The Government has announced plans to merge English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation into a new organisation – Communities England. Secretary of state, Ruth Kelly, said the new organisation should be up and running by 2009 and would have a total budget of £4bn. Trevor Beattie, corporate strategy director at English Partnerships, said Communities England would also take over various functions from the Department for Communities and Local Government. Mr Beattie said it would be responsible for housing market renewal, housing PFI, housing growth, and urban regeneration. ‘In order to devolve powers to local authorities effectively, we have to give them the tools to do their jobs,' he said. ‘And Communities England is that toolbox.' The creation of the organisation has been welcomed by the Chartered Institute of Housing and the homeless charity Shelter. Ms Kelly said councils would find it easier to deal with a single authority, and Communities England would help them develop a place-shaping role. ‘Above all, Communities England will reflect the Government's ongoing drive to ensure that the ambitions of local people for their communities are realised,' she said.
