Open letter supporting refurbishing homes in Horden:
Dear Durham County Council,
The community of Horden has come together to challenge the planned demolition of Third and Fifth Street and ask the council to reconsider its proposals.
Current plans for the regeneration lack transparency, leaving many community members concerned about their potential impact and who will ultimately benefit. Instead, we propose an alternative approach to regenerating the area based on the acquisition and conversion of empty properties into social rent homes, with active community involvement at its heart. This is a proven way to empower communities and regenerate areas that have experienced underinvestment by government.1,2
First and foremost, we argue that the regeneration of Horden must deliver genuinely affordable social rent homes. In County Durham, more than 11,000 households are on the social housing waiting list - a 37% increase in 5 years3. In Horden specifically, our services have found a pressing need for social rent homes.
Social rent homes give people a solid foundation - and the chance to build happy, healthy lives. The long-term security and genuine affordability of social housing help people put down roots, living near where they work and where they grew up. In contrast, evidence repeatedly shows how housing insecurity and high concentrations of empty homes can fracture communities and drive up crime rates.4,5,6,7
Providing new social rent homes and bringing empty houses back into use helps to reduce issues of crime, such as those raised by Horden residents, and nurtures stable, supportive neighbourhoods that offer the security and autonomy needed for communities to flourish.8,9
The regeneration of Horden must also minimise its impact on the environment. We are deeply concerned by the waste of resources and the high carbon footprint inherent in the planned demolition and reconstruction of our streets. Given the climate crisis, the council must do everything in its power to help meet net-zero goals. Retrofitting homes avoids the unnecessarily high levels of embodied carbon emissions associated with demolition. It is a tried and tested method to improve the energy efficiency and overall standard of existing housing stock, helping to tackle serious issues like fuel poverty and damp and mould.
Our modelling also shows empty home acquisition and conversion to be cost-effective, on average requiring 20% less grant funding than the usual cost to deliver a social rent home from scratch, notwithstanding the added costs of demolition and associated compensation payments.10 In nearby Newcastle, our modelling shows even greater cost savings, with the acquisition and conversion of a long-term empty home into a social rent home costing just £91,000 in grant funding, compared to £149,000 for a new build social rent home.
And, finally, the Horden regeneration must preserve and strengthen our community, avoiding displacement and undue disruption to peoples’ lives. The negative social impacts of demolition on communities and individuals are well-documented, and many within the Horden community have expressed their concerns about this potential upheaval. Acquisition and conversion are also fast, taking on average 8 months as opposed to the 10-15 years of disruption that demolition and rebuild can take.11 The retrofit process can also provide abundant opportunities for training and work experience for local people if they are effectively involved and given a stake in the process.12
The signatories of this letter stand united in opposing plans that fail to deliver genuine benefits for local people. We call on the council to reconsider its approach and prioritise the refurbishment of existing homes, turning them into much-needed social rent housing that truly serves our community.
Sincerely,
The undersigned