Urban Regeneration Company

http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1140020

Urban Regeneration Companies

(1) Urban Regeneration Companies are each funded by the Regional Development Agency, local authorities and, in most cases, English Partnerships.

(2) The Regional Development Agencies and EP provide expertise and substantial financial input, for the majority of URC running costs and through major projects in each area.
Government support (through the RDAs and English Partnerships) towards the running costs of the 16 URCs now approved is around £9m per annum.

(3) The Chair is drawn from the private sector, as are several other Board members: this strategic balance, together with a focus on public consultation at key stages, helps to cement vital links between the public sector bodies, businesses and the public.

(4) URCs aim to deliver high quality urban environment. They provide a focus for regeneration activity in defined areas with particular needs, attract private sector investment and deliver physical projects that will enhance economic prosperity and the public realm. They operate through fast decision making and delivery of projects on the ground, making best use of available land for physical developments.

(5) Following recommendations in the Urban Task Force Report, the Government supported the establishment, in 1999/2000, of three pilot URCs in Liverpool, East Manchester and Sheffield.

(6) The Government see URCs as an effective means for organising and delivering major regeneration projects in key urban locations, and as an important part of their policy for the renewal of towns and cities. This policy was set out in the Urban White Paper (November 2000), which proposed a programme of about twelve new Urban Regeneration Companies over the next 2/3 years.

(7) There are another 15 URCs in England: Bradford Centre Regeneration; CPR Regeneration (Camborne-Pool-Redruth); Catalyst Corby; Derby Cityscape; Hull Citybuild; Leicester Regeneration; Liverpool Vision; New East Manchester; Sandwell; Sheffield One; Sunderland Arc; The New Swindon Company; Tees Valley Regeneration Ltd; Walsall; West Lakes Renaissance.

(8) With the addition of Gloucester, this gives a total of 3 URCs in each of four regions (South West, East Midlands, North West, Yorkshire & the Humber), and 2 each in the West Midlands and North East.