This article carries a health warning. I am about to offend some of The MJ’s readers, so let me apologise in advance. Sorry.
Having got that out of the way, I can tell you about my recent visit to Sheffield, a city I had not been to for 18 months. I had been told what to expect as I walked out of the station, but I was still bowled over by the transformation I witnessed as I walked to the Town Hall.
A rolling wall of water, a pedestrian walkway, and the splendid new Millennium Galleries and Winter Gardens now form the route to the city centre.
Sheffield is not the only place to have renewed its city centre. Nottingham has recently opened its magnificently-revamped Market Square.
Our great cities have been rejuvenated in a way that was unimaginable 20 years ago. In the 1980s, I was working for the Labour Party’s local government unit, and so my work took me on a ‘Cook’s tour’ of Labour’s municipal fiefdoms. And a pretty grim experience it often was.
City centres were all too often drab and broken places, reflecting a combination of industrial decline, poor planning and under-investment. But, starting with the transformation of Birmingham’s city centre and Liverpool’s Albert Dock, other cities have now caught up.
The Sage Centre in Gateshead, Salford Quays, the Royal Armouries in Leeds, the city centre in Manchester – rebuilt after the IRA explosion – the Forum in Norwich, and the river frontage in London – from the South Bank to Docklands – are testament to this urban renaissance. I could go on. Now you see why I am going to offend those I have not got space to mention.
Of course, we know that away from the glossy showcase of buildings there are estates struggling with deprivation and worklessness. All is far from being sweetness and light. But a vibrant city centre is vital, not just for civic pride but for creating jobs and supporting a place becoming a strong economic hub which attracts businesses and investment.
Britain has increasingly shaken off its drab reputation. Our great cities are, after a 100 years, rediscovering their Victorian provincial eminence. Our cultural heritage is increasingly one to celebrate. And this rebirth has been accompanied by new and restored hotels and improved transport links.
We now have a range of attractive, vibrant cities which compete with anywhere in Europe. By all means have a weekend away visiting Barcelona, Berlin or Prague, but don’t forget some of the jewels in our midst.
This phenomenon and progress will not, I dare say, be discussed during any election campaign – whenever that comes. But it is worth reflecting on the factors which lie behind it.
First, it has needed local authority vision, strategy and leadership. I recall the attacks that Sir Dick Knowles, the former leader of Birmingham, was subject to for daring to press ahead with the grand plans for his city.
But local authorities have not done it alone. They have acted in concert with a range of commercial, funding and creative partners.
Second, funding from sources such as the under-valued European Community and the National Lottery have played an important part.
And third, it has been underpinned by an unprecedented increase in capital spending by central government.
Forgive me if, at this point, I make what might be seen as a politically-partisan point, but these are the facts. The Institute for Fiscal Studies says that between 1979 and 1997, capital spending went down by an average of 4.9% a year. Between 1997 and 1999, it went up by 6.7%, and from 1999 to 2008, it will have increased on average by a whopping 15.4% a year.
Without this investment, we would certainly not have had the rebuilding and refurbishment of our schools, hospitals and key aspects of our transport system – and neither would we have had the economic foundation for civic renewal.
At a time when we are bemoaning the sameness of our high streets with identikit stores, we surely ought to be celebrating more the divergences and differences which are making our cities strong in their individual character and offer to residents, businesses and visitors. n
Robert Hill is a former adviser to Tony Blair and now works as an independent consultant
Protecting the public realm without shutting it down
As Martyn's Law approaches, this free special report from LocalGov and Hill & Smith sets out how councils can protect public spaces without shutting them down.
