Our Renew inquiry has launched a series of think-pieces from the North’s leading voices on regeneration. The collection sets the context for the Renew inquiry, looking at why regeneration is an essential part of tackling the housing crisis in the North.  

The articles share examples of best practice and partnership working, as well as covering the importance of resident voice in regeneration. Some of the articles look beyond the social housing sector into the private rented sector, and at community-led initiatives.  

Renew is an inquiry, led by the NHC and supported by Homes for the North and Muse, to explore how housing-led regeneration can deliver growth, help tackle the housing crisis, and strengthen communities across the North.  

Publication of the ‘Perspectives on Regeneration’ follows the Renew Call for Evidence, which closed at the end of February. The response received from housing associations and local authorities who submitted evidence represents over 70% of the North’s social housing. The perspectives series aims to set the tone for Renew and encourage conversations, collaboration and debate about housing-led regeneration, while the Call for Evidence submissions are analysed.  

Northern Housing Chief Executive Tracy Harrison said:  

“I’m so grateful to everyone who has contributed to the perspectives on regeneration collection. It has been fantastic working with such a range of voices. This collection sets out what we want to achieve through Renew, the case for regeneration in the North, alongside some inspiring examples of people-centred housing-led regeneration. I hope the perspectives will definitively reset the narrative and change perceptions of regeneration.” 

Chair of Homes for North Paul Fiddaman said:  

“Housing-led regeneration has the potential to transform communities and turn ambition into real, longterm change for people and places. Our research has identified 80 strategic regeneration projects across the North that could deliver around 43,000 homes and unlock £5.2 billion in investment. 

With the right investment — and partners pulling in the same direction — we can improve existing homes, deliver the new affordable housing the region needs, and build thriving communities across the North” 

Managing Director of national placemaker Muse Phil Mayall said:  

“Regeneration has a vital role to play in tackling the housing challenge across the North, not just by delivering new homes, but by strengthening existing communities and creating places where people want to live and stay. 

“These perspectives highlight the importance of long-term partnership, local leadership and community voice in delivering lasting value for places, ensuring no one and nowhere is left behind.”  

The perspectives series is available on the Renew website and includes the following articles: 

Tracy Harrison, Chief Executive of the Northern Housing Consortium: Laying firm foundations for better lives and Northern growth 

Tracy explains how the Renew inquiry is an essential part of the NHC’s vision that everyone has a safe, warm home that’s affordable to them in a place they’re proud of.  

Lord Best OBE DL, an independent Crossbench Member of the House of Lords and Chair of the Renew inquiry: A path to renew thousands of homes – and lives – across the North  

Lord Best shares why he is chairing the Renew inquiry. He wants to make sure there is full recognition of the case for improving the lives of those living in highly unsatisfactory homes and environments – alongside developing new homes.   

Regeneration specialist Ed Ferrari: The challenge for Renew  

Ed challenges Renew to build a compelling case for housing-led regeneration by highlighting the social, economic and political benefits, learning from the past and identifying specific challenges in the North.    

Paul Fiddaman, Chair of Homes for the North and Group Chief Executive of Karbon Homes: Regeneration means more and better homes 

Paul shares Homes for the North’s findings about the need for and benefits of housing-led regeneration in the North. He discusses how regeneration complements development of new homes, and ways regeneration can be supported at scale.   

Phil Mayall, Managing Director at national place maker Muse: Working together to deliver regeneration 

Phil looks at the ingredients needed to make regeneration a success including partnership working and community trust built through delivering visible results.   

Charlie Norman, Chief Executive of MSV Housing and Chair of the Northern Housing Consortium and Nick Atkin, Chief Executive of Yorkshire Housing: The opportunity of devolution 

Charlie and Nick believe that that devolution offers a massive opportunity. They argue a dedicated, locally administered funding pot for housing regeneration would be transformative. It would allow regions to target investment where it will have the greatest impact and drive long term regeneration 

Andrew Cooper MP for Mid Cheshire, Chair of the Renew Westminster Group and member of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee: Regeneration means delivering for northern communities

Andrew Cooper MP for sets out how housing-led regeneration gives Government the opportunity to connect national objectives – growth, opportunity, and fairness – with the everyday places where people live their lives.  

