The model for these new partnerships is Liverpool Vision, a body headed by former Wimpey chairman Joe Dwyer. This is essentially an urban development corporation for the late 1990s; it is intended to raise private investment to match grants obtained from English Partnerships and the European Union, and will co-ordinate the efforts of the city council and public sector regeneration bodies.
Officials in Sheffield refused to comment on its new partnership in advance of an official announcement by the government, but it is understood that preparatory work has already been undertaken by Sheffield City council chief executive Bob Kerslake.
If the setting up of the new body is confirmed, it would build on the work of the city council's development office with a focus on the city centre. Sheffield council has already made some progress with regeneration, but has some distance to go before it can return to the situation of the early 1970s, before the demise of the steel industry, when unemployment was 2% below the national average. It is currently 2% higher.
The goals of the partnership will reflect the priorities outlined in the Rogers report. Office development is to be encouraged on brownfield sites, and the city's glut of 1960s office blocks may be refurbished and converted to mixed-use buildings.
The new body will also push for better integration of the city's train and supertram networks, and for these to serve the city centre better.
In Manchester, attention is focused on the eastern area of the city where the Commonwealth Games stadium is to be built.
Council chief executive Howard Bernstein and deputy chief executive Tom Russell, who are leading this initiative, are set to unveil plans in late August. Neither was available for comment this week.
Plans for Wembley are expected to be announced any day. Sir Nigel Mobbs, chairman of developer Slough Estates, is expected to be chairman of the Wembley Vision company, which will work in partnership with Brent Council and Wembley National Stadium Limited.
Sir Nigel said: "Nothing is formalised yet, but the plan is to create a taskforce to create the best possible environment for the new stadium and to improve the whole area around it.
"There is a lot of industrial and conference space that could be improved. Our job is one of facilitator; to create a framework within which this can take place." Sir Nigel could not give details of how much the company would have to spend.
