Sustainable Communities and Regeneration Masterclass 2009
About the programme
Both the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and BURA have worked with the Academy of Sustainable Communities (ASC) to produce this Masterclass which has been endorsed by by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and sponsored/supported by the Government’s Improvement and Development Agency. All are committed to creating sustainable communities. In order to achieve this, it is important to maximise knowledge, understanding and communication at all levels between the many and diverse organisations involved in the planning and delivery of such projects.
With this in mind, this programme for senior managers has been developed to address the more essential issues relating to the creation of sustainable communities and successful regeneration. The programme consists of three 24hr residential modules and will provide the opportunity for attendees to:
- Discuss key issues with senior Government officials, policy-makers and practitioners from the public, private and voluntary sectors
- Contribute to the policy of professional organisations concerned with sustainable communities and the regeneration process
- Exchange knowledge with experienced senior professionals from a variety of backgrounds who have a desire to improve the UK's overall regeneration performance
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Download Regeneration Masterclass 2009 brochure (PDF: 334 kb)

Sustainable Communities and Regeneration Masterclass 2009 in partnership with the British Urban Regeneration Association
SPONSORED BY:

Read more about the ASC
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Programme
- Module One – Creating Sustainable Communities: 25th and 26th February 2009
Understanding the big picture
By the end of the first session participants will have examined current English and International trends in sustainable communities and regeneration thinking and the key drivers and priorities. They will also have considered the likely development of the leading delivery organisations over the next five years and their effectiveness.
- Module Two – The Built Environment: 25th and 26th March 2009
Making better use of resources and expertise
By the end of this session participants will have an understanding of the Government’s transformational change agenda and the implications for the public and private sector. Participants will have examined ways to access different funding streams and assessed the benefits of programme integration. The opportunities and challenges presented by the requirements of the private and public sectors will have been examined.
- Module Three – Developing successful & Effective Partnerships: 22nd and 23rd April 2009
Discovering the ingredients of success
By the end of this session participants will have examined a number of sustainable communities and regeneration exemplars and analysed the variety of successful management styles. Ways of developing individual and organisational capacity will have been considered and ways of achieving continuous improvement will have been examined.
In a mixture of keynote and breakout sessions current issues will be explored and discussed. The outcome will be an assessment of Government Policy, where it is on track and where it is likely to fail.
The aim will be to produce output that will be considered initially by both the CIH and BURA and potentially other professional and trade organisations with an interest in sustainable communities and regeneration processes.
Speakers on the 2008 programme included:
- Kelvin MacDonald - Director of Policy and Research, RTPI
Kelvin MacDonald is the Director of Policy and Practice at the Royal Town Planning Institute. He is an Affiliated Lecturer at the Department of Land Economy, Cambridge University; a member of the steering groups of the ODPM's Planning Research Network and of the Planning Advisory Service and is a member of its Planning for Housing Advisory Group (Pfhag) and of the Westminster Housing Commission. He is a Fellow of the Royal Town Planning Institute and of the Royal Society of Arts.
- Alan Murie - Professor of Urban and Regional Studies, CURS
Alan Murie is Professor of Urban and Regional Studies at the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies at the University of Birmingham and Head of the School of Public Policy. He has been a leading contributor to housing research and policy debates for over twenty years. He was the founder editor of the journal Housing Studies and has published widely on housing and related issues..
- Sarah Webb - Chief Executive, CIH
Sarah joined the CIH in 2003 to head up its policy and practice directorate having spent the previous 2 years as head of ODPM's Community Housing Task Force. Before this she was Head of Housing Strategy at Birmingham City Council and Director of Southside HA - a community-based RSL in Glasgow. These roles followed a 5 year stint as a Senior Housing & Regeneration Consultant for DTZ Pieda (rhymes with spider!) Consulting.
