v.^ w yI r

---

JOHN

O'SULLIVAN

0

One of the greatest

urban

decay

problems

- whether

city

or on the bleak

This

is a grim

planning

-

the

streets

of outlying

of

of the inner

estates.

of the post-war

equivalent,

before

wastelands

is that

°•-Lv`tlf-c

of the socialist

our economy

as a nation

in the derelict

legacy

CC,,...ill

we face

though

economic

1979.

we did

planning

And

no-t--a3 m

which

-real-ise-

was destroying

just as surely

it destroyed

our

own cities.

ire

cut

the

heart

out

of

We swept

enP6-14; red city

replaced

them

expressway s

v.^

centres

with

a

in*ispersed

that

had grown

f tower

with

token

our

cities

aside

a

patches

centuries

ways

of grass

and a few

r

w yI

r-s -

not matter

had been

and

linking

bleak 1piazzas,.

It did

ma-lce___th _

the familiar

up over

blocks

to

if we smashed

the moulds

set for generations.

in which

local

folk

;Ln It

did

not

matter

if

we uprooted

whole

communities

f-=-oi

environment

- c_

cam..-, hildren

local

street

No

f thes

under

S could

the watchful

t ered

gaze

no lpage - play

safely

of next-door

in

neighbours;

-

+ poi

11

a

What

folly,

And what

what

incredible

did we do with

.1 F_/ L'

utopia?

the s

them,

Mr

outlyin

corner

1

s

shopsLw

plus

inhabi

ants

of /t is urban

&I

V* decanted

A

i

folly.

c '

--c-

f+

President,

nto t]zq-•

estates

pubs

acrd-

\

.

-

ive

many

miles

--

i

AC-Ll a

a

away

3

It was a nightmare

for the people

For

it

but

snuffed

a our

out

of--t

sparks

enterprise

dependent

they

people

on the local IPA

chose

authorities

oppor

Sc

extreme

economic

Labour

Mr. President,

new trade

change

when

have

new

discovered,

routes

embarked

on new

risen

declined

have

of decline.

under

the

cities

to meet

the

b1 i ^kc

leadershit9--of

passed

They

and declined

industries

have

threat

Northern

councils.

cities

- risen

the

r'- -

of T, wy of our great

of

reserves

uni

So it has been

misfortune

history

services

c

y

and

and

entirely

to provide.

n

challenge

of

when

them

not

have

were

simply

adapted,

industries , above

founded

a river

by.

throughout

But

or mineral

has silted

the great

surrendered

learnt

up, or

cities

to the

new trades„

all capitalised

on their

4

s(4 assets

as cities

sciences.

I

They

- centres

have

1

ofL civilisation,

survived

A 21

Labour,

however,

tlrey-- have

shrank

those

remained

that

old markets

rfl

businesses

skills

decayed.

increasing

New

ever

of

decline.

higher

rates

When

on

When

they

more

they

fled,

Crime

sought

not new markets

They

capitalised

ran,

in city

employment

and

businesses,

the despair

style municipal

but new

not on their

strengths

and

belief

mortar,

the

problem

centre

opportunities

estate

vanished

and

alone

flourished,

driving

deterring

local

enterprise,

and

of council

tenants.

deprived

in themselves.

of

and outlying

vandalism

socialism

confidence

is

threat

to

weaknesses.

in the cities

still

the

not adapted

-

t subsidies.

alike,

out

to

of our cities

they piled

vanished,

but on their

And

many

added

industries

gee

and

and prospered.

= , change;

of the arts

urban

decay.

the people

That,

of hope,

not bricks

and

5

9

Our

answer

must

give

lives.

once

them

the

We must

great

adapt

is plain.

and

to changing

Mr. President

We have

We have

back

doubled

pride

centres

hope

to

to the people.

improve

and prosperity

of industry

their

We

own

to the

now struggling

to

and technologies.

we are doing

since

restore

opportunity

markets

increased

two-thirds

genuine

bring

cities

We must

spending

all these

things

on the Urban

- and more.

