The ODPM said there would be no official limit to the number of URCs that can be set up. But a spokesman warned that "regional development agencies can only support so many".
There are now 16 URCs in England; in 2000, the urban white paper set a target of 15.
The ODPM has also revised its guidance on the requirements for URCs. The spokesperson said: "We want to make sure proposals are properly thought through."
Chris Brown, development manager of regeneration firm Igloo, said there was "massive" demand for URCs across the regions. He added : "It was always nonsense that the government imposed a limit."
But Richard Kemp, acting chair of the Local Government Association's housing executive, said: "I am unimpressed. The government has [recently] accepted Sir John Egan's report saying local authorities were in the lead in steering regeneration programmes, but most URCs cut out local authority involvement."
Source
Housing Today
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