Dennis Hone becomes chief operating officer ahead of John Callcutt's appointment as chief executive next month

English Partnerships chair Margaret Ford has overhauled the regeneration quango's senior management team following the appointment of John Callcutt as chief executive.

Baroness Ford, who was made a Labour peer in last week's honours list, sent a memo to staff at the end of last week outlining the revamp of the team set up by Callcutt's predecessor David Higgins.

An EP spokeswoman said that Callcutt, who joins the organisation at the beginning of next month, had been fully involved in the reorganisation.

Dennis Hone, director of EP's eastern region and Milton Keynes, has been appointed chief operating officer with responsibility for overseeing policy and the day-to-day running of the organisation.

Hone has been responsible for leading EP's activities in the growth areas and played a key role in drawing up the Milton Keynes roof tax infrastructure tariff.

Trevor Beattie, EP strategy manager, will oversee the agency's activities in the South-east and South-west. He will also retain responsibility for the agency's ATLAS strategic planning and national consultancy teams.

Dennis Hone has been appointed chief operating officer

John Lewis, who has been appointed director for Milton Keynes and the east of England, will retain responsibility for the first-time buyers' initiative and the public sector land disposal programme.

Duncan Innes, South and South-west director, will take over from Ralph Luck as London and Thames Gateway director, signalling that the latter's secondment to the Olympic Delivery Authority will be permanent.

Finance director John Walker replaces Neil Bradbury as director of the East Midlands, North-east and Yorkshire regions. Paul Spooner remains director for the North-west and the West Midlands.

An EP spokeswoman said Bradbury, who was chief executive of the Hull Citybuild urban regeneration company before joining the agency, had left the organisation.

The management shake-up comes ahead of a review into government delivery agencies, in which the EP looks likely to merge with the Housing Corporation.