Conservatives back regeneration schemes

Grant Shapps, The Conservative party shadow housing minister, told an audience RIBA this week that a Conservative government would persevere with regeneration schemes including the housing market renewal pathfinder initiative should it win the next election.

He said the Tories would persevere with programmes like housing market renewal pathfinder, introduced by the then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in 2004 to stimulate housebuilding in deprived parts of the North and Midlands. “Instead of regeneration flowing downwards, we'll encourage development at parish, ward or even street level,” he said. “The emphasis will shift from decent homes to decent neighbourhoods.”