REFORM | VALLEY

We want this competition entry to initiate a fresh discussion amidst the people of into reclaim- ing their future and the future of Gleadless itself. This report provides the tools and ideas which we hope will form the basis for discussion between the public and the planning authorities.

Report to be read in conjunction with the competition entry plates 88 per cent of young people aged 18-30 say they want to own their own home in the next 10 years - but the number who think they’ll achieve that aspiration is falling because of a lack of affordable homes. HOUSING IN THE UK

Weaknesses Opportunities Challenges

There is an overriding concern with deal- There is a raise in the cap of Council The main challenge is the provision of Housing Benefit reforms in the past year ing with the volatility of the housing borrowing – specifically on Housing enough homes to counterweight the may have distorting effects – leading to market and its impact on national and Revenue Account borrowing by further required demand, produce enough sup- tenure switching and larger pressure ap- local economies. Access to mortgage 300 million pounds. According the CIH ply in the market which will offset the plied to the private rented sector, which finance remains tight, underscoring though if the cap is raised by another current inflation of prices. There is an growth needs to be overseen. Affordable the lack of developer activity. Whilst 7bn this would allow for 75.000 homes underlying trend of rising house prices homes provision is another sector in economic growth has returned to many to be built over five years. There is a con- relative to income. However, recent gov- which the government is lacking signifi- areas, this has caused the already over- cern that the policies are moving in the ernment schemes such as Funding for cantly. Policies such as the Right to Buy stretched housing market there to over- right direction but with too little real Lending and Help to Buy may begin to have reduced the available housing pool heat. In the period of 2004-2011 there weight. help financing become more accessible. of local authorities and with little new are 5bn pounds invested in new supply, There is a fear, however, that these poli- built; housing lists have grown to in- whilst there are 95bn pounds used for A key part of the solution to recent eco- cies further increase demand without corporate 1.8 million households. Aver- housing benefits, with an extra 310 peo- nomic and housing market instability is tackling the supply chain. age waiting times in some parishes are ple turning to housing benefits every to rapidly increase the supply of housing estimated to more than twenty years. day. Restricted labour market flexibility by building new homes and getting the Reforms to the planning system and to According to 80 % of businesses the lack with many people locked out of work- right mix of homes and tenures to suit a social housing rules and accounting poli- of affordable housing is preventing eco- ing in areas where they cannot afford to local area’s economic and social needs. cies provide some opportunities for lo- nomic growth. live. By increasing the supply of homes there cal discretion and flexibility, especially will be a stimulus to the economic recov- where local resources can be brought to There is an average of 106,500 homes ery by making a significant direct contri- bear. However, these new policies focus builds per year in the UK, which is far bution to economic output and job crea- very little on physical intervention e.g. from the required 240, 000 homes per tion and will be able to constrain the building and have very little particular year needed to fulfil the growing de- price inflation in the long-term. focus on deprived neighbourhoods – it mand. This is the main reason behind is all left to local authorities or local the inflation in house prices in the UK community initiative – a worrying trend with the average price for a house at that deprived areas with broken com- £174,910 with another 8 % rise expected munities would not be able to make a in 2014. difference. Standard of living: 6/100 (ranked as very deprived)

Total Crime Rate: 209.1 number of incidents per 1000 people (ranked as very high)

Tesco and Sainsburys have a ban in place for delivering to Gleadless due to high crime rate.

Water 65+

Buildings (non-domestic) 55-64 Flats Social rent One Person Roads/rail 45-54 Terraced Private rent Families (no children) Other 35-44 Semi-detached Owned Families (with children) Gardens 25-34 Detached Rent free Buildings (domestic) 18-24

Green space 1-17 Household Composition Land Use House Types Home Ownership Age Breakdown GLEADLESS VALLEY

