Foreclosing Futures: A Case Study of Urban Regeneration in Central Salford Alexandra Catherine

337 Pages·2016·4.57 MB·English

by  Alex Black

Foreclosing Futures: A Case Study of Urban Regeneration in Central Salford
Alexandra Catherine Black

PhD
University of York
Sociology
September 2015
Abstract
This thesis provides an exploration of urban regeneration in the City of Salford, Greater
Manchester. It is a detailed empirical case study drawing on interviews with
regeneration policy makers in Salford to provide an understanding of the decisions that
were taken and the results that emerged. In particular this thesis highlights the
entrepreneurial forms of governance enacted by Salford City Council to acquire private
investment and development opportunities, and explores the Council’s method of
reducing its statutory requirements and democratic controls and increasing its financial
risk-taking in order to secure these opportunities. Drawing on the post-political
literature, this thesis questions the ‘no alternative’ discourse that accompanies these
measures.
This thesis also explores the wider changes to urban regeneration policy by the Coalition
Government under conditions of economic austerity, considering the ways in which
regeneration can be said to have moved from attempting to alleviate social problems
via focused policies targeted at spaces of deprivation towards an urban policy based on
delivering incentivised economic growth. It raises questions about the potential impact
of this change for those places in Salford that continue to suffer from high levels of
deprivation and are therefore less likely to secure financial investment under the new
policy regime.
This thesis contributes to the urban studies literature through a discussion of the
concept of foreclosure. Principally the thesis considers how the re-envisioning and
reordering of the City forecloses it as a space of engagement for those residents who
are ‘out of place’ within this newly designed space. It highlights how the designated
vision for Salford’s future forecloses alternative ways of progressing, setting it on a
singular linear trajectory. It also considers how the Council’s quest to regenerate means
that it commits in the present to something which forecloses its ability to exercise
change in the future.

