Built Environment Conference: Investing in Lancashire’s levelling up

29 Sep 2022

Blackpool Football Club

08:30 - 13:00

lbv-bec22-logo.jpg

A Lancashire Business View event

In association with Anderton Gables, Blackpool Makes It Work and Harrison Drury Solicitors

8:30am – 1pm, Thursday 29 September
Blackpool Football Club
Book now

Millions of pounds are being invested across Lancashire in a series of high-profile regeneration projects.

And bids totalling nearly half a billion more are being sought from Levelling Up Funds across regeneration, transport and culture themes.

In a welcome show of unity, a joint letter from all Lancashire’s council leaders to the government stressed the proposals would have the power to “radically redefine” the county’s prospects top make “a visible and positive difference” to areas needing levelling up.

The Built Environment is at the heart of the county’s levelling up vision and this will be the focus of this conference.  

 Confirmed speakers:

Tom Higgins
Director
Laing O'Rourke

Tom joined Laing O'Rourke in 1981 and as a quantity surveyor and has since held positions as commercial director and business leader for the North. Tom has worked on high profile projects such as The Bridgewater Hall, City of Manchester Stadium, Liverpool One, Alder Hey Hospital and more recently the Manchester’s Town Hall Extension and Central Library. He also led the tender for the £570m Manchester Airport Transformation Programme and the new Everton Stadium project. An advocate for improving the image of construction and providing opportunities for all, Tom takes an active role in the social sustainability agenda and school engagement activities.

Nick Gerrard
Growth and prosperity programme director
Blackpool Council

Nick has more than 30 years of leading-edge planning, urban regeneration, economic development and corporate management experience at the public/private interface. He has contributed to high-calibre boards including Manchester’s New Economy, Trafford Council, North West Development Agency, Merseyside TEC and Trafford Park Development Corporation.


 

John Chesworth
Executive chairman
Harrison Drury Solicitors

John has specialised in property since qualifying as a solicitor in 1997. He joined Harrison Drury in 2007 and become managing partner within 12 months.  He now leads the board of directors shaping the future of the firm in his role as chairman.

John also chairs the Preston Towns Fund Bid and the Lancashire Branch of the Forum for the Built Environment (FBE)

Gemma Cornwall
Building surveyor and sustainability advisor
Anderton Gables

Gemma leads Anderton Gables' sustainability service providing professional advice to both residential and commercial clients on how to improve the environmental impact of their properties.

She also works works closely with the projects team assisting with renovation and redevelopment of residential and commercial space.

Jamie Holman
Artist
Uncultured Creatives 

Jamie is an artist known for his street and public art work. A recent high-profile work is The Lancashire Tapestry, commissioned for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. He is chair of the National Festival of Making, director of Jamie Holman Studios, partner at Uncultured Creatives, consultant for PRISM contemporary gallery and contributing editor at the Saatchi Gallery magazine.

Erin Kelly
Customer care supervisor
Red Rose Drylining

Erin Kelly is a customer care champion working within a group of companies that supports the property and construction industry supply chain.

This includes award-winning plastering and drylining contractor, Red Rose Dry Lining.

Paul McNeill
Director
Ball & Berry

 

Paul McNeill is a director at Ball & Berry – drawing on over 25 years’ industry experience, he leads a growing team of expert building control surveyors throughout England and Wales. From multiple regional offices, Ball & Berry’s on-the-ground teams provide approved inspector services for £multi-million, multi-phase projects – from high rise residential and mixed use commercial schemes to architecturally-leading domestic project – for clients including Property Alliance Group, Vita Group, The Hut Group, Salboy, Nikal and Ask Real Estate.

Charles Hadcock
Sculptor

Charles in a sculptor from London who is now based in Lancashire. 

In April 2007 he was a recipient of the Queens Award for Enterprise Promotion. In 2008 was made a fellow of the RBS. In 2014 he was commissioned as a Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire.

 

Book here

The conference will cover:

  • Transport infrastructure
  • New Business Improvement District
  • Education and skills infrastructure
  • Civic and community spaces
  • Town and city centre living
  • Leisure, sport, wellbeing and tourism facilities
  • Market enhancements

These complement significant investments underway in housing, town centres, logistics and in our Enterprise Zones.

They are ambitious schemes, including the flagship Eden Project North which is seeking £50m of public investment.

But with growth comes challenge.

Our towns and cities have their own identities. There is no ‘capital city’ of Lancashire.

How can those identities be maintained? How do we pull together as 15 local authorities? And how do we manage this sustainably?

What are the attractions of investing in Lancashire, how easy is it to bring forward and deliver projects?