Challenges Weaknesses

The perception of the estate in local and to the locality. Weaknesses in the estate stem from the very little good insulation which results national media is as one of the worst layout of the original masterplan as well in poor acoustic and thermal environ- places to live. The anti-social behaviour Most of the housing in the estate is as from the maintenance and develop- ments. Many of the flats and houses are is one of the highest in the county and owned by Homes, thus main- ment of the estate in the years past. not disable friendly and could provide there is ban from several companies tenance responsibility is dislocated to challenging for life-time users. such as Tesco from delivering to the es- the landlord. The streetscape of the area There is an underlying problem of lack tate. At the same time official statistics needs revisiting as currently there are of ownership of the green space. Many Due to the general planning of the es- show that there are many your people very few pedestrian provisions with the of the houses and flats have little ac- tate there is very poor interconnectivity. who live in the estate, but who have estate mainly facilitating car movement cess to private open space, yet there are The woods which are in the centre of the very little educational background. through. The lower density of housing, vast underused green areas around each estate contribute to the lack of safety There is a distinct lack of youth spaces the awkward typologies and the valley of the dwellings. This ambiguous space and discourage connectivity between in the area and there is no secondary microclimate are some of the main chal- blurs the public private boundary and the three parts of the estate. school in proximity, whether there are lenges to be addressed when consider- encourages anti-social behaviour. There two primary schools in the estate. There ing the built environment. are many pocket spaces of noman’s land. is a higher turnover of residents that in other parts of Sheffield, which prevents Lastly, there is no plan for the re-de- There is no easy access to playgrounds the establishment of a long lasting com- velopment of the area on council level. which are easily overlooked. There are munity. There are existing community There are some identified plots of land very little youth owned spaces. organisations but they rarely involve a for future housing and ideas for neigh- large percentage of the residents. bourhood centre but there is a lack of a Many of the financial institutions and detailed plan for the estate. With the shopping centres are outside of the es- There is no economy in place, with of the changes of the Localism Act and local tate or on its boundaries. There is a very people travelling outside of the estate planning, the responsibility for this has poor mixture of tenure and other uses to find work. The shops and economies been shifted to the residents rather than housing inside the estate. in the estate are not owned by people than a planning authority. who live there and are very few. Com- The housing stock in the area requires bined with cuts to welfare and rising good maintenance and refurbishment. fuel costs this will be a main challenge Having been built in the 60s there is MANIFESTO In the Sheffield urban folklore, Gleadless Valley is eponymous with deprivation, anti-social behaviour and crime. In 2013 Sainsbury introduced a ban to the area after repetitious attacks on its vans; a move Tesco had already enforced upon the area, creating the image of a no-go area. It seems to be abandoned by everyone, even the Sheffield Council clearly state on their website – ‘no comprehensive vision for the area is in place’. A mass housing estate with little functions apart from residential ones, resting on the steep hills of the valley, the locality seems to be in a state of limbo.

Surprising it might seem, that there are active organisations in the community - there are litter pick days being organised, protests against raising taxes and a strong desire for a better future. Gleadless boasts one of the best views and areas of natural beauty in Sheffield, it has good transport links and promising future. We believe that the trap in which Gleadless has fallen is not unavoidable. We want to initiate the dialogue about Glead- less Valley by providing a proposal of a possible feature, a feature which could be achieved with relatively cheap ways, with a strong lobby in the council and active residents. We believe that there is a community in Gleadless Valley trying to escape the perceived image of the area. Our proposal will provide them with a tool, which could be used to stir the waters and initiate the discussion about the future of the area. Masterplan

1. Proposed new social hubs / communi- ty centres in Newfield Library, Fleury Crescent, Raeburn Road and Black- stock Road

2. New allotment spaces

3. New housing typologies and den- sification of existing infrastructure using prefabrication methods and a collective custom build network.

4. Transformation of existing disused frontage garages to live-work spaces and workshops that can contribute to the revitalisation of the local econo- my. 5. Improved Blackstock city centre.

6. Establish better links with the forest areas. Explore the possibility for - lic tree walkways and a forest school.

Key to Masterplan

Proposed New Housing

Economic Centres

Educational Centres

Proposed Allotments

Potential Industry

Visitor Wood Paths

Tram Stop Main Roads PRECEDENTS

Beginning with herb gardens to planting and growing vegetables and trees around the small town of Todmorden, working with public bodies and utilising unused land in schools, railway stations and fire stations as cultivation areas.

The idea locally conceived, organised and executed shows how communities can Incredible Edible improve and manage their space. Tod- WikiHouse Collective Custom Build Growing in Todmorden morden has now evolved economically, socially and aesthetically and there is An open construction set that allows any- A framework for sharing the risk of a de- A local campaign for local cultivated, har- nothing stopping communities elsewhere one to design, download, and ‘print’ CNC- velopment between shareholders and vested and consumed food. to succeed in similar ways. milled houses which can be assembled work towards more affordable and better with minimal formal skill or training. designed homes. ISSUES & RESPONSES Issue Response I R Disproportional amount of anti-social Resolve bad masterplanning and public No secondary school Propose a new secondary school adjacent behaviour in comparison to other parts space design issues that are condusive to the new hub of Newfields. of the city and well above UK median to high crime rates such as lighting and crime rate. security. Gleadless Valley is one of the ten wards Following the Localism Act 2012, commu- in Sheffield which are getting worse in nities can take action through the Right the past 10 years. Sheffield Council has to Build and Right to Challenge poli- Spread out social hubs – library, , Transform Newfield centre to a new so- no future plan or vision for the area. cies. Already online active community of clubs. Very bad facilities for young peo- cial hub consolidating amenities and Gleadless needs to engage with propos- ple to socialise and not easily accessible producing opportunities for socialising. ing a plan voted in a referendum that will play spaces for children. use these policies and opportunities to Explore suitability of area to host possi- reform Gleadless. Blackstock road not working as a local ble festivals and events that will attract centre. young people. Lack of accessibility to dwellings. Not Proposed lifts to be fitted to housing wheelchair friendly. blocks which produces a new typology more inkeeping with the diversification Lack of local economy and amenities. Change ownership patterns at a policy of housing types that will attract fami- level and provide cheap rent options. 33% of the housing typologies are mai- lies to Gleadless. Collective custom build sonettes. As a result it is hard to find oc- prefabricated houses can easily densify No passive security in alleys and walk- Densify streets and provide adequate cupants. Bedroom tax will make it even the existing built fabric with new family ways. Lack of privacy and distinct lighting during the night. Distribute harder. units. threshold between road level and pri- the disused green spaces in front of the vate space. unit entrances to the homeowners to be used as private gardens re-establishing School completition and retention rates Educational opportunities can be inte- boundaries between public and private. are significantly worse than Sheffield grated into the reform process - enabling average. access to educational and learning facili- Grass areas not maintained. Lack of Create a shared or leased model of own- ties of all educational levels. ownership of green spaces. ership to the green land as it can be turned into community allotments or children play spaces. Opportunities for learning and interacting. CASE STUDY POLICIES