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List of Contents

Abstract ............................................................................................................................. 2
List of Contents ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………3
List of Figures .................................................................................................................... 7
List of Tables ...................................................................................................................... 9
Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... 10
Author’s Declaration ....................................................................................................... 11
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 12
1.1 Situating Salford .................................................................................................... 16
1.2 Governance and Regeneration in Salford ............................................................. 20
1.3 Framing Foreclosure in Salford ............................................................................. 24
1.4 Contextualising the private/public landscape of Salford ...................................... 27
1.5 The aims and objectives of the thesis ................................................................... 32
1.6 Chapter outlines .................................................................................................... 33
2. Urban policy: a socio-historical account ..................................................................... 38
2.1 Post-war policy ...................................................................................................... 39
2.2 Thatcher era .......................................................................................................... 40
2.3 Housing and the Right to Buy ................................................................................ 42
2.4 Introducing Competition ....................................................................................... 44
2.5 New Labour and the Third-Way ............................................................................ 46
2.6 New deal for Communities ................................................................................... 47
2.7 Urban Renaissance ................................................................................................ 48
2.8 Increasing Privatisation ......................................................................................... 50
2.9 Creating a market for housing .............................................................................. 51
2.10 Gentrification? .................................................................................................... 53
2.12 ConDem Government and the end of regeneration? ......................................... 55
2.13 Post-political policy ............................................................................................. 58
2.14 Problematising consensus ................................................................................... 59
2.15 Post-political urban planning .............................................................................. 62
2.16 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 67
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3. An urban history of Salford ......................................................................................... 70
3.1 Industrial beginnings ....................................................................................... 71
3.2 Demographics of Salford ................................................................................. 73
3.3 Uneven Salford ................................................................................................ 75
3.4 The move to entrepreneurialism ..................................................................... 78
3.5 Housing Renewal and New Deals .................................................................... 79
3.6 Development of Salford Quays ........................................................................ 82
3.7 MediaCityUK .................................................................................................... 84
3.8 Budget Priorities .............................................................................................. 86
3.9 Regional success .............................................................................................. 88
3.10 Conclusion...................................................................................................... 91
4. Research Methodology ............................................................................................... 93
4.1 Research focus ................................................................................................. 93
4.2 Selecting the study area .................................................................................. 95
4.3 Identifying ‘key players’ ................................................................................... 98
4.4 Making contact and gaining access ............................................................... 101
4.5 Semi-Structured interviews ........................................................................... 105
4.6 Secondary documents ................................................................................... 107
4.7 Data analysis .................................................................................................. 110
4.8 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 116
5. City on a journey: the ‘right to dwell’ in a changing Salford ..................................... 117
5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 117
5.2 A Failing City .................................................................................................. 119
5.3 A time for change .......................................................................................... 122
5.3.1 Local stagnation .................................................................................. 122
5.3.2 Exposure .............................................................................................. 126
5.3.3 (Not) tolerating the locals ................................................................... 132
5.3.4 Inspiring the locals to aspire? ............................................................. 136
5.4 Benefitting the locals ..................................................................................... 137
5.4.1 Local and low-skilled ........................................................................... 137
5.4.2 Nobody said it was going to happen overnight .................................. 142
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5.4.3 Divisions of labour ............................................................................... 148
5.5 The ‘good and bad’ of regeneration ................................................................... 152
5.5.1 Gentrification as a nexus of critique ................................................... 152
5.5.2 The economic value of people ............................................................ 158
5.5.3 Delivering ‘success’? ........................................................................... 162
5.6 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 166
6. Articulations of Salford Quays: From car park to MediaCityUK................................ 169
6.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 169
6.2 Becoming Salford Quays ..................................................................................... 171
6.2.1 Stage one – Inviting the private sector ............................................... 171
6.2.2 Stage two – The cultural turn .............................................................. 176
6.2.3 Stage three – Peel’s arrival.................................................................. 180
6.2.4 Stage four – The BBC’s on the move ................................................... 182
6.2.5 Stage five – MediaCityUK .................................................................... 186
6.3 The power to govern ........................................................................................... 190
6.3.1 The Salford Model ............................................................................... 190
6.3.2 Bargaining tools ................................................................................... 195
6.3.3 A long-term partnership...................................................................... 197
6.4 Compromising the borders ................................................................................. 201
6.4.1 Legitimation through scale ................................................................. 201
6.4.2 Manchester? Salford? Manchester? ................................................... 202
6.5 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 207
7. Borrowing from the future –risky strategies for growth .......................................... 210
7.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 210
7.2 Institutionalizing growth ..................................................................................... 213
7.2.1 Democratic representation? ............................................................... 213
7.2.2 New state players? .............................................................................. 217
7.2.3 Depletion of Assets ............................................................................. 219
7.2.4 Decentralising responsibility ............................................................... 223
7.2.5 Negotiating gains ................................................................................ 227
7.3 Framework of normality ..................................................................................... 235
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7.3.1 Taking a risk ......................................................................................... 235
7.3.2 Is it prudent? ....................................................................................... 240
7.4 An uneven spatiality ...................................................................................... 244
7.5 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 258
8. Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 262
8.1 Foreclosed future ........................................................................................... 264
8.2 Foreclosing entrepreneurs ............................................................................ 270
8.3 ‘No alternative’? ............................................................................................ 273
8.4 Facilitating finance ......................................................................................... 275
8.5 Decentralised risk and responsibility ............................................................. 278
8.6 Post-political, empty futures ......................................................................... 279
8.7 Economic futures ........................................................................................... 281
8.8 Future directions for exploration .................................................................. 285
8.9 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 288
Appendices .................................................................................................................... 289
Appendix A – Informed Consent Form ................................................................ 289
Appendix B – Interview schedule ........................................................................ 294
Abbreviations ................................................................................................................ 300
Bibliography .................................................................................................................. 302

