MAY’S COUNCILS HOUSING CONFERENCE – ONLINE

Following our successful Autumn Councils Housing Conference, we have a packed agenda for the next Councils Housing Conference – online on 26 May from 9.30-12 pm.

The event attracts a wide range of local authority delegates and many other members of The Housing Forum working in partnership.

Viability, Levelling-Up, Decarbonisation, Sustainable Design, and Estate Regeneration, all delivered by expert speakers promises a lively event. There will be break-out group discussions on Levelling Up, case studies, and Q&A.

The agenda is supported by our influential Local Councils Advisory Group drawn largely from our 75+ Councils Network.

The network is supported by THF members Airey Miller, Baily Garner, BPTW, and calfordseaden who all support councils’ housing activities with a range of services.

Speakers and topics confirmed to date

Conference chair: TBC

Viability Challenges – A Local Authority Perspective

Jo Payne from Sheffield City Council will take us through the issues involved under the following key headings

• Current construction market conditions
• Funding challenges
• Site challenges

Joanne Payne, Local Councils Advisory Group Deputy Chair. Service Manager, Housing Growth Delivery Service, City Futures, Sheffield City Council

Viability Survey – delegate survey results

A review of the results and what needs to change.

How many homes have not been taken forward into development due to viability issues within the last 2 years?

Joanne Payne and commentary from Dan Massie, Head of Development, The Hill Group

The components of planning successful estate regeneration

The speakers will discuss the benefits of combined client-side and technical expertise in delivering estate regeneration. The session will provide case study examples of Airey Miller’s work for local authorities and a ten-point guide to planning successful regeneration.

Caroline Pillay, Senior Director, and Ed Richards, Project Director, Airey Miller

Sustainable Design for Local Authorities – What’s the problem?

Illustrated with Passivhaus and net-zero target case study projects from LB Hammersmith and Fulham and LB Newham, this presentation will focus on the challenges and solutions in balancing high sustainability requirements against other key development priorities. Looking at key topics including procurement, funding, design development, community co-design, affordable housing need, and local authority policy, the presentation will highlight effective ways to set and negotiate priorities when balancing often competing requirements against high sustainability standards.

Neill Campbell, Partner, and Dido Graham, Passivhaus Designer, BPTW

Building Safety Bill and the Golden Thread

Now that the Building Safety Bill has received Royal Assent, we will take through a brief overview of the principles of the Golden Thread and how these will aid you in achieving the requirements of the Building Safety Act.

Varun Soni, calfordseaden

Decarbonisation Series – our members’ journey towards NetZero

The Housing Forum Decarbonisation Scoping Group has been meeting regularly to share insights on how the sector is dealing with these challenges and this thought leadership supports the webinar series. THF Deputy Chair, Caroline Compton-James reprises the findings from the first two webinars – ‘Systems and Strategies’ and ‘Decarbonisation – delivery for the housing sector. Caroline will also consider the next steps in the programme and the results of the ongoing survey by The Housing Forum’s Futures Network.

Caroline Compton-James, Public Sector Director, Osborne Construction and Deputy Chair, The Housing Forum

Council Joint Venture Regeneration case study – Partnering for Success

Havering Council and Wates Residential announced a 12-year joint venture partnership in 2018 to regenerate 12 estates across the London Borough, providing 3,500 much needed new homes. The £1 billion project seeks to double the amount of council rented accommodation and more than double the number of affordable homes in the Borough. Now into its 5th year, the vision of delivering high-quality homes for local people, whilst delivering a wide range of lasting benefits for the community, is already starting to be realised.

Hugh Jeffery, Regional Development Director for Wates Residential.

Neil Stubbings, Director of Regeneration Programmes, London Borough of Havering.

Levelling Up – the need for a more holistic funding approach

Many councils have housing development sites which sit on the cusp of viability. Still, they often need remediation and there’s frequently a lack of infrastructure to service the number of homes required.

There is much debate about developing the greenbelt due to the lack of brownfield or urban land available to service the demand. Proposals to build on the greenbelt are controversial locally but can robust local plans assist?

What challenges do you face, how are you tackling them and what more needs to be done?

Darren Ashworth, Partner, Trowers & Hamlins.

Levelling Up – break out rooms discussion and feedback

Homes England on their work with local authorities and a pivot to place-based working as part of the Government’s Levelling Up agenda

Debbie Ward, Director of the Capability Building Centre of Excellence, Homes England 

“We value The Housing Forum’s cross sector membership and the breadth of the discussions that offers. In particular, we have found it really useful to listen to a range of different voices including Local Authorities, housing associations, construction companies, manufacturers and consultants all around one table.”
– Homes England

‘I have been involved with The Housing Forum since October 2019 and have been impressed with the enormity of the established network and their work to gather relevant knowledge from different sectors of the industry, partners and beyond.’
– Joanne Payne, Service Manager, Housing Growth at Sheffield City Council

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