Ceri Doyle outlines plans for long-term investment to transform proud but deprived docklands community in Newport.
Reputation. It’s a funny old thing. It needs to be credible. Substantial. And a good one needs to be born in legacy. Inevitably, however, so do bad ones.
Take Pillgwenlly for example. This docklands community used to be the beating heart of the Newport economy. All roads – indeed, all rail tracks for that matter – really did lead to this bustling community that thrived in a post-Industrial Revolution South Wales.
Success breeds growth and the area changed substantially, before a massive transformation programme in the 1960s saw the traditional terraced streets redeveloped with innovative design. Pillgwenlly was an attractive place to live, offering opportunities and employment.
But bad times so often follow good. The decline in industry led to derelict buildings, high unemployment levels and a wide range of social problems. The once award-winning estate layout actually started to hinder the quality of life of the community.
This isn’t perception. Reputation. This is what our residents in the area have repeatedly told us. Statistics reinforce this.
Despite its once proud past, Pillgwenlly is now in the top five most deprived communities in Wales. Last year, violence and sexual crime rates more than doubled. Hospital admissions due to alcohol have doubled since 2008. The number of households with no adults in employment with dependent children is above both the Newport and Wales average.
This is a community with multiple and complex needs. It needs a long- term strategy. A vision. A plan that doesn’t focus on short-term outcomes or successes, but something substantial that will be the catalyst for changing hearts and minds, for changing life in Pillgwenlly, for the better.
It takes commitment to shun short- term success for long-term gains. You have no quick wins, easy things to celebrate. The people who start these processes are often gone by the time their legacies are complete. It cannot be about ego, it has to be making decisions for the greater good.
Some may perceive Pillgwenlly to be in a desperate state, but it’s not all doom and gloom. Far from it.
Despite the fact that Pillgwenlly hits almost every statistic in terms of deprivation levels, there is tangible sense pride in the community. It is full of proud and passionate people like Gill Healey and Jenny Powell, who volunteer their time to help us shape our regeneration plans. It is residents such as these that are inspiring us to make a difference.
Throughout Pillgwenlly there are generations of the same families. The same people who were living in them when stock transfer occurred in 2009 still occupy 300 of our homes in the area. That’s about half of all our homes in Pillgwenlly. And there’s a waiting list of more than 1,000 people who want a property there.
It’s the Pillgwenlly paradox.
Despite its reputation as the biggest problem area in Newport, people still want to live there. And those who do are fiercely proud of it.
‘I love it here,’ said Jenny, a resident of 17 years. ‘There’s a wonderful sense of community. We have our problems, but these are often actually caused by people coming here from other parts of Newport and causing trouble.’
Pillgwenlly is unique. It doesn’t fit into the same demographic or community make-up that is typical in Newport. This is part of its attraction. About 40 per cent of its population belong to BME groups, with the most prominent ethnicities being Pakistani and Bangladeshi. The Newport average is 10 per cent. More than 40 languages are spoken in a population of less than 8,000 people.
DIVERSITY
These are the things that make Pillgwenlly so diverse. And, of course, we celebrate these things. They are part of the reason residents like Gill and Jenny love the area.
However, Pillgwenlly is also critically deprived. It needs substantial investment – time, money, effort. It doesn’t need short-term investment with no long-term strategic outcomes; it is desperate for sustainable long- term success. It’s about ambition.
So, what are we going to do? Well, simply, we’re going to spend time, money, effort on a £10 million project to tackle some of the anti-social hotspots. A basketball court renowned for anti-social behaviour will be demolished and we are changing the layout of some streets.
We are building a three-storey block of six one-bedroom flats and two three-bedroom houses, as well as a new community hub. We will be recladding some homes to improve their appearance, while two new areas of open space and parking will be created.
Despite all this work and this considerable investment, there will be no net housing gain for us. This is about making people’s lives better. Not just our tenants, but the wider community. This is long-term strategic decision-making that is not driven by a need for profit. This is community-led regeneration.
That’s ambition. Legacy. That’s making a difference to our communities.
Employability is a fundamental part of our regeneration approach, which is why we have included 300 weeks’ worth of apprenticeships into the regeneration contract. Local people will fill these. Upskilling. Empowerment. Civic pride.
DRIVING CHANGE
We’re not a housing association that takes a paternalistic view. We work with our residents, enabling them to empower themselves to drive change. The new community hub will be given to the community, where it will run as a social enterprise for residents, by residents. They will determine what the community needs and will plough the profits back into the community.
However, this is all just words and numbers. There’s no narrative without background, no value without demonstrating worth. Success is always defined by context.
It’s residents like Gill and Jenny who are the human face of our regeneration plans. As proud as they are about the area, they are the first to acknowledge that major change needs to happen.
‘We are very pleased with what is being done,’ said Gill, a resident of 35 years. ‘The results will benefit 99 per cent of the people around here. Anti- social behaviour will be knocked on the head, as there won’t be any alleyways for them to hide in.’
Housing associations are often ‘the last man standing’ in challenging communities such as this. We want to show everyone what can be achieved when the community is empowered and people are supported with time, money, effort. It’s not a question of ability; it’s a question of ambition.
And we have the resources to actually make this happen. This is just the start. We are by far the most prevalent housing association in Pillgwenlly and in Newport. We own more than 70 per cent of all the city’s social housing stock and because of this we’re taking our community leadership role seriously. We have a responsibility to be a driver for change.
However, we’re not doing this alone. We are working with our partners at the city council, police, other housing associations, charities and other public bodies. As a housing association, we cannot, in isolation, give children the best start in life. We can, however, work with partners to help achieve this. We can support families with a home and a sustainable tenancy. We can help residents earn the qualifications and get the opportunities to make a difference themselves.
We are about much, much more than just homes. We are about people. We celebrate the city and its residents with campaigns such as #Newportselfie. We help people into work, teach them new skills and offer emotional and financial support when required. This is our legacy.
Our vision has high-profile support too. We took the cabinet secretary for communities and children, Carl Sargeant, on a walking tour of Pillgwenlly, so he could see for himself the scale of our challenge. Because success is always defined by context.
‘The projects I have seen today are excellent examples of how registered social landlords do far more than simply provide a roof over people’s heads,’ the minister said. ‘They show that improving the physical layout of an area can help improve how people live in their communities.’
‘Newport City Homes is working with partners and, crucially, communities to tackle need and build sustainable communities for the future. Along with funding from our Vibrant and Viable Places scheme for work carried out by Newport City Council, the £10million invested by Newport City Homes is helping to transform the Pillgwenlly area.’
We are confident this project will help tackle anti-social behaviour and make a real difference to those living in the area, because it has been developed with local people for local people. Right from the beginning of the project, through to master planning, procurement and now delivery, residents have been integral.
We are about to light the spark that will ignite our ambition to become the social and physical regeneration vehicle for Newport and south east Wales. We are about to redefine the narrative of Pillgwenlly and set in motion our long-term vision to improve the lives of everyone in this area with our initial £10 million regeneration programme. And then there’s the community wish list, we’ll get there. With the right people, we’re only limited by our ambition.
Ceri Doyle is chief executive of Newport City Homes.