient clout because initiatives continue to squeeze under the gate.

"Different places have different needs. Government currently assumes one size fits all, this is wrong.

"Local authorities need the freedom to devise local solutions to local needs."

Riots worries

The committee says all new regeneration schemes should report publicly on the effect they could have on community relations.

It was told that the way regeneration cash had been distributed might have added to the tensions which sparked the 2001 riots in Bradford, Oldham and Burnley.

"The competition for recoveries between communities had exacerbated divisions in areas where there was a strong correlation between wards and different ethnic groups," says the report.

The MPs criticise development of brownfield sites in some areas, which they say has been "poor quality" and often made the area's image worse.

In future, Regional Development Agencies should explicitly aim to "improve the design of buildings and public spaces in regeneration areas", they say.

Wasted red tape?

There is a call too for more training of people working on regeneration projects.

The committee was also worried the government's offices in the regions were not having much effect on regeneration schemes.

"We recommend that in response to this report, Ministers outline what impact the government Offices are having on the ground," he said.

"Ministers must consider whether the government offices add to the bureaucracy and administration costs of delivering regeneration."