- John Thompson - Chair, British Acadamy of Urbanism
John is chairman of the British Acadamy of Urbanism and has extensive experience of urban regeneration and residential development. He pioneered community planning as a tool for bringing about interdisciplinary community-based planning. John is chairman of the RIBA Urbanism and Planning Group and a member of Yorkshire Forward's Urban and Rural Renaissance Panels. He was a founder member of the Urban Villages Forum and is closely involved The Prince's Foundation..
- Tom Manion - Chief Executive, Irwell Valley HA
Dr. Tom Manion was appointed Chief Executive of Irwell Valley HA in 1997. Since then, the Association has more than trebled in size and achieved international status across Europe and the USA as a frontrunner of modern methods and innovation in business practice, customer service, property and neighbourhood management.
- Paul Spooner - Director, EP NW & Midlands
Paul, a qualified town planner, has been a Regional Director for English Partnerships since January 2004. He is responsible for delivering the Government's national regeneration priorities in the North West and West Midlands in partnership with local and regional agencies. Prior to this he was Director of Economic Development at Birmingham City Council for four years, responsible for city centre regeneration and major economic development projects, and Director of Development for Portsmouth City Council for seven years. There he led the public/private sector partnership for the regeneration of Portsmouth Harbour. Paul is a member of the North West Regional Housing Board and on the Board of the Academy for Sustainable Communities..
- Peter Roberts - Chair, ASC
Professor Peter Roberts is Professor of Regional Planning at the Department of Civic Design, University of Liverpool. In June 2005 he was appointed Chair of the Academy for Sustainable Communities. He also advises Addleshaw Goddard on planning, regeneration and environmental matters. He is involved in a number of activities concerned with regional and urban planning, environmental management and regeneration, including the Town and Country Planning Association (past Chair and now Vice-President) and the Regional Studies Association (past Chair and Hon Vice-Chair).He is an Academician of the Academy of Learned Societies (ACSS), a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and was appointed OBE in 2004 for services to regeneration and planning..
- Stephen Hill, Director, C20 futureplanners
Stephen Hill has been working on the practical delivery and policy of new housing growth and regeneration since 1970, in private, local authority and housing association housebuilding, as well as consultancy and English Partnerships.
In recent years I have been Head of Millennium Communities and National Standards at English Partnerships, and then until November 2007, Director of Sustainable Developments and Faculty at Beyond Green. I am currently on BRE's Sustainability Board, RTPI's Community Planning Network Steering Group, and RICS' Planning & Development Faculty and EU Property Advisory Boards.
- Steve Douglas, Chief Executive Housing Corporation
Steve is the Chief Executive of the Housing Corporation, the Government's national affordable homes agency, and regulator of the activities of Registered Social Landlords (RSLs). He joined the Corporation in April 2001 as Director of Investment and Regeneration for London and was made overall Director for the London Region in 2004. He was then made Deputy Chief Executive in 2005.
He is the former head of a number of housing associations including, Chief Executive of ASRA Greater London Housing Association. Prior to that he worked as Development Manager with a large regional housing association and also served as a member of the National Federation’s Housing Management and Maintenance Committee.
- Richard Baines - Director of Sustainable Development ,Black Country Housing Group Limited.
Richard Baines trained as an environmental scientist in architecture. He is currently employed by the Group as an environmental consultant and is helping the Group, other housing associations and local authorities to learn about sustainability in housing and manufacturing. He is also leading research initiatives in procurement, best value, alternative technology and environmental business development.
- Dominic Church - Dipl.Ing MSc RIBA
Dominic Church is Senior Policy Advisor at CABE with special focus on Housing. Whilst in practise as an architect, Dominic worked in Germany, Luxembourg, Scandinavia and Israel, specialising in housing projects and hospitals before joining the Building Design Partnership (BDP) in 1998 to work on a number of educational buildings throughout the UK.
