English Partnerships
Encyclopedia
English Partnerships was the national regeneration
agency for England
, performing a similar role on a national level to that fulfilled by Regional Development Agencies
on a regional
level. On 1 December 2008 its powers passed to a successor body, the new Homes and Communities Agency
.
It was responsible for land acquisition and assembly and major development projects, alone or in joint partnership with private sector developers. It was particularly active in major regeneration areas such as the Thames Gateway
and in expansion areas
such as Milton Keynes
, where the Deputy Prime Minister
(acting as Environment Minister) removed planning from local control and appointed them as the statutory planning authority.
It was a non-departmental public body
funded through the Department for Communities and Local Government
(CLG), and was previously by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (the predecessor department to CLG).
English Partnerships was legally two entirely independent bodies set up under separate statutes. One was the Commission for New Towns, launched in October 1961, which was responsible for the Development Corporation
s established by the New Towns Act 1959, and the other was the Urban Regeneration Agency set up by the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993.
On 17 January 2007 Ruth Kelly
, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
, announced proposals to bring together the delivery functions of the Housing Corporation
, English Partnerships and parts of CLG to form a new unified housing and regeneration agency, the Homes and Communities Agency
(initially announced as "Communities England"); this became operational on 1 December 2008.
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
agency for England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, performing a similar role on a national level to that fulfilled by Regional Development Agencies
Regional Development Agency
In the United Kingdom, a regional development agency is a non-departmental public body established for the purpose of development, primarily economic, of one of England's Government Office regions. There is one RDA for each of the NUTS level 1 regions of England...
on a regional
Regions of England
In England, the region is the highest tier of sub-national division used by central Government. Between 1994 and 2011, the nine regions had an administrative role in the implementation of UK Government policy, and as the areas covered by elected bodies...
level. On 1 December 2008 its powers passed to a successor body, the new Homes and Communities Agency
Homes and Communities Agency
The Homes and Communities Agency is the non-departmental public body that funds new affordable housing in England. It was established by the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 as one of the successor bodies to the Housing Corporation, and became operational on 1 December 2008.-Background:On 17...
.
It was responsible for land acquisition and assembly and major development projects, alone or in joint partnership with private sector developers. It was particularly active in major regeneration areas such as the Thames Gateway
Thames Gateway
The Thames Gateway is an area of land stretching east from inner east London on both sides of the River Thames and the Thames Estuary. The area, which includes much brownfield land, has been designated a national priority for urban regeneration, taking advantage of the development opportunities...
and in expansion areas
Expansion plans for Milton Keynes
In January 2004, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott announced the United Kingdom government's Expansion plans for Milton KeynesHe proposed that the population of Milton Keynes should double in the subsequent 20 years...
such as Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
, where the Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a senior member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not a permanent position, existing only at the discretion of the Prime Minister, who may appoint to other offices...
(acting as Environment Minister) removed planning from local control and appointed them as the statutory planning authority.
It was a non-departmental public body
Non-departmental public body
In the United Kingdom, a non-departmental public body —often referred to as a quango—is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive to certain types of public bodies...
funded through the Department for Communities and Local Government
Department for Communities and Local Government
The Department for Communities and Local Government is the UK Government department for communities and local government in England. It was established in May 2006 and is the successor to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, established in 2001...
(CLG), and was previously by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (the predecessor department to CLG).
English Partnerships was legally two entirely independent bodies set up under separate statutes. One was the Commission for New Towns, launched in October 1961, which was responsible for the Development Corporation
Development Corporation
In England and Wales, Development Corporations are bodies set up by the UK government and charged with the urban development of an area, outside the usual system of Town and Country Planning in the United Kingdom...
s established by the New Towns Act 1959, and the other was the Urban Regeneration Agency set up by the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993.
On 17 January 2007 Ruth Kelly
Ruth Kelly
Ruth Maria Kelly is a British Labour Party politician of Irish descent who was the Member of Parliament for Bolton West from 1997 until she stood down in 2010...
, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, is a Cabinet position heading the UK's Department for Communities and Local Government....
, announced proposals to bring together the delivery functions of the Housing Corporation
Housing Corporation
The Housing Corporation was the non-departmental public body that funded new affordable housing and regulated housing associations in England. It was established by the Housing Act 1964...
, English Partnerships and parts of CLG to form a new unified housing and regeneration agency, the Homes and Communities Agency
Homes and Communities Agency
The Homes and Communities Agency is the non-departmental public body that funds new affordable housing in England. It was established by the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 as one of the successor bodies to the Housing Corporation, and became operational on 1 December 2008.-Background:On 17...
(initially announced as "Communities England"); this became operational on 1 December 2008.
See also
- Millennium Communities ProgrammeMillennium Communities ProgrammeThe Millennium Communities Programme , is an English Partnerships initiative to construct 7 new 'villages' that are intended to 'set the standard for 21st Century living, and to serve as a model for the creation of new communities' in England.This is to be achieved by promoting innovative building...
, EP initiative - EcoHomesEcoHomesEcoHomes is an environmental rating scheme for homes in the United Kingdom. It is the domestic version of the Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method BREEAM, which can also be applied to a variety of non-residential buildings....
- Neil ShieldsNeil ShieldsSir Neil Stanley Shields, OBE, MC was a British politician and businessman.Shields was born in London and served as a major in the Royal Artillery in World War II, during which time he was awarded the Military Cross. In 1949 he unsuccessfully stood as the Conservative Party parliamentary...
, Chairman of the Commission for New Towns 1982–1995
External links
- Official website
- Homes and Communities Agency on CLG website