Regeneration drive hailed as a success

A decade-long Government regeneration programme in 39 of England's most deprived neighbourhoods has helped to deliver improvements in areas from crime to education, health and litter, a report says.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Mar 2010, 10:41 BST
Updated 5th Mar 2010, 10:41 BST

Evaluations of the 2bn New Deal for Communities programme found a 22 per cent increase in children getting good GCSE results, a six per cent drop in people falling victim to crime, an 18 per cent reduction in people concerned about lawlessness and dereliction and a five per cent cut in adults with no qualifications, said the report, which was released yesterday.

The proportion of residents saying they were satisfied with the area where they lived rose by 13 per cent to 74 per cent between 2002 and 2008 and the number complaining of problems with rubbish and litter fell by 13 per cent to 24 per cent, according to the independent academic studies commissioned by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

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Nearly half (46 per cent) of residents of new-deal areas reported better health, compared with 31 per cent in similar areas elsewhere.

Evaluation director Professor Paul Lawless, from the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University, said: "These 39 NDC areas have seen considerable change over the period 2002 to 2008, especially in relation to how people view their local area."

The programme had shown value for money, he said.

Related topics:EnglandSheffield Hallam University