Neil McInroy is a geographer and has been involved in public sector policy and delivery for over 20 years. Whilst having experience in developing partnerships and innovative policy responses to global, regional and local economic, social and environmental challenges, Neil's particular skills are in: local economic and social research, analysis and development; policy practice, research methodologies; facilitation and strategy building.

Neil regularly conducts work across the UK and is also developing a growing first-hand experience and knowledge of creative economic and social policy in locations around the world. Neil became Chief Executive of CLES in 2003.


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Clive Betts MP began his political career in 1973 and in 1976 was elected as a member of Sheffield City Council. He became Leader of the Council in 1987, having served on the Housing and Finance committees for several years. He remained on the Council until his election as Labour Member of Parliament for Sheffield Attercliffe in 1992.

Clive was appointed a Government Whip in 1997 and held the post until 2001. In June 2010 he was elected as Chair of the Department for Communities and Local Government Select Committee.

Since becoming a member of parliament, Clive has been a key member on several select committees (Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Department for Communities and Local Government). His political interests include economic policy, local and regional government and housing. He is chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Arms Length Management Organisations, the All Party Football Group and is also chair of the Netherlands Group in Parliament.

Clive can frequently be found in the stands at Sheffield Wednesday FC and is Captain of the UK Parliament football club.

Presentation: How can development support economic growth and meet the needs of the nation?

Recent reforms aim to make the planning system simpler, clearer and more accessible to businesses and people in communities. There is a real emphasis on developers to plan positively for the future of communities by encouraging local economic activity and setting out a clear economic vision and strategy for their area. What impact will removing unnecessary barriers and cutting back on bureaucracy have on our economy and communities? Do the reforms and changes in legislation make it easier for development and growth?

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David Orr is Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation and a former President of CECODHAS-Housing Europe, the European Liaison Committee for Social Housing. He has chaired the mobility taskforce that recently reported on how to increase social housing mobility. He also sits on the board of The Housing Finance Corporation (THFC). He was a member of the Social Investment Task Force, which supports the development of social investment in the UK, and is one of the founding directors of My Home Finance, a social enterprise set up by the federation to provide a new high street service offering affordable loans, money advice, bank accounts and linked savings accounts.

Previously, David has been Chief Executive of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and of Newlon Housing Trust, having also worked with Centrepoint. David was awarded in 2010 an honorary membership of the CIH.

Presentation: Getting Britain building

The government has set out a major housing and planning package that will deliver 70,000 new homes, 140,000 jobs in the construction sector and guarantees of £10bn for new homes and £40bn for major infrastructure projects. New government guidelines for building on contaminated sites have been published with the aim of reducing bureaucracy and prioritising brownfield sites so that land that has previously been developed can be re-used. Developers should be striving to remediate despoiled, degraded, derelict, contaminated and unstable land.

Sir Adrian Montague's report has also recommended greater flexibility to meet the growing housing demand and encourage institutional investment. How can we address potential barriers to investment and development whilst ensuring the evidence base for decisions is adequate, up-to-date and relevant?

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Alister Scott is Professor of Environment and Spatial Planning at Birmingham School of the Built Environment, Birmingham City University. His teaching and research interests revolve around rural-urban interrelationships and environmental governance set within an interdisciplinary perspective. Alister works in partnership with policy and practice professionals to address 'messy' problems. His current projects include developing tools for policy and decision-makers as part of the prestigious National Ecosystems Assessment Follow on project 2012-2014 and managing environmental change at the rural urban fringe.

Alister is a champion of good planning and regularly writes for the Birmingham Post highlighting recent issues associated with planning reforms. He won the RTPI West Midlands Planning Leaders award 2012 and has pioneered the development of Rufopoly, an interactive game in the rural urban fringe.

Presentation: Rebuilding planning to help build a better Britain

This talk looks at the challenges and opportunities for planning as a positive agent for economic, social and environmental change. Recent research challenges conventional notions of what constitutes growth, development and enterprise including the rethinking of some classic planning tools that are no longer fit for purpose.

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Liz Jesper is a town planner and Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute with over 25 years experience in the public sector. She has been involved in the all aspects of the town planning process including preparation of numerous local/development plans and land use strategies and dealing with major planning applications. She has also been involved in the delivery of major regeneration projects in urban areas and implementing capital projects and schemes.

Currently working as a Development Planning Manager for the South area of Birmingham Liz is leading the preparation and implementation of plans for the 140 ha former MG Rover site at Longbridge and for the regeneration of over 50ha at Selly Oak. Both projects involve extensive working with public and private sector partners and the local community to deliver investment in the region of £1billion in each area.

Presentation: The Longbridge Area Action Plan Experience, Longbridge Birmingham

Longbridge redevelopment has £1bn invest planned in creating a vibrant new community on former industrial land. This talk will address the progress in delivering the development, the impact of government guidance in assisting regeneration of brownfield sites and encouraging economic growth, the usefulness of local plans, issues of speed and the planning system, and the impact of the changing economic climate.

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Andrew Round is the Assistant Director of Planning & Development at Birmingham City Council, where he manages teams responsible for Planning Management, Development Planning, Regeneration, Project Delivery, City Centre Management & Design and Conservation.

Andrew directs planning and development in the city centre and is responsible for the day-to-day management of Birmingham City Centre Enterprise Zone.

Key projects include: Birmingham Gateway, the redevelopment of New Street Station, Paradise Circus and Eastside (where the city has recently invested £12m creating a new park, the first in the city centre for 130 years).

Before joining the city council in 2008, Andrew worked in the Birmingham Office of GVA Grimley as a Partner/Director.

Presentation: Enterprise and industrial areas: Big City Plan

Enterprise Zones offer simplified planning, discounts on business rates, and new opportunities to fund infrastructure and attract inward investment. There will be opportunities to discuss progress on Birmingham's Big City Plan.

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Toyubur Rahman, is currently The Association of Town & City Management's (ATCM) Town Team Project Manager working with nearly 400 Town Teams to help revive town centres. He has worked in town centre management since 2001, was Development Manager at the ATCM for five years. Here he developed the South East Town Centre Network and Coastal Towns Network, undertook, a major piece of research looking into "Financing he Management and Maintenance of Public Spaces" and launched the Purple Flag Award to raise the quality of the night time economy.

He joined Keep Britain Tidy in 2010. As Partnership Manager, he developed partnerships across the private, public and voluntary sectors to achieve cleaner, greener places and promoted national campaigns such as Blue Flag, Beachcare and Love Where You Live.

He has also worked in the London Borough of Bromley as a Regeneration Officer and town centre manager. He also has a retail background at management level working for JD Sports and Dixons Stores Group and has been a volunteer awards judge for the Royal Town Planning Institute for the past 7 years.

Presentation: How to revive Town centres: Experience from Town Teams

The Portas review set out to identify what the government, local authorities, businesses and others can do together to promote the development of new models of prosperous and diverse high streets. What has been done and what more can be done?

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Tom leads on planning, property and local economic development policy at the CBI, the UK's premier business lobbying organisation. He is responsible for representing the views of companies up and down the country on economic development issues, currently leading a project looking at the specific benefits of private sector-led regeneration to local economies. He is also responsible for developing CBI policy messages on planning, from major infrastructure projects down to the neighbourhood level. In previous roles he has worked on public services and enterprise policy as well as in the CBI Brussels office.


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