Pat Ritchie, Chair of Homes England: Housing-led regeneration as a driver of delivery and growth

Pat shares how Homes England is ready to work as part of strong partnerships to bring confidence and long-term change to areas. 

Dr Michael Birkett, Chief Executive of the Regenda Group: Grove Street and the case for housing-led renewal 

Dr Michael shares learning from Liverpool’s Grove Street regeneration project. He says regeneration is about more than replacing old homes, it’s about renewing opportunity, restoring pride and building the conditions for long-term prosperity.  

Cedric Boston, Chief Executive Officer of Unity Homes and Enterprise: Putting people at the heart of Renew 

Cedric shares a different approach to regeneration talking about how Unity’s two main divisions, Unity Housing and Unity Enterprise, work together to provide a launchpad for people to transform their life chances. 

Lara Joyce, Secretary of the Gleadless Valley Tenants and Residents Association: Rebuilding trust, connection and ambition in Gleadless Valley

Lara shares how a ‘Resident Power’ approach to the regeneration of Gleadless Valley has built trust and established an important community role in the future of the area. 

Adam Costello, Magenta Customer Community Committee Member: Listening, learning, and leading: putting residents at the heart of social housing regeneration 

 Adam shares key principles for Renew to make sure improving homes and neighbourhoods is truly community-led. 

Carla Keegans, Housing Consultant: The essential role of the PRS in regenerating the North  

Carla shares her views on issues in the private rented sector, and why the sector must be at front of mind when planning regeneration. Carla founded The Ethical Lettings Agency in Redcar in Teeside in 2015.  

Paula Graves, Community-Led Housing Manager: Community-led regeneration in East Marsh 

Paula sets out how East Marsh in Grimsby has been transformed by residents through a community-led movement.  

The next steps for Renew include publication of an interim report in the summer, which will analyse responses to the Call for Evidence, and a series of tours visiting regeneration sites across the North.  

To find out more about Renew and to read the perspectives visit the Renew website.  

The Government has now published the Final Local Government Financial Settlement for 2026, confirming how much funding councils in England will receive over the next three years. Following a full consultation process, the settlement provides long-awaited financial certainty for the sector and introduces major changes designed to better reflect local need, changes which significantly benefit many northern authorities. The NHC submitted evidence as part of the consultation, and we are pleased the Government has responded to many of the issues we raised, including increased funding for areas that face higher levels of deprivation, which are disproportionately found in the North.

At the heart of the settlement is a shift towards multiyear budgeting, giving councils clarity after years of one year deals. The Government has confirmed £78 billion in total funding, including £5.6 billion in additional investment for local services between 2026–27 and 2028–29. Councils will see an average Core Spending Power increase of 5.7% in 2026–27, followed by 4.3% and 4.4% in the subsequent years.

A further £740 million has been added since proposals were first consulted on. This includes £440 million for areas most affected by historic cuts, £272 million for homelessness, rough sleeping and domestic abuse, and £39.6 million for mayoral areas, supporting home‑building, transport improvements and local job creation. Mayoral authorities will also benefit from capacity funding to strengthen governance and delivery of devolved responsibilities.

One of the most significant policy decisions is the write-off of 90% of historic SEND deficits, covering debt accumulated up to 2025–26. Councils will only be responsible for 10% of these historic deficits, helping stabilise local finances ahead of SEND centralisation from 2028.

The settlement also confirms a major redistribution of funding towards deprived areas. By 2028–29, the most deprived communities, many of them in the North, will receive 45% more funding per head than the least deprived. This reflects a stronger weighting towards need and supports the long-term sustainability of councils facing deep-rooted socioeconomic challenges.

Importantly, the Government has finalised its grant simplification programme, consolidating 16 fragmented funding streams into four major ring‑fenced grants worth over £21 billion. This shift reduces bureaucracy and moves away from competitive bidding, which has historically disadvantaged councils with fewer resources.