Dominic completed an MSc City Design and Social Science at the LSE Cities Programme in 2001and subsequently took a leading role in teaching and research as Assistant Director of the MSc programme and Associate at Enterprise LSE Cities ltd. His consultancy work included the Urban Design Review of a major SRB regeneration project in South London, research into Density and Residential Neighbourhoods in London, and into the Social, Cultural and Economic role of the High Street in Towns and Small Cities in Yorkshire.
- Steve Clayton - Neighbourhood Manager, Castle Vale Neighbourhood Partnership
A qualified environmental health officer and member of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. With extensive experience at a senior management level in housing and regeneration. Responsible for developing the first holistic approaches to regeneration in Birmingham; culminating in the declaration of the first two renewal areas in the City. Previously a member of a number of Government working parties and groups tackling issues such as ‘Supporting People’ and independent living.
In 2004 was appointed as Neighbourhood Manager for Castle Vale in Birmingham and responsible through partnership working for Castle Vale's ongoing regeneration following Castle Vale Housing Action Trust's life coming to an end in 2005. Member of inter agency group that oversees the rollout of neighbourhood management in Birmingham. An active member of the community with links to various voluntary groups and organisations.
- Robert Cogings – Principal Strategic Housing Officer, Derbyshire Dales DC & High Peak BC
Rob came into housing through his work as an Environmental Health Officer at Stoke on Trent City Council. He worked in the private sector renewal team and spent a year on secondment to Staffordshire University developing a Landlord Accreditation Scheme.
After completing an MA in Housing at UCE Birmingham Rob moved to Staffordshire Moorlands DC and remained with the council through LSVT in 2001. In 2002 he moved to Derbyshire Dales DC following a successful stock transfer to Dales Housing. Rob has successfully developed the strategic housing role in two rural local authorities and attracted considerable housing investment. He has just completed the final year of the part time MBA course at Derby University.
Rob now works for two councils leading a joint Housing Strategy Team across two local authority areas, Derbyshire Dales and High Peak. He has worked to influence national and regional policy and promote investment in rural areas. He is currently working with the Improvement and Development Agency as lead Mentor on the Rural Excellence Programme. Rob is also a member of the Government’s recently established Rural Housing Advisory Group.
- Jon Rouse – Chief Executive, Croydon Council
Jon Rouse is Chief Executive of Croydon Council, having been appointed in July 2007. Formerly Chief Executive of the Housing Corporation, he was previously Chief Executive of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE). Prior to that Jon was Secretary to the Urban Task Force and Policy & Communications Manager at English Partnerships. He spent 5 years at the DoE, including a spell as Private Secretary to the Minister for Housing & Local Government. He is also trustee of Regenerate, a Wandsworth youth charity, and Homeless International. He is a Board member of Croydon Business Venture.
- Phil Barton - Chief Executive, ENCAMS
Phil Barton is Chief Executive of ENCAMS having taken up the post 3rd March 2008. Prior to joining ENCAMS Phil was Chief Executive of RENEW Northwest, which he launched in 2005. RENEW Northwest is the regional centre of excellence, building the skills and capacity of regeneration leaders and practitioners from all sectors. It enables improved quality in the built environment and the creation of more sustainable communities.
Previously Phil established Defra’s policies and programmes for supporting rural communities in tackling social exclusion and led the Department’s relationship with the voluntary and community sector. He also initiated the ODPM's Neighbourhood Renewal work on local environments.
From 1997 to 2002 Phil was a director at Groundwork UK, initially as North West & Northern Ireland Regional Director and latterly as national Director of Corporate Strategy. Having begun his career with Manchester City Council and the Countryside Commission, Phil then became actively involved in community based environmental regeneration partnerships in the North West for over twenty years. This included spells at the Co-operative Bank's National Centre for Business & Ecology, the Mersey Basin Campaign and Manchester's Community Technical Aid Centre.
- Merron Simpson - Head of Policy at the Chartered Institute of Housing
Merron Simpson is Head of Policy at the Chartered Institute of Housing. She leads a team of policy experts whose aims are to represent and support the housing profession, influence government thinking and action and help to shape housing and regeneration policy and practice at national, regional and local level. She also has responsibility for leading the voluntary CIH's branches policy and practice work in the regions.
