Local communities and service distribution in an era of austerity Peter Matthews Annette Hastings Research funded by:

Local communities and service distribution in an era of austerity Peter Matthews

Annette Hastings

Research funded by:

Contents

• Realist synthesis

• Local strategy of equality

• Four causal theories of middle class activismo Land-use planningoNeighbourhood services

• Questions for local leadership

Realist Synthesis

• Method from policy analysis

• Between RCTs/systematic review and more “theoretical” approaches

• Identifies families of mechanisms and the evidence base for them

• Aims to create a “middle theory” with predictive power

• 1980 – present day, UK, US, Scandinavia

M

O

Cn

n

Mechanism: middle class community activism

Outcome: disproportionate benefit to middle classes

Cn

Local strategy of equality

“In principle, local people may choose to vote for high or low spending political parties, and so any given level of service should not be enforced by the centre.”

(Powell, Boyne & Ashworth, 2001: 21)


Equality to meet need

• Normative

• Felt

• Expressed

• Comparative

Outcomes:


Rights:

“Each area is entitled to a level of spending proportionate to its contribution to national and local taxes”

Outcomes:


Effort:

“all areas should be able to provide the same standard of service by drawing upon the same proportion of their tax base ”

Outcomes:


• Equal level of service for individuals

• Equitable treatment for taxpayers

• Equal outcomes for individuals

• Local differences expressing local wishes

Outcomes:


Outcome: disproportionate benefit to middle classes

Cn

Theory name Definition

I’ll stand as the parish council chair

That the level or nature of middle class interest group formation allows for the collective articulation of their needs and demands, and that service providers respond to this.

I’ll write to my councillor and complain

That the level and nature of middle-class engagement with public services on an individualised basis means that services are more likely to be provided according to their needs and demands.

I’ll just phone our doctor That the alignment in the cultural capital enjoyed by middle classes service users and service providers leads to engagement which is constructive and confers advantage .

I’ll vote for them That the needs of middle class service users, or their expectations of service quality, are ‘normalised’ in policy and practice or even that policy priorities can favour middle-class interests.

Localism

• Planning for housing development

• Neighbourhood services in deprived areas

Planning for housing development

Open Source Planning

Mechanism: middle class community activism is stopping development because residents do not get any material benefit from new development, only costs

Outcome: Not enough homes being provided in areas where they are needed

Cn



Mechanism: materially benefit middle class homeowners and they will want homes to be built:• New homes bonus;• Community Infrastructure Levy.

Outcome: lots of new homes in the south east of England

Cn

“Open Source planning will engage local communities and foster a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship.”

or a logic of using a rights-based equitable outcome to meet normative or expressed need and equality in provision

‘In order to keep riff-raff from [nearby city] out of the community you need this s106 Agreement [planning policy]’

Sturzaker, 2010: 1014

Causal theories

1. Middle classes much more likely to be members of parish councils

2. Middle classes more likely to comment on applications – self-sustaining cycle

3. Middle classes can call on social capital – retired planners etc.

4. Pre-1997 system generally favoured middle classes

4. Developers imagine a vocal middle class and pre-emptively respond to them

Expressed need trumps normative need


Mechanism: middle classes resist development as predicted by four causal theories

Outcome: lower planned housing numbers

Context: socio-economic inequality


Mechanism: middle classes resist development as predicted by four causal theories

Outcome: increased planned housing numbers


Mechanism: HMA-led regional planning targets



Mechanism:• New homes bonus;• Community Infrastructure Levy;• Neighbourhood planning;

Outcome: further reduction in planned housing numbers


four causal theories

Neighbourhood Services


Outcome: “inverse care law”


Neighbourhood Services - ABIsMechanism: middle class community activism

Outcomes:• Unequal services• More equal outcomes


Mechanism: ABIs• Enhanced services• Tailored services and

projects• Capital investment• Community empowerment

Neighbourhood ManagementMechanism: middle class community activism

Outcomes:• Unequal services• More equal outcomes


Mechanism: neighbourhood management• Enhanced services• Realigned mainstream

expenditure

Control Shift

“By giving people more power and control over the services that are delivered in their areas, we can inspire a new spirit of civic pride in our communities. It’s simple psychology – when people know their actions can make a real difference they are far more motivated to get involved.”

or providing opportunities for felt need to be expressed will enable services to meet this expressed need which will be normative need

Localism

Outcome:“Decentralisation will allow different communities to do different things in different ways to meet their different needs. This will certainly increase variety in service provision. But far from being random – as the word ‘lottery’ implies – such variation will reflect the conscious choices made by local people.”

Context: • No difference in

capacity between communities

• Communities stifled by state

Mechanism: empowering reforms allow felt need to be expressed

Localism in action

• Substantial, front-loaded reductions in grants that met comparative need

• Pressure on local government services in most deprived areas

• Community right-to-buy

• Community right-to-challenge

Neighbourhood Services

Mechanism: middle class community activism four causal theories

Outcome: “inverse care law”Rights or effort-based equity


Community right to challenge

Community right to buy

Conclusion

• Effect of middle class activism is overwhelming

• Needs of middle classes are expressed and normalised

• Localism creates new channels by which mechanisms might be effective

• Very likely to exacerbate inequalities

• Localism must be funded

• Questions for local leadership

Local communities and service distribution in an era of austerity Peter Matthews Annette Hastings Research funded by:

Documents

middle classes c n slide

local leadership slide

scandinavia slide

middle theory

nature of middle class

vocal middle class

middle class homeowners

housing development