• Introduction
• Our vision
• The national context
• The regional context
• The housing market in the North West
• Defining Regional Needs and Priorities
  • Urban renaissance and dealing with changing demand
  • Providing affordable homes to maintain balanced communities
  • Delivering decent homes in thriving neighbourhoods
  • Meeting the region's needs for specialist and supported housing
• Delivering the Regional Housing Strategy
• Next steps

• Annex A: National policy framework
• Annex B: Regional policy framework
• Annex C: Outcome of scoping paper consultation
• Further reading

Home > Regional Housing Strategy > The national context

The national context

National policies and targets provide the Board and this Strategy with a broad strategic framework to work within. The key policies at national level include the Communities Plan, the Housing Market Renewal Fund Pathfinders, National Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy and the agenda for reform of the planning system - brief details are given in Annex A.

There are a number of Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets relevant to the Strategy. Some, such as the Government's decent homes targets, are very specific. Others, such as ODPM's commitment to "achieve a better balance between housing availability and demand for housing in all English regions…" give a strong high level steer to the work of the Board. Yet others relate to issues where the work of the Board and its partners can contribute to a broader regional objective - the joint ODPM, DTI and Treasury objective to "make sustainable improvements in the economic performance…and over the long tem reduce the persistent gap in growth rates between regions" is one example. The Board is also committed to the delivery of other targets, such as the national rural housing targets. Again further details are in Annex A.

One further key policy context is the potential advent of an elected Regional Assembly for the North West, following the Deputy Prime Minister's decision in June 2003 to commence moves toward a referendum in the North West. The Regional Government White Paper outlined the functions of an elected Regional Assembly. An Assembly will "take a strategic lead on housing issues…prepare and publish a regional housing strategy…and allocate support for housing capital investment between councils (to improve their own housing stock, to support new build by housing associations, and to renew private stock) and housing associations." In that context, this Strategy and the continuing work of the Regional Housing Board are important steps toward ensuring regional strategies reflect the priorities of the North West more effectively.

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