Merron's brief is wide-ranging. Working with a range of partners CIH is engaged in work to shape the future of housing regulation, planning for housing, developing the local authority strategic housing role, improving financial capability, new tenancy options for residents, asylum seekers and refugees, and the private rented sector among other things. She has advised government on many matters issues – most recently relating to the strategic housing role of local authorities. She has also represented CIH on a Ministerial Advisory Group on planning for housing.
In 2001 she was seconded from CIH for one year to work on Birmingham City Council's stock transfer programme and on the authority's strategic housing role. She was also a representative on the West Midlands Regional Housing Partnership. Prior to joining CIH as a policy officer, Merron was a researcher at South Gloucestershire Council and completed a Masters in Housing Policy at the University of the West of England.
Merron will be leaving CIH and starting work as an independent consultant at the end of April 2008, focusing on housing and communities.
- Yvonne Davies - Head of Housing (North) – Audit Commission
Yvonne joined the commission in January 2006, with over 25 years of experience of working in Housing Associations and Local Authorities in the Midlands and Merseyside and Cheshire.
Yvonne's most recent role in the sector was for 5 years at PLUS, leaving with the role of Group Initiatives Director and Managing Director for New Generation Housing Association. Following a successful inspection which Yvonne led in the group, Yvonne was seconded to South Liverpool HA and Chester & District HA assist the new CEOs to improve services, prior to re-inspection by the AC.
Yvonne's qualifications range from business studies to housing, planning and management at a variety of levels. Yvonne is a member of the CIH and CMI.
At the Housing Inspectorate, Yvonne's responsibilities include all Housing Inspections and Local Studies in the north as well as national policy lead on Supporting people and Diversity
- Peter Housden - Permanent Secretary Department for Communities and Local Government
Peter Housden is Permanent Secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government. The new department, created in May 2006, has responsibility for housing, planning, local government, fire and civil resilience, regeneration and community cohesion.
Peter was previously Permanent Secretary at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and from 2001-2005 was Director-General for Schools at the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).
Peter began his career as a comprehensive school teacher in Shropshire and worked as an education officer in three county authorities before being appointed Director of Education in Nottinghamshire in 1991.
Prior to joining the Civil Service, Peter served as Chief Executive of Nottinghamshire County Council from 1994-2001 during which time he had a six month secondment to the Audit Commission to lead its work on the NHS National Plan.
Peter is a trustee of the Work Foundation and an Associate Fellow of Warwick University Business School. Local Statesmen - his oral history of politics in Nottinghamshire County Council - was published in 2000.
Who should attend?
The programme will give the leaders of organisations involved in sustainable communities and regeneration the opportunity to examine the contribution that their organisation makes to the success of sustainable communities and regeneration projects. Delegates and speakers will be drawn from the main disciplines involved in regeneration with the aim of developing a shared understanding of the drivers which determine the success of regeneration projects. At the end of each part of the programme those involved will be asked to formulate messages to inform the future work of the ASC, BURA and CIH.
The Venue
Holiday Inn, Solihull
The venue is a four-star hotel with the comforts and amenities expected of a venue in Solihull, West Midlands.
The hotel is 5 miles from the Birmingham NEC. Birmingham International Airport is 15 minutes away. Situated in the heart of England, we are 1 mile from Jct 5 off the M42 with direct links to the M6, M6 TOLL, M1 and M40.
Booking and Fees
Booking code - 1094048
The cost for all 3 modules for the 2009 programme is £2995 + VAT
For bookings please use our application form attached to the Regeneration Masterclass 2009 brochure.
Contact Us
For further information contact:
Angus Kennedy: email: angusk@crp-ltd.co.uk tel: 07813 697647
Or email: regeneration@cih.org or info@bura.org.uk
