About Urban Vision Partnership Ltd
Urban Vision is a new and unique joint venture company that will play a key role in the continuing story of Salford's regeneration.
This innovative venture will improve service delivery for local people while helping establish Salford as a revitalised and resurgent city - its border with Manchester putting it right at the heart of the regional centre.
Urban Vision is a partnership between Salford City Council and property and infrastructure consultancy, Capita Symonds (part of The Capita Group Plc), in association with experts Morrison. It began operations on 1 February 2005, working to objectives set by the city council.
The company will provide local authority access to more high quality professional staff and therefore speed up response and project completion times. The venture will create growth opportunities for partners by allowing access to wider markets in Salford and beyond.
Highways maintenance will be a key service provided by the venture. By working in this way, Salford City Council will increase investment in the city's roads from £1.5 million to £7.5 million a year for the next five years.
Other services Urban Vision will provide to Salford City Council include:
- engineering and highway design
- landscape design and property management
- development control and building control
- architectural design
Urban Vision has the capacity and capability to deliver a comprehensive regeneration and consultancy service from pre-application planning advice, through the full range of design services, to total project management.
Some 420 people in the city council's housing and planning directorate have been seconded to Urban Vision and operate under its management. This employment structure is unique by virtue of both its originality and the transfer of the architectural, engineering, planning and regulatory services involved.
Salford City Council's lead member for planning, Cllr Derek Antrobus, said "This venture is first and foremost about improving service delivery for the people of Salford. It will be based in Salford and reflect the culture of the city."
He added: "We are entering into this partnership from a position of strength that is going to deliver tangible improvements for residents and for people who work, visit and invest here."
Richard Marchant, Managing Director of Capita Symonds commented, "Urban Vision is a truly unique business model and has been adopted to meet specific requirements and growth opportunities. At Capita Symonds we have extensive experience as a property and infrastructure consultancy and are particularly excited about playing such a vital role as a partner in the regeneration of Salford.
Together we are creating innovative working arrangements that will ensure improved performance against key national and local indicators, meeting the Council's core objectives of continuously improving its service to the community."
This page was last updated on 3 October 2009
