High rise refurbishment: a brave new world or old problems recycled

Government funding is directed towards the refurbishment of run‐down high‐rise blocks and estates of local authority housing through Estate Action. While glossy annual reports advertise excellent results,what independent evidence is there to support the policies recommended by PEP and Estate Action? The number of follow‐up surveys is extremely limited. When the sums of money spent annually through Estate Action are considered, this unaccountability is surely not acceptable. Additionally, on a local scale, individual local authorities should take the time to discover whether or not their schemes have been as successful with the tenants as they were intended to be and to ensure that any feedback is incorporated into future projects. Tenant surveys of two refurbished high‐rise tower blocks have been undertaken. The intention was to determine the levels of tenant satisfaction and relative success of the two schemes. Were these schemes an effective and efficient use of funds? Have they solved at least some of the wide range of problems which tower blocks such as these typically experience?Additionally, estate managers were interviewed to determine their views on the relative success of each scheme. Have these schemes indeed managed to “improve the quality of life of run down housing estates through refurbishment, tenant/ management initiatives and partnerships with the private sector...” (Sir George Young, 1985 speech as Minister for Housing and Planning, launching the Urban Housing and Renewal Unit (UHRU) later to become Estate Action).