Improvements & Criticisms

• Positives

  • The competition meant local authorities worked harder to come up with innovative ideas
  • Private sector companies felt it was successful due to liking the competitive nature
  • By 1997, overall:
  • 53,000 jobs created
  • 3,000 new businesses
• Criticisms

  • Local authorities who created the most imaginative plans usually already had money, so more deprived areas who needed regeneration were not given it
  • Money was handed out on a competitive basis of creative proposals, not given based on need
  • Everyone got the same amount of money irrespective of need
  • Unsuccessful local authorities lost money preparing their proposals
• 30 City Challenge Partnerships had been established but around 20 were unsuccessful
• Overall:

  • 40,000 houses improved
  • 2000 hectares of derelict land now used
  • 53,000 jobs created
  • 3,000 new businesses