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List of Figures
Figure 1: Salford Docks. Source - Unlocking Salford Quays ............................................ 13
Figure 2: Salford Quays. Source - Manchester Gazette .................................................. 14
Figure 3: Housing clearance site – Author’s own photo ................................................. 15
Figure 4: One Shocking City advertising campaign. Source – BBC News 2005 ............... 18
Figure 5: Salford Docks 1981. Source - Matthew Wilkinson ........................................... 19
Figure 6: Salford Spatial Framework. Source - Salford City Council ............................... 22
Figure 7: Cargo Cranes, Salford Quays. Source - The Salford Star, 2013 ........................ 25
Figure 8: Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007. Source - Salford City Council. ................ 75
Figure 9: Map showing Salford neighbourhoods. Source - Salford City Partnership, 2010
......................................................................................................................................... 76
Figure 10: Index of Multiple Deprivation for Ordsall 2007. Source - Salford City Council
......................................................................................................................................... 78
Figure 11: HMR pathfinder in Salford and Manchester. Source - Audit Commission, 2010
......................................................................................................................................... 81
Figure 12: Regional Centre of Salford and Manchester. Source - Manchester City Council.
......................................................................................................................................... 89
Figure 13: Case study area – Central Salford. Source - Salford City Council ................... 95
Figure 14: Overview of main documents analysed ....................................................... 108
Figure 15: Example of authors coding hierarchy .......................................................... 111
Figure 16: Salford Shopping Precinct – Authors own photo ......................................... 160
Figure 17: Salford Shopping Centre Design. Source - Pendletonway Developments... 161
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Figure 18: The Lowry Theatre at night (above). Source - TFIVenues.com .................... 177
Figure 19: The Lowry Theatre and Lowry Outlet Mall (above). Source - Geograph.org
....................................................................................................................................... 178
Figure 20: Peel Holdings Ocean Gateway Plan. Source - The Peel Group, 2009 .......... 180
Figure 21: MediaCity UK design. Source - Joroff, Frenchman and Sanal, 2007 ............ 186
Figure 22: Map of Salford’s spatial framework. Source - Salford City Council, 2004 ... 203
Figure 23: Marketing flags around MediaCityUK, Manchester - Authors own photo .. 205
Figure 24: Middle wood locks plan. Source - Scarborough Group 2014 ...................... 232
Figure 25: The Embankment Development design. Source – Ask Developer image, 2014
....................................................................................................................................... 237
Figure 26: New Deal for Communities – Author’s own photo ...................................... 246
Figure 27: New Deal for Communities – Author’s own photo ...................................... 247
Figure 28: New Deal for Communities – Author’s own photo ...................................... 247
Figure 29: New Deal for Communities – Author’s own photo ...................................... 248
Figure 30: Housing Market Renewal clearance site – Author’s own photo ................. 251
Figure 31: Housing Market Renewal clearance site – Author’s own photo ................. 251
Figure 32: New Broughton Village. Source – Countryside photo ................................. 253
Figure 33: New Broughton Riverside, Aerial view. Source – Countryside properties .. 253
Figure 34: Mocha Parade shops – Author’s own photo ............................................... 254
Figure 35: Unfinished Salford development – Author’s own photo ............................. 255
Figure 36: Salford ‘meanwhile site’. Source – Newground photo ................................ 258
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List of Tables
Table 1: Interview matrix identifying participants interviewed and method of interview
......................................................................................................................................... 98
Table 2: Local area earnings both resident and workplace (New Economy 2010). ..... 139
Table 3: Employment sector at Salford quays 2012, source Salford City Council 2013e
....................................................................................................................................... 147

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Acknowledgements
There are many people who I would like to thank for their invaluable support and advice
during the course of producing this thesis.
Firstly I would like to thank my academic mentors who helped me to formulate, design
and conduct this research, namely Rowland Atkinson, Simon Winlow and Emma Wincup.
Your guidance was invaluable. In addition I would like to thank Daryl Martin for reading
and providing essential feedback on my written work at short notice. In addition to this
your kindness and support was gratefully received and appreciated. I would also like to
thank the Economic and Social Research Council for the opportunity to undertake this
work.
Secondly I would like to thank the PhD corridor for their continual support, welcomed
and necessary distractions, and emotional relief over the years, especially Holly and Ken.
Thirdly I would like to thank my Dad, Janet, Rachael, Beth, Tim and Eli for unconditionally
supporting me and encouraging me throughout. Thanks also go to my friends who have
been patiently willing me to get to this point. I would also like to thank Ros for keeping
me smiling and on course. I appreciate everything you have done.
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