English Partnerships is to beef up its senior management as part of a restructuring led by chief executive David Higgins
The shake-up will involve doubling the number of directors to 10, and undertaking an internal staff review.

Higgins, who took over at EP last month, said the review could cut some roles and channel resources into areas where the business plan needed expanding.

He said: "We want to develop a local focus with the creation of area teams. There is duplication of regional and national roles, and we will be streamlining that." However, Higgins refused to be drawn on whether any jobs would be axed.

The streamlining exercise is part of Higgins' remit to increase EP's ability to deliver John Prescott's communities plan, which calls for 200,000 homes in the South-east.

He said: "We are totally committed to the communities plan. That is why we are increasing our capability – to be better able to deliver our side of the bargain."

Higgins said that EP may acquire more land, but emphasised that EP's priority was to deliver existing millennium communities.

Higgins said he would announce the new development partner for the East Ketley millennium village in Telford in the next few weeks. He also said that, despite delays, the residential part of Allerton Bywater was to start on site in September.