Agenda

The conference takes place on Wednesday 29th September 2021 at the Cavendish Conference Centre, London W1

This event offers a chance to be completely updated on the current Land, Development & Site Finding markets and hear guidance on where to logically look for sites and learn where the current opportunities are. An experienced line up of development market experts provide advice on where to find sites and how to work with them and their vendors, and offer crucial updates on the current Residential Development Process as a whole.

There is detailed viability and planning advice, information on how to work with certain types of site and strategic land, and how to bring a site through the construction & development process, as well as guidance on sales, Build to Rent and exit strategies for development projects. We also look at s106 and planning reforms, plus how to structure land deals and avoid common mistakes.

We’re expecting this to be very popular as always, and it’s a chance to be completely updated on the market, cross off some CPD, and network with the leading players in the development sector. It should be a very worthwhile day.

Conference Timetable

9.30am

Chairmans Introduction and Welcome
Andy Leahy, Managing Director, Bespoke Property Group
 
9.40am
How is the UK Housing Market performing and what are the projections moving forward?
What positives can be found from Covid and what is likely emerge over the coming months?

What has changed in terms of what consumers want and are these changes here to stay?
How is the Resi Development market performing regionally & where are the opportunity areas in both the sales and rental markets?
How is the new build market performing when compared to second hand markets?
What Government policies are affecting the market and why?
Grainne Gilmore, Head of Residential Research, Zoopla
 
10.00am
Where is the next Resi Development site coming from?
Where should developers be looking for the next strategic site?
How can Strategic Land be promoted?
Understanding brownfield, industrial and employment sites and what might become available next. The most logical places to look for development land when considering current legislation
Nick Ireland, Director, Iceni Projects

10.20am
Update on Trends in the Land Market across the UK
Who is buying what and where across the country?
Where are the opportunities for land acquisition in London & the regions?
How is the land market evolving and changing?
Lucy Greenwood, Director - Residential Research and Consultancy, Savills

10.40am

A Best Practice guide for Developers – Delivering optimal site density with strong sustainable design
How to get the best possible scheme onto a site – what do developers need to know in 2021? How can this be best accomplished?
What is happening with building density and where are the key locations?
How can developers deliver a low carbon or carbon neutral development?
Felicie Krikler, Director, Assael Architecture 

11.00am
Questions for Grainne, Nick, Lucy and Felicie

11.10am
Conference Interval

11.40am
How has the Site Finding and Land Acquisition Process Evolved and where is it going?
Are there really any real ‘off-market’ development opportunities in the modern market?
Where & how should a developer be looking for land in 2021?
What is the future for the Site Finding and where does technology fit in?
How can a land buyer secure robust and accurate data?
Why are partnerships & JVs with public land now crucial?
Paul Higgs, CEO, Millbank Land
Thomas McAlpine, Director, Addland
Joe Welch, Director, Urban Intelligence
(5-10 minutes per speaker followed by questions)

12.20pm
Joint Ventures between the Public & Private Sectors – why is there so much interest in this market?
What do those look to Invest with Local Authorities and Housing Associations need to know?
Where are the partnership opportunities & what kind of delivery volumes are realistically possible?
New Partners & New Vehicles – Attracting New Investment & Innovation and the role it plays in Future Delivery of Housing
Understanding how Private Sector Investment with Local Authorities and Housing Associations is important to helping delivery goals
How can the needs of both the investor and the Local Authority or Housing Association best be married together?
How much private investment has there been into Affordable Housing in the UK?
What is the long-term investment capacity of this market and where do we see the growth areas?
Tonia Secker, Partner – Head of Housing, Trowers & Hamlins
 
12.40pm
Panel Session – A modern collaborative Approach to Delivering Housing
How can Private Developers, Local Authorities & Public Sector Land Owners work together?
Where are the land opportunities for developers and what sort of sites are available?
What kind of public sector land is available and how can developers partner to deliver on such sites?
Understanding public sector land disposals, corporate land owners and institutional land
What is the appetite for joint ventures and how should both parties approach this?
What kind of collaborations are Private Sector Developers looking for?
How do developers view the current land market? Where are we with prices and what is the appetite to JV with land owners?
What is the real future of the housing market? How do private sector developers & local Authorities see future delivery?
Where do Build to Rent and for sale development fit?
What kind of approach are local authorities taking to Build to Rent and similar evolving products?
How can we make larger regeneration happen and what are the parties looking for from each other?
Barbara Brownlee, Executive Director of Growth, Planning and Housing, Westminster City Council
Kathryn Pennington, New Projects Director, Vistry Partnerships
Elaine Olphert, Head of Housing Delivery, Bristol City Council
Nicholas Harne, Head of Housing Strategy, Hull City Council
Andy Leahy, Managing Director, Bespoke Property Group (Panel Chair)
 
1.20pm
Networking Lunch Session
 
2.20pm
The different ways of structuring a land or development deal and what we need to know in the current Resi Development Market.
Which structures are best used when? Where do JVs fit in and what options are there?
What are the emerging trends and how can a developer ensure they have the best possible agreement in place?
Michelle Beaumont, Partner, Irwin Mitchell

2.40pm
Getting the Viability Process Spot On – why is it so important?
Understanding both the Developer and Local Authority perspective – what is the best approach?
Looking at housing supply and site planning 
How to work with the local authority to get things right
How are the NPPF and the NPPG affecting the ‘existing use value versus market value’ debate?
Will Seamer, Partner, Montagu Evans
 
3.00pm
A Planning Update – all the key issues with Resi Development Planning & the new White Paper
Will dramatic changes to the planning system really happen or will we just see a softer version?
How can developers work their way through the planning process as simply as possible under the current legislation?
Permitted Development Rights – where are we?
Planning Appeals – what trends are we seeing?
What other bits of recent legislation do developers need to be aware of?
Claire Dutch, Partner - Co Head of Planning, Ashurst
 
3.20pm
Getting your development built on time and on budget – what you need to know
Capacity, Cost and Efficiency – how do we get the process right?
How can we now build to meet Carbon neutral and ESG targets and what changes are we seeing in the construction industry as a whole?
Will digital technology completely change the way homes are built, and the way the process is managed and delivered?
When will off site manufacture and modular construction be cost effective?
Rob Littlewood, Director, Cast Consultancy
 
3.40pm
Questions for Michelle, Will, Claire and Rob
 
4.00pm
Close of Conference & Networking Drinks 

To see who attends this event: click here

This event is also eligible for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credit 

To learn how to book a place, please click here