And how do Built Environment professionals get a slice of the action and influence thinking?

We’ll bring together experts from across the county. From local government and politics to those in the sector, ready to deliver.

And we’ll be bringing in thinking from outside.

What can we learn from our neighbouring cities?

One thing is patience – Salford Quays and Liverpool One, for example, are overnight successes that were decades in the making.

Who is it for?

This event is designed for those who work in, influence or are affected by investment in the county’s Built Environment.

Live and in-person, we’ll bring you face-to-face interviews and panel conversations.

And there’ll be plenty of time away from the formal proceedings for you to forge new contacts and start the relationships that create the workflow with networking opportunities and exhibition.

Join us to:

  • Get the latest updates and opportunities on property and property investment in Lancashire
  • Hear and learn from those that are successful in property investment
  • Learn from our big city neighbours
  • Meet and network with the speakers, sponsors and attendees
  • Explore the exhibition made-up of sector experts
  • Learn about supply chain opportunities
  • Influence the conversation on the future of property investment in the county

 

The event will be reviewed in full in Lancashire Business View’s Property Report in our November-December edition and shared with our 50,000 readers in print and online.

Book your tickets now!
£40 +VAT

Book here

Tickets include light breakfast, refreshments and lunch with full access to the event including exhibition, networking and conference.

Sponsorship

For sponsorship opportunities including exhibition options please contact Stephen Bolton on [email protected] or 07966 090175.

 In association with:

Also exhibiting:

 

Background image for hub sign up block

LBV Hub

Leverage Lancashire Business View platforms

Post your news
Post your events
Post your offers
Build your network
Improve your SEO
Gain coverage in the magazine
Sign-up
Events
LBV131 November/December Magazine Networking Event
LBV131 Magazine Launch Social720No Text 19 Nov 2026

LBV131 November/December Magazine Networking Event

The Landmark, School Lane, Burnley, BB11 1UF

08:30 - 10:30

Lancashire Business Day 2026
LBD26 WW Logo720 27 Nov 2026

Lancashire Business Day 2026

Burnley Football Club, BB10 4BX

12:00 - 17:00

Sub36 Reunion & Networking
03 Dec 2026

Sub36 Reunion & Networking

Burnley Football Club, BB10 4BX

15:00 - 17:00

Help to Grow: Management Course
Help To Grow 25 Sep 2026 - 15 Dec 2026

Help to Grow: Management Course

University of Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2HE

09:30 - 12:00

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: October
Freelance Meet Up 22 Oct 2026

Preston Freelancer Meet-Up: October

Society1, 9-10 Cross Street, Preston, PR1 3LT

10:00 - 12:00

North West Business Expo
LBV Website Events GraphicBusiness Expo 1 23 Oct 2026

North West Business Expo

Toughsheet Stadium , Bolton, BL6 6JW

09:00 - 15:00

Girlie Night Out
Lancaster And Morecambe Logo 1 23 Oct 2026

Girlie Night Out

Lancaster Brewery, Lancaster, LA1 3LA

19:00 - 23:00

The PM+M Autumn Budget seminar - East Lancashire
Autumn Budget 2026 LBV 29 Oct 2026

The PM+M Autumn Budget seminar - East Lancashire

Blackburn Rovers Football Club (Premier Suite), Blackburn, BB2 4JF

08:00 - 10:30

Lancashire Finance Leaders Forum: The Autumn Budget in Focus
ian-UmTFcwHLPC0-unsplash.jpg.jpg 29 Oct 2026

Lancashire Finance Leaders Forum: The Autumn Budget in Focus

Farington Lodge Hotel, Stanifield Lane, PR25 4QR

08:00 - 10:00

Autumn Budget 2026
Lancaster And Morecambe Logo 1 30 Oct 2026

Autumn Budget 2026

Lancaster & Morecambe College, Lancaster, LA1 2TZ

08:00 - 10:00

Blackburn Budget Breakfast 2026
LBV Website Events GraphicBudget Breakfast 30 Oct 2026

Blackburn Budget Breakfast 2026

Premier Suite, Blackburn Rovers FC, Blackburn, BB2 4JF

07:30 - 10:30

Chamber Breakfast Networking – November
Lancaster And Morecambe Logo 1 03 Nov 2026

Chamber Breakfast Networking – November

Porsche Centre South Lakes, Carnforth, LA6 1FW

08:30 - 10:30

Advertise with us

Reaching 50,000 members, our print, digital and event platforms offer a fantastic way to raise your business profile and help you grow.

Find out more LBV130 Online GraphicWebsite
Subscribe now

Weekly news bulletin