For northern authorities, these changes represent a substantial rebalancing. Higher deprivation weightings, protection from sudden formula shifts, and reduced reliance on council tax and business rates growth mean many councils across the region are now better positioned to plan ahead, rebuild capacity and invest in the services their communities rely on.

While the settlement contains several welcome steps, it does not yet close the widening gap between rising demand and available resource. Councils across the North will continue to face severe and structural financial pressure over the coming years, particularly around social care, children’s services, temporary accommodation and SEND, making long‑term reform, investment and reliable multi‑year funding essential.

The latest update to HM Treasury’s Green Book, published following the Green Book Review 2025, introduces a series of important reforms that are expected to strengthen the chances of spending proposals from the North being approved. For years, many Northern projects have struggled to progress through government appraisal processes, not because they lacked merit, but because the assessment framework did not properly account for the realities of place-based investment. The new Green Book represents a meaningful shift in that direction.

A central improvement is the move away from an overreliance on Benefit-Cost Ratios (BCRs). Previously, BCRs often acted as a blunt and restrictive tool, overshadowing other important considerations and disadvantaging areas where economic returns may take longer to materialise. The updated guidance reduces the dominance of BCRs and places much greater emphasis on the strategic case for investment. This means proposals can now be judged more holistically, reflecting the wider economic, social and environmental value they bring.

Another significant change is the Green Book’s enhanced ability to support assessments of transformational change. The new guidance allows multiple interventions across a place to be considered together, rather than in isolation. This is a crucial shift for the North, where the benefits of regeneration, infrastructure improvement, brownfield development and skills interventions are often interdependent. Assessing these collectively provides a more accurate picture of the lasting impact investment can have on a community and its future trajectory.

These reforms align closely with our organisation’s longstanding policy positions. Our Brownfield First reports—shared with both MHCLG and HM Treasury—highlighted how disproportionate weight on BCRs and the limited consideration given to the strategic case were preventing essential investment in many Northern towns and cities. Our Spending Review submission reinforced these concerns, demonstrating that Northern places were routinely disadvantaged by the old appraisal system. We are therefore pleased to see changes that reflect the evidence and arguments we have consistently put forward.

Our Executive Director (Policy and External Relations) also contributed to influential research led by the Future Governance Forum, which helped secure these reforms. This national engagement ensured that Northern voices played a direct role in shaping the new approach.

Ultimately, the updated Green Book aims to ensure that investment proposals from all parts of the UK receive a “fair hearing”. For communities across the North, this represents a long overdue step toward a more balanced, place sensitive system—one that recognises potential, supports ambition, and unlocks opportunities previously held back by outdated appraisal methods.

 

We’re excited to invite you to the launch of the Northern Housing Consortium’s new Decent Homes Network — a dedicated space for members to come together at a pivotal moment for the sector. With the Government’s recent updates to the Decent Homes Standard (DHS) and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES), social housing providers are preparing for some of the most significant changes to home quality expectations in over a decade. Strengthened requirements around addressing disrepair, damp and mould, energy efficiency and core building components will shape the way services are delivered, alongside wider reforms such as Awaab’s Law and the Renters’ Rights Act.

This first session offers an opportunity to connect with peers, explore the implications of these changes and help shape the focus of the network going forward. We’ll discuss what the new standards mean in practice and how the sector can work collaboratively to respond. The network aims to bring together colleagues with shared challenges and ambitions, creating a forum for open discussion, shared learning and practical support. From asset management and repairs to tenant engagement and long‑term planning, the network will help members stay ahead of evolving expectations and develop approaches that support high‑quality, safe and well‑maintained homes. We will be joined at the session by Simon Thirtle, Partner – Built Environment at Ward Hadaway.

If you have suggestions for discussion topics or would like to contribute to the agenda, please contact Matthew Johnston at matthew.johnston@northern-consortium.org.uk.

To reserve your place, email events@northern-consortium.org.uk with your name, job title and email address.