Industry leaders confirmed for built environment conference

Nine speakers spanning private, public and third sectors and representing a range of industries will share their insight and expertise at the conference exploring the built environment’s role in Lancashire’s long-term future.

Built Environment Conference 2023: Building Towards Lancashire 2050 will take place at Blackpool Football Club on 28 September. The event is the latest to be organised by Lancashire Business View and is supported by Blackpool Council and Harrison Drury Solicitors.

A variety of highly-experienced individuals from a host of well-known and award-winning organisations have been hand-picked to speak with authority on a range of key issues.

Selected from the worlds of housing, commercial developments, tourism, infrastructure, planning and place making, the speakers confirmed so far are:

Suzy Jones, director of the future, Urban Splash

Urban Splash has a decades-long history of making special places for people to live and work, undertaking more than 60 regeneration projects around the UK, totalling more than 6,000 new homes and 2 million square feet of workspace.

Phil Mayall, managing director North West, Muse

Muse is a placemaker which works in partnership with towns and cities to create beautiful, liveable and sustainable places that are people-centred, high quality and built to last. Some of the many projects undertaken by Muse include Salford Central, Newcastle Quayside and Blackpool’s Talbot Gateway.

John Sullivan, founding director, Backlot Cinema / The Big Picture

Blacklot Cinema will be an anchor tenant for the redeveloped Houndshill Shopping Centre in Blackpool town centre which, when open, will offer one of the largest IMAX screens in the country.

Deborah Smith, owner, Smith and Love Planning Consultants

Smith and Love is a planning consultant serving a range of private and public sector organisations across the North West. With a long list of contacts in property and development, Deborah also established Lancashire Ladies in Property, hosting regular events.

Sandy Livingstone, executive director - property, Onward Homes

Onward is a not-for-profit registered provider of social housing. One of the largest organisations of its kind, it operates more than 35,000 homes across the North West.

Warren Bennett, commercial director, James Places

James Places is a multi-award-winning tourism and leisure business operating an eclectic group of hotels, inns and venues located across the Ribble Valley and beyond.

Andrew Atkinson, managing director, Fairhaven Housing

Fairhaven is a not-for-profit organisation which owns and operates seven retirement communities in Lancashire. Andrew will share insight into how his organisation’s unique approach is hoping to revolutionise how people view retirement developments.

Nick Gerrard, growth and prosperity programme director, Blackpool Council

Nick will discuss Blackpool’s ambitious £2bn+ Growth and Prosperity Programme, which includes three major investments including: regenerating the town centre and the Talbot Gateway Central Business District; the £300m Blackpool Central leisure development; and the £300m of development at Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone.

John Chesworth, executive chairman, Harrison Drury Solicitors

As the leader of one of Preston’s most prominent businesses, and chair of a number of the city’s key regeneration initiatives, such as the Towns Fund Strategic Board, John will share insight into the multi-million-pound reimagination of Preston’s city centre.

Smith and Love Planning Consultants will be supporting the event and Fairhaven will be exhibiting.

Themes discussed at the event will include economic prosperity, transport and infrastructure, climate, housing, employment, skills, communities and place.

ESG, Levelling Up and Lancashire’s heritage will also be explored in relation to the shaping of the Lancashire 2050 ambitions.

Richard Slater, chairman of event organiser Lancashire Business View, said: “Following on from the success of last year’s Built Environment Conference, we will be charting the progress that the county has made over the last 12 months while also looking further into the future than we have before.

“The success of our events has always been due to the calibre of our guest speakers who contribute, and for this year’s conference we are excited to be inviting speakers from outside the county who will be able to share experiences from other regions which have faced major periods of change, and to offer an outsider’s perspective on our own developments. This event is not to be missed for anyone with a stake in this county’s fortunes over the coming decades.”

In addition to hearing from top industry professionals, delegates will also be afforded time away from the formal proceedings to network with and meet new contacts as well as browse the exhibition.

One ticket £50 +VAT
Two tickets £90 +VAT