海角直播

Can Government policy transform the UK鈥檚 estates?

The Government recently launched its National Strategy Action Plan to reverse the decline of poor neighbourhoods. Backed by a budget of 拢800 million over three years, it targets 88 of the UK鈥檚 most deprived areas with the promise that 鈥榥o one should lose out because of where they live鈥�. How effective will this strategy be? This issue will be explored in a free Public Lecture at the University of 海角直播 on Wednesday 7 February, starting at 6.30pm in the Europa Building, Woodlands Road, Middlesbrough.

The Lecture, entitled 鈥楽till gilding the ghetto? Are there local solutions to social deprivation?鈥� will be delivered by Professor Tim Blackman, Director of the University鈥檚 School of Social Sciences. Professor Blackman said: 鈥淭he Government鈥檚 new policies will improve things for poor people and deprived areas. But they are going to take some time to make a difference and meanwhile the country鈥檚 affluent areas, mainly in the South-East, will probably continue to get richer.

鈥淭he new commitment to neighbourhood renewal includes some important targets about the inequalities we are prepared to tolerate in this country. For example, there is a commitment that no area should have more than a threefold difference between its burglary rate and the national average. But what differences in income and wealth are we prepared to accept, and do these differences matter?鈥�

Professor Blackman will draw from a wide range of research about neighbourhood renewal, much of it undertaken by the School of Social Sciences at the University of 海角直播. He will also draw on his own experience as a community worker, local government officer and academic working on the social problems of deprived areas in Durham, Newcastle, Belfast and 海角直播.

For more information on the Lecture please contact Mark White in the Vice-Chancellor鈥檚 office on 01642 342012.

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