Progra mme by over

1979.

the money

available

for the derelict

land

grant.

We established

in 1985

improve

run-down

million

on it this

Estate

council

year.

Action

estates

to help

and we are

local

authorities

spending

£75

6

0 We have

allocated

corporations

on London

established

Country,

And

Teesside,

That

undertaken

wand.

can afford

make

The

over

learnt

sample

And

On

pride

year

urban

and projects

blight.

to helping

in

in the

no magic

of how much

at the symptoms

it does

All

people

solution,

merely

and

to

sites.

is no fixed

its own

local

this

of the programmes

money

the Black

we

of urban

not work.

initiative

it may

worse.

to rebuild

is to last.

there

the answer.

the problem

city

£2 billion

recently

Bay.

grant

to remedy

Throwing

by extinguishing

spark

inner

development

in Trafford,

and Cardiff

It is not a question

to spend.

is not

Indeed,

a random

and we have

regeneration

on larger

devoted

to the urban

corporations

and Wear

the urban

But have

Whitehall

decay

million

by this Government

all we have

cities.

such

Tyne

development

is merely

£500

and Merseyside

five more

we launched

support

almost

these

cities

as I travel

must

around

come

from within

the country,

if it

I see signs

i of a new spirit

wherever

acre mall

a local

parks

Ernest

resurgence

Above

all

enthusiasm

and enterprise

has

But

needs

to

be

done

and

some

of which

there

a growing

created

throughout

and

an old mill

and cultural

as the opportunities

spread

a 100

into a

will

of tomorrow.

is everywhere

success

has built

restaurants

transformed

and Glasgow

of theatre , music

there

gardens,

Hall,

land.

enterprises

like Manchester

economic

more

Hall

John

of new businesses,

the great

In cities

centres,

on reclaimed

for hundreds

provide

entrepreneur,

of shopping

In Halifax?,

home

and determination

I go.

In Gateshead,

leisure

of pride

will

a great

life.

sense

of hope

and

by this Government's

the land.

be

has been

done.

0 In housing

we will

dependence

on the local

landlord

in order

will

create

down

estates

will

pay attention

In local

system

drive

when

free

Trusts

to choose

AQdW'1re

chronically

attractive

is able

authority

a new

of his estate.

to repair

them

the tenant

the local

to new

to take

landlord

run

have

his custom

any need

to

to his plight.

finance

we will

of rates.

out

small

inhabitant

will

local

Action

- free of automatic

the upkeep

make

Only

free

authority,

to improve

Housing

landlords.

elsewhere

set the tenant

reform

No longer

businesses

have

the unfair

will

with

the right

hard Left

high

and inequitable

councils

rates.

and the

Every

incentive

be able

to

local

to restrain

spending.

In local

services

overnment,

to competitive

save money

business

we will

tender.

for the ratepayer.

and bring

about

compel

that

councils

This

will

It will

revival

to put out more

do more

encourage

of local

than

simply

local

leadership

i-kIt (1SLl t' i which

is essential

if cities

and estates

are

to enjoy

lasting

9

revival.

In the cit

misguided

there

centres

themselves,

"improvement"

a setting

the people

enjoy

the renaissance

fully

its existing

directly

individual

reap

tell

in the city

to live

of its visual

and

away

70 years

We must

services

developments

buildings

bring

in it as well,

delights,

of

back

to

to use more

and to participate

according

to their

fancies.

we must

control

a reward

cultural

quality.

investment

peel

to the splendid

of their

in 101 housing

As Conservatives

political

to restore

worthy

who work

we must

in the inner

of new hope,

asset

us that

redouble

which

since

will

our efforts

cities.

new growth

astound

For

to win back

if we do, we will

and a new national

the Jeremiahs

who

then

their

panaceas

did

not work,

however,

one achievement

can be done.

To achieve

these

things,

essential.

Law

and order

.

is

currently

nothing