Development corporation

Organisation to foster urban development


title: "Development corporation" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["development-corporations"] description: "Organisation to foster urban development" topic_path: "general/development-corporations" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_corporation" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Organisation to foster urban development ::

A development corporation or development firm is an organisation established by a government for the purpose of urban development. They often are responsible for the development of new suburban areas or the redevelopment of existing ones.

Australia

In Australia development corporations are often responsible for the economic promotion and growth of areas considered to be under-performing economically. Such corporations include:

Denmark

India

Israel

South Africa

  • Coega Development Corporation
  • Eastern Cape Development Corporation
  • Free State Development Corporation

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, New Town Development Corporations were organisations established under the New Towns Act 1946 (9 & 10 Geo. 6. c. 68) by the UK government, charged with the urban development of an area, outside the usual system of Town and Country Planning in the United Kingdom. Originally intended to manage the development of New Towns in the United Kingdom, they were also established for more substantial urban renewal programmes by the Town Development Act 1952.

Urban development corporations in England and Wales

::data[format=table]

NameAreaTimeframeNotes
Birmingham Heartlands950 ha in the Nechells area1992–1998http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1992/Uksi_19920584_en_1.htm
Black Countryparts of Sandwell and Walsall, in West Midlands1987–1998http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1987/Uksi_19870922_en_1.htm
Bristolparts of eastern Bristol1989–1995http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1989/Uksi_19890091_en_1.htm
Cardiff BayCardiff docklands area, in City of Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan1987–2000http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1987/Uksi_19870646_en_1.htm
Central Manchester180 ha of Manchester, near Trafford/Salford border1988–1996http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1988/Uksi_19881144_en_1.htm
Leeds540 ha of Leeds, along River Aire/Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and south of city centre1988–1995http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1988/Uksi_19881145_en_1.htm
London DocklandsLondon Docklands1981–1998
London Thames GatewayLower Lea Valley (parts of Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham and Waltham Forest)
London Riverside (southern part of Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Newham)2004–2013
MerseysideMerseyside1981–1998
Plymouth67 ha of Plymouth docklands1993–1998http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1993/Uksi_19930911_en_1.htm
SheffieldLower Don Valley1988–1997http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1988/Uksi_19881146_en_1.htm
Teessidelarge tracts of land on River Tees, some in Hartlepool1987–1998http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1987/Uksi_19870923_en_1.htm
Thurrock Thames GatewayThurrock2003–2012http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2003/draft/20036708.htm
Trafford Parklarge area in Trafford and Salford along the Manchester Ship Canal1987–1998http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1987/Uksi_19870179_en_1.htm
Tyne and Wearbanks of the River Tyne and River Wear1987–1998http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1987/Uksi_19870924_en_1.htm
West NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire (parts of Northampton, Daventry and Towcester)2006–2014
::

New town development corporations

::data[format=table]

NameAreaTimeframeNotes
Aycliffe and PeterleeNewton Aycliffe and Peterleeto April 1, 1988http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1988/Uksi_19880412_en_1.htm
BasildonBasildon
BracknellBracknell
Central LancashireCentral Lancashire
CorbyCorby
CrawleyCrawley
CumbernauldCumbernauldto March 31, 1996
CwmbranCwmbranto April 1, 1988http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1988/Uksi_19880265_en_1.htm
EbbsfleetEbbsfleet Valley2015 -http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/747/made
East KilbrideEast Kilbride
GlenrothesGlenrothes
HarlowHarlow
Hemel HempsteadHemel Hempstead
LivingstonLivingston
Milton KeynesMilton Keynes, Buckinghamshireto April 1, 1992http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1992/Uksi_19920525_en_1.htm
PeterboroughPeterboroughto October 1, 1988http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1988/Uksi_19881410_en_1.htm
RedditchRedditch1964–1985
RuncornRuncornmerged to form Warrington and Runcorn
SkelmersdaleSkelmersdale1964-1984
StevenageStevenage11 Nov 1946 to 1980
TelfordTelford, Shropshireto October 1, 1991http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1991/Uksi_19911980_en_1.htm
WarringtonWarringtonmerged to form Warrington and Runcorn
Warrington and RuncornWarrington and Runcornto October 1, 1989http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1989/Uksi_19891231_en_1.htm
WashingtonWashingtonto April 1, 1988http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1988/Uksi_19880413_en_1.htm
::

Mayoral development corporations

The Localism Act 2011 permitted the Mayor of London to create mayoral development corporations in Greater London. The Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016 permitted the creation of mayoral development corporations by mayors of combined authority areas.

::data[format=table]

NameEstablished byAreaStartNotes
London LegacyMayor of LondonLondon Olympic Park
Old Oak and Park RoyalMayor of LondonOld Oak Common
South TeesTeesworks
Stockport Town Centre WestMayor of Greater ManchesterStockport
MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough
HartlepoolHartlepool
Oxford StreetMayor of LondonOxford Street
Old Trafford RegenerationMayor of Greater ManchesterOld Trafford
::

, a mayoral development corporation has been proposed for Middleton town centre.

United States

References

References

  1. "Honeysuckle Development Corporation. - People and organisations - Trove". trove.nla.gov.au.
  2. (18 January 2006). "Redesign hopes to revive Skelmerdale's fortunes". The Guardian.
  3. The Hidden Stevenage {{ISBN. 0 86332 667 6
  4. . (24 August 2023). ["A Beginners Guide to UK Geography (2023)"](https://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/datasets/a-beginners-guide-to-uk-geography-2023/about). *Office for National Statistics*.
  5. (2012). "The London Legacy Development Corporation (Establishment) Order 2012".
  6. (2015). "The Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (Establishment) Order 2015".
  7. (2017). "The South Tees Development Corporation (Establishment) Order 2017".
  8. (2019). "The Stockport Town Centre West Mayoral Development Corporation (Establishment) Order 2019".
  9. (2023). "The Middlesbrough Development Corporation (Establishment) Order 2023".
  10. (2023). "The Hartlepool Development Corporation (Establishment) Order 2023".
  11. "The Oxford Street Development Corporation (Establishment) Order 2025".
  12. (2025). "The Old Trafford Regeneration Mayoral Development Corporation (Establishment) Order 2025".
  13. Brown, Nikki. (2025-04-25). "Rochdale Council launch Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) for Middleton town centre".

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