The pathfinder approach

What are pathfinders and what do they do?

Pathfinders are partnerships between local authorities and other key regional and local stakeholders. These may include:

The Regional Development Agency
Local Strategic Partnerships
police, education and health agencies
The Housing Corporation
housing associations
English Partnerships, and
the private sector

Together they combine local knowledge and expertise and work to ensure that intervention in the housing market contributes to broader economic development and leads to sustainable communities where people are proud to live.

Pathfinders are working to ensure that people have a real choice and an option to stay in these places, rather than housing being a reason to leave. They do this by providing a choice of better quality homes, through a mix of refurbishment, clearance and replacement, as well as some environmental works. This complements the wide range of regeneration activity, better schools, health and police services that is happening in many of these areas.

However, each pathfinder is different. They face different, changing circumstances and there is no single solution to their varied housing market problems. There is no magic formula (eg, "Build x, demolish y, and refurbish z"), that applies to all.

Working with communities

Working with communities is critical to developing programmes that work. All pathfinders work closely with their residents to develop proposals which help their community. Pathfinders consult with the community to ensure that proposals gain support from the majority of residents. They also provide a full package of support to manage the transition, including assistance with relocation.

Design and the built environment

Quality in the design of new housing will play an important part in turning around these areas and pathfinders are working closely with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) to carry out this work. There is a strong focus on cross-pathfinder design quality and urban functioning with excellent work being done on pathfinder projects by CABE representatives. For example, the CABE sponsored design panel - Urban Vision - has helped the North Staffordshire pathfinder complete a heritage characterisation study for its key intervention areas. As part of the master planning process, pathfinders also assess heritage and other environmental and sustainability issues.

Conclusion

There are no quick fixes to deep-seated housing, economic and deprivation problems some of which have been around for many years. Housing markets can be volatile. But pathfinders, in partnership with local authorities and other parties, are already making a difference - working closely with communities to meet their housing needs and aspirations for the future.