Now its regeneration involves rebuilding the Local Policies interior apartments and changing the resi- dential mix from council houses to a combina- Skills for Life Right to “Browse” tion of social housing, affordable and private owners in order to prevent gentrification. Policy background: There is a strongdrain of po- Policy background: There is a rising population in Sheffield tential from Gleadless Valley with the average of young families, high graduate rententio and increasing The project was shortlisted for the Striling percentage of 20-26 year old living in the area number of elderly citizens. Yet most of the flats in Glead- Prize 2013. significantly worse than the average in Sheffield. less are maisonnettes - to big for a single person or a couple Park Hill Phase 1, Sheffield and too small for a young family. 32% of the housing stock Policy outline: We believe that council estates is therefore unfit to meet future demand. Opened in 1961 with the intention to be a should not mean exclusively housing. A local pol- thriving community for Sheffield’s council icy which creates apprenciships for young people Policy outline: A council policy executed through Sheffield tenants it quickly descended to a sink es- from the area , whilst subsiding their potential Homes should be the adjustment of the 6 storey meison- tate suffering from similar problems such employer could be a stimulus for craftsmen to nete flats by equiping them with lifts, providing disable as Gleadless Valley: poorly lit walkways employ or move closer to the area. friendly facilities and re-configuring the layouts of floors to made people feel unsafe, petty thieves provide 1 bed or studio flats - suitable for graduates and el- finding a getaway and finally deteriorated derly people. At the same spare land around the flats needs to abandonment. to be identified and new homes built. THE NEXT STEP

Mass Housing Policies

National Mass Housing

Right to Know Right to “Browse” Renegotiating Open Space Ownership Appropriation of Disused Car Facilities Land Provision for Self-Build Housing

Policy background: In deprived areas Policy background: In Gleadless and Policy background: Typical for mass Policy background: The 60s was the age Policy background: Mass housing estates there is little knowledge how to use the other estates there is a real problem housing developments in UK is a lot of of the car and many estates catered lack the spending potential of more afflu- rights stemming from the Localism Act. with internet literacy and access to open green space. This leads to lack of for this in their extensive road layouts. ent citizens and thus further marginalise Effectively those communities cannot computers. With the closure of librar- ownership, provides low passive secu- There was provision for garages as eve- communities, instead of integrate them. take advantage of the rights they have. ies and benefit cuts, this problem will rity, instigated anti- social behaviour ryone was encouraged to own a car. At the same time they often neighbour or deepen. and costs money to maintain, whilst With good public transport and expen- incorporate unoccupied lands. Policy outline: Projects at deprived areas not providing a good habitat for wild sive fuel these ideas need rethinking. which aim at educating communities Policy outline: Deprived areas should animals. Policy outline: We believe that by pro- or instigating neighbourhood planning be catered for specifically. Citizens in Policy outline: Council estates could viding council land around and in mass process by artists and institutions should those areas should have access to use Policy outline: Patches of ‘grassland’ provide cheap accommodation for housing estates to preferential rates for receive preferential treatment at apply- a computer on a affordable price and could be identified and shared owner- start-up businesses. self-build houses, different demographic ing for funding. within twenty minutes from their ship scheme could be initiated, in which With rising rents many garages and landscape can be created. Self build could neighbourhood. the public uses the land for allotments, homes are or will be disused. A council be the solution to the housing shortage private gardens, building their own policy could be the provision to those and rising house prices in the UK. playgrounds. Rent could be minimal, spaces to local workmen and artists, saving maintenance from council and thus new small economy in place is cre- encouraging community engagement. ated. Future Research Investigation of potential funding bod- Refinement of constraints and defini- Business model of maintenance vs Survey of empty units and used ones. A Analysis of demand for self build housing ies such as the Arts Council , Uni- tion of affordable access to internet. communal benefits and potential for marketing strategy for attracting small and campaign to promote it. Analysis of versity research grants. Priority given to Revision of Library cuts policies. local economies. Allotment precedents businesses and generating economy in land cost vs maintenance costs and pre- deprived areas research. to be examined in detail. place. Analysis of demand in the area liminary rates for land lease at preferen- and appropriation to it. tial rates. Shareholders: