DRAFT DOCUMENT FOR CONSULTATION Chapter 1 - Introduction Urban Regeneration in the M62 Corridor published in 2001, noted an increasing polarisation between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ Introduction neighbourhoods and highlighted that the suburban and inner-city During 2004 the Strategy and Planning team at Salford City Council housing markets are now largely disconnected. In Salford, this is have produced Understanding Change – housing markets in resulting in mounting development pressure in the more affluent Salford, the first comprehensive housing market assessment for parts of the City and a deepening unpopularity of accommodation in Salford. The document is used as a basis for discussion in order to some of the City’s lower income urban areas and estates. increase an understanding of the dynamics of the housing market in Salford and to inform strategy and policy development within the The main issues from the CURS M6 AND M62 reports were: city. Understanding Change aims to: A number of local authorities in the region are having difficulties • Provide a starting point in helping the City Council and our partners better understand the structure and operation of its letting properties and retaining tenants. Conversely the market housing market(s). for new build developments is very robust across the North West. • Consider the various factors that drive the demand or need Housing Association voids have increased more rapidly than in of different households for different types of housing in other tenures / sectors. different parts/areas of the housing market. Economic growth across the region has reduced the popularity • Inform our understanding of potential future trends in supply of social housing – the report found a direct relationship and demand. between male unemployment/waiting list size and earnings/void rates In order to achieve a more localised overview of the housing market Across the study area there are areas of privately owned the city of Salford as a whole, the Understanding Change properties which are experiencing low sale prices, low levels of document set a recommendation for the production of a series of investment, high turnover and in some cases abandonment. local housing market reports for each of the Community Committee Home ownership is the preferred tenure amongst movers – areas within the city. The government guidance also indicates that between 59% and 79% across the region. all local authorities should carry out Local Housing Assessments Council housing in general accommodates both an ageing under Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 (PPG3). The Key Line of population and a growing number of young households, which Enquiries (KLOE) set by the Audit Commission also underlines the has led to instability, as the younger groups are more mobile. need for this area of work. This report provides an overview of the Little Hulton and Walkden Community Committee Area (CCA) as The National Context recommended by the Understanding Change Document. (Refer to The Deputy Prime Minister launched the Communities Plan Appendix 1: flow chart outlining the linkages between national, Sustainable Communities: Building for the future in February regional, and local strategies.) 2003. The Plan sets out a long-term programme of action for delivering sustainable communities in both urban and rural areas. It The Regional context aims to tackle housing supply issues in the South East, low demand The housing market that operates in Salford is in a process of in other parts of the country, and the quality of our public spaces. transition. The CURS study Changing Housing Markets and 1 Understanding local housing markets IN Salford Little Hulton & Walkden Area DRAFT DOCUMENT FOR CONSULTATION The Plan includes not just a significant increase in resources and advice to ministers on the priorities for strategic housing investment major reforms of housing and planning, but a new approach to how in the region. The board also has the responsibility to ensure the and what to build. high level strategies (including the Regional Economic Strategy and the Regional Planning Guidance) in the North West are consistent This £22 billion programme of action aims to focus the attention and and support the communities Plan and the wider objectives of co-ordinate the efforts of all levels of Government and stakeholders sustainable development and economic progress. In July 2003, the in bringing about development that meets the economic, social and North West Regional Housing Strategy was launched to form the environmental needs of future generations as well as succeeding basis for advice to ministers on strategic housing investment now. priorities and the allocation of the new single pot for housing for 2004/5 and 2005/06. A Transformational Agenda: Housing Market Renewal Fund & Central Salford Launched in February 2004, Making it happen: the Northern One of the key challenges facing many Northern cities, including Way, the second progress report on the communities plan, Salford, is housing market failure. In Salford the problems of low recognises the challenges faced in the North and the link between demand and housing abandonment affect public and private sector low demand housing and lower than national average economic housing areas, but are associated in particular with the high-density performance. The report outlines the government’s aim to lift pre-1919 pavement terraces, which are mainly located within the productivity of the North, bringing jobs, investment, quality housing inner wards of Central Salford. and addressing problems of crime, social exclusion and health inequality. Key strategies will be developed by the three Northern In 2003 Salford and Manchester successfully bid for Housing Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) and their regional Market Renewal Funding as part of the low demand pathfinder. partners. Salford will contribute to the development of these The area in Salford covered by the pathfinder is in Central Salford. strategies through reviews of the Regional Housing Strategy and Regional Spatial Strategy. The Housing Market Renewal programme will incorporate substantial investment in both existing and replacement housing ‘Making the future happen’: Our strategy for housing in Salford and in improvements to the physical environment, as well as 2004-2006 increased investment in neighbourhood management and proactive Salford’s strategy for housing sets out the vision, priorities, plans enforcement. This will contribute to the implementation of and actions for housing in Salford for the next two years. In order to comprehensive local plans for neighbourhood regeneration. ensure that the strategy reflects and contributes to wider objectives, Investment will be aligned with programmes in education, health a comprehensive process of strategy development has been and community safety in order to narrow the gap between undertaken. This has involved a wide range of stakeholders at all neighbourhoods in inner Salford and Manchester and the national stages of the process. average, and to create places where people want to live and invest. Strategic housing priorities 2004 - 2006: North West Regional Housing Strategy 2003 • Enable independent living in all our communities The North West Regional Housing Board was set up to ensure • Provide a greater choice of homes and housing services delivery of the policies set out in the Communities Plan, and • Bring all homes to a decent standard specifically to prepare a Regional Housing Strategy as the basis for 2 Understanding local housing markets IN Salford Little Hulton & Walkden Area DRAFT DOCUMENT FOR CONSULTATION • Ensure equal access to homes and housing services 1999 to £97,241 in 2003. Hence reducing the disparity between • Make sure we have the means to deliver our strategy Salford and the National and Regional averages. House prices have increased across every ward in Salford. Key Changes in Salford However, these increases have varied across each ward. For example, Ordsall saw a fairly modest 1.4% (£1,000) increase Salford is a city of extremes and the Understanding Change compared to Broughton, which has experienced a 52.7% document tries to capture these extremes. The following bullet (£16,000) increase over the same period. points summarise some of the key changes that have taken place House prices remain lowest in Langworthy and are highest in as at February 2004, unless otherwise stated. Worsley and Boothstown. In spite of these trends in house prices, Salford's are still lower than the regional and Greater Housing turnover has reduced across all wards within the city, Manchester average. however, turnover within individual wards are still above the national turnover average. 9 of the 20 wards in Salford are in the 10% most deprived in the country. Housing turnover is highest in Ordsall and lowest in Worsley. The age profile for the city’s population is very close to the Benefit rates are high in Salford with an average of 30% of all national average. households claiming. This is echoed across most wards, where in some cases almost a half of the households are claiming It is estimated that £1.45 billion will need to be spent on housing benefit. Salford’s public housing stock over the next 30 years. Broughton has the highest level of benefit dependency in the Family units are under represented in Salford, so consideration city. needs to be given to providing housing to attract and retain families. Vacancy within Salford has been reducing over recent months, with the rate falling from 7% in October 2002 to 6.4% in Although it is anticipated that the population of Salford is September 2003. declining the number of households is set to rise. Vacancy rates are highest in Langworthy and lowest in Irlam. A new trend is developing in 5 of the Central Salford wards and in Little Hulton where there is a decline in both households and The main increase in house prices has occurred over the last population. five years with prices increasing by approximately 70% Nationally and by 60% at a Regional and Greater Manchester The average household size in Salford of 2.32 persons is the level.