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English Partnerships is to undergo a fundamental shake-up to ensure it can deliver the Communities Plan, new chief executive David Higgins has revealed.

In an interview with Housing Today, Higgins said the overhaul of the regeneration quango's 380 staff would be driven by housing and the Communities Plan's regional agenda, rapidly taking shape in the form of regional housing boards.

The changes will see the establishment of a special executive body to oversee the development of EP's interests in the Thames Gateway, where it owns 230 ha.

This body will initially concentrate on land the quango owns in the Greenwich and Barking Reach areas, but its role is likely to grow to represent the government's interests in other Thames Gateway projects.

EP's restructure will also result in the quango being split into four main regional offices. These will be in Milton Keynes, Gateshead, Warrington and London.

There will also be a new corporate section that will coordinate EP鈥檚 role in assembling brownfield sites

There will also be a new corporate section, to be based in EP's headquarters in Victoria, central London, that will coordinate its role in assembling brownfield sites. According to its 2001 figures, EP owns 6000 ha of brownfield land.

This group will include Housing Partnerships, the joint venture between English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation.

The restructuring is the first sweep to be made by new broom David Higgins, who took over as English Partnerships' chief executive at the beginning of April. All the changes will be in place by June and are expected to fall within EP's budget for this year of 拢163m. New positions will be created, some of which may be filled from outside the quango.