The government is expected to give the go ahead to up to 26 of the 56 local partnerships that are due to replace regional development agencies.

Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Greater Birmingham are three of the local enterprise partnerships that the government is expected to approve.

These groups will be given powers over housing, planning and infrastructure outside London when regional development agencies are dissolved, which is due to happen by April 2012. While the government has not yet confirmed the list, here are the 26 that could be approved:

The Black Country

Cheshire & Warrington

Coast to Capital (including West Sussex, Croydon, and the Gatwick Diamond)

Coventry and Warwickshire

Cumbria (possibly)

Derbyshire

Empowering Enterprise (including Cornwall council)

Greater Birmingham

Greater Cambridge & Greater Peterborough

Greater Lincolnshire (possibly)

Greater Manchester

Hertfordshire

Kent-Essex

Leeds City Region

Leicester & Leicestershire

The Marches Enterprise Partnership (including Herefordshire and Shropshire county councils)

Merseyside

North East Partnership (including Newcastle, Gateshead and Sunderland councils)

North Yorkshire (possibly)

Oxfordshire City Region

Sheffield City Region

Solent (including Southampton and Portsmouth councils)

South East Midlands (possibly)

Tees Valley Unlimited

West of England (including Bristol and Gloucestershire councils)

Worcestershire

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