Introduction

The Urban Regeneration Agency, now known as English Partnerships, was set up under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 to release the potential of vacant and derelict land throughout England.

English Partnerships works through a network of six regional offices based in Gateshead, Liverpool, Doncaster, London, Plymouth and Leicester to transform areas of need into quality places for people to live and work. It operates flexibly, enabling the public, private and voluntary sectors to promote, effect and deliver regeneration, economic development, job creation, environmental improvement and land reclamation. The Agency's activity is co-ordinated with and reflects the strategic needs of local partners and is focused in four core business areas area based regeneration, land reclamation, job creating opportunities and community development.

English Partnerships' development budget is delivered through its Investment Fund which offers a comprehensive range of financial measures to support regeneration and inward investment projects.

The Board has eight members comprising the Chairman and Deputy Chairman, four non-executive and two executive members.

Achievements in 1996/97

During 1996/97 English Partnerships has:

• successfully negotiated the transfer of the remaining 56 non-operational coal sites from British Coal. Investment plans are being prepared for each site with the aim of achieving area regeneration, environmental improvements and securing new employment;

• continued to attract inward investment, including BMW in the West Midlands and Vauxhall in the Wirral;

• established a series of major area based regeneration initiatives;

• commenced a Mixed Use Initiative with the Urban Villages Forum, launched by HRH Prince of Wales and pursued mixed use projects throughout England, including in Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool and Newcastle;

• managed local authority land reclamation programme including initiatives in the Dearne Valley, the Ribble Valley, the Cornish Mines and Staffordshire;

• published a new brochure 'Working with our Partners' to outline the opportunities for combining funding sources and profile many public and voluntary sector agencies that are involved in promoting and regulating regeneration activities;

• agreed terms with British Gas to acquire the majority if the 294 acre Greenwich peninsula with a view to its long term regeneration. The Agency is working with a team led by Richard Rogers Partnership to maximise benefits from the Millennium Exhibition proposals, to provide a framework for long term development.

The Agency is committed to the principles of the Citizen's Charter including those on service standards, customer service, information provision and value for money.

Plans for 1997/98

The Agency has now been fully operational for three years and is in the process of taking account of experience gained to ensure that it continues to deliver its programmes with the maximum strategic impact. This process will result in the publication of a revised Investment Guide and Community Investment Guide in 1997.

Key Performance Targets
	1994/95		1995/96		1996/97		1997/98
Key Measure	Set	Achieved	Set	Achieved	Set	Achieved	Set
Jobs Created and Safeguarded	-	13,200	19,000	24,000	22,000	24,200	28,000
Land Reclaimed and/or Serviced (Ha)	-	1,700	1,700	1,500	1,700	1,100	1,800
Private Finance Attracted (£m)	-	300	450	580	520	630	640
Housing Units Facilitated	-	2,900	3,500	4,900	4,000	5,200	5,500
Commercial and Industrial Floorspace developed (000 sq m)	-	655	830	870	880	910	980
Government Funding (£m)	-	191.7	210.3	-	209.6	-	209.6