For all the misery and blight and rifts between neighbours that clearance/regeneration plans have caused, it seems that in some neighbourhood the community spirit just won’t completely die. In some areas the attention of some remaining residents and activists is turning to the question of what happens next and how to move on from the dereliction. Some groups are coming up with creative alternatives to wide-scale demolition, and putting the plans up for public debate. Whether the relevant local authorities will actually open their minds to anything other than clearance and new build – even in the face of mounting evidence that this could be popular and cost effective – is a whole other debate.
