On the 5th December, prominent business and public-sector leaders will come together for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Economic Growth Conference – the region’s largest business conference of the year.

The conference, hosted by Built Environment Networking, will see some of the region’s biggest names in business, politics and local government lead regional economic discussions whilst presenting major housing, commercial and infrastructure development schemes set to happen across the region – with the aim of boosting skills, jobs, homes and the wider economy. More than 30 speakers will discuss and present their future vision and plans for the region including representation from:

  • Mayor James Palmer
  • Wellcome Genome Campus
  • AstraZeneca
  • Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority
  • East Cambridgeshire District Council
  • South Cambridgeshire District Council
  • British Land
  • Evera
  • Highways England
  • Network Rail
  • Urban & Civic

The day-long event will provide a unique opportunity for over 300 delegates to hear about the collaborative approach to economic growth from the public and private sectors with the aim of ensuring positive regeneration and development within the region, whilst meeting over 15 exhibitors showcasing how they can contribute to the economic success of the region.

Matt Sampson, Development Director, Regeneration for U+I said: “We’re incredibly excited about the potential of the region and to be working with partners in Cambridge that share our vision for creating unique and vibrant places that modern communities need to thrive. We are looking forward to being part of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Economic Growth Conference, where we can draw on our experiences and discuss our future plans for how we plan to provide much-needed housing to this currently undersupplied region and help create great people centred places that reflect the area’s historical past, and bright economic future.”

Dr Andy Williams, Vice President for Strategy & Operations at AstraZeneca, said: ‘’The Cambridge cluster is a vital hub for collaboration within the UK life sciences, and research published by AstraZeneca in May found it contributes more than £2.9bn a year to the UK economy. However, in order for the future potential of the region to be fully realised, a number of key challenges, including the impact of Brexit, regional infrastructure, and securing a strong pipeline of skills and talent, must be taken into consideration. This conference will provide an important opportunity for stakeholders to come together to consider some of these challenges and how we can collectively address them.’’

David Gelling, Managing Director of This Land™, said: ‘’This conference is important in providing industry experts and practitioners with an opportunity to meet and exchange ideas and opportunities with like-minded businesses and individuals who are invested in the growth of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Cambridge itself is currently the fastest-growing city economy in the UK, but that growth is becoming increasingly constrained by the scarcity of new homes. The greater Cambridgeshire region has a pressing need to deliver more high-quality housing of all types to accommodate the fast pace of economic growth and inward investment that the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough sub-region is experiencing. The Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Economic Growth Conference should be a valuable forum to find new ways to unlock the faster housing growth that the area needs.’’

Cllr Bridget Smith, Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: ”The pressing demand for more homes is clear to all, but the challenges we face are not just about delivering bricks and mortar. We need to ensure we create true communities where people have easy access to jobs and love to live. We’re not in the business of just building groups of houses and one of our biggest priorities is making sure we provide homes that are affordable to live in. This includes the cost of all your bills. We must also capitalise on the work we have done at Northstowe to ensure exemplar planning contributes to health and wellbeing elsewhere. We can also no longer ignore our responsibility to make a positive contribution to the environment. To achieve this we all have a role to play.”

Ron Henry, Partner at Peter Brett Associates, commented: “We are thrilled to be the Conference Partner for the Infrastructure session at this prestigious conference. We are driving many high profile projects in and around the Cambridge and Peterborough area, such as North West Cambridge Development, Waterbeach Barracks and Airfield in Cambridge Alconbury Weald in Huntingdon, Wintringham Park in St Neots, and Hampton Development and Great Haddon in Peterborough to name but a few. We therefore have a vested interest in the long-term development of the region. We look forward to hearing from industry speakers and meeting fellow professionals and clients on the day”.

David Collins, Managing Director at Hadham Construction, said: ‘’Hadham Construction design and build warehouses, offices, hotels and houses – and through our ‘HadFrame’ Light Gauge steel system we’re up to 30% faster and cheaper for mainstream house building than traditional methods. Therefore this conference provides an opportunity to discuss with clients in the region who’re already working with us and to meet new ones also. We’re always interested in working with service providers, public sector and house builders, which makes this Built Environment Conference a natural place to attend.’’

Keith Griffiths, MD of Built Environment Networking said: ‘’Civic and business leaders in the region have an evident ambition to deliver an unprecedented level of economic growth in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. It’s an incredibly exciting period for the region and this conference will be central to understanding the barriers to growth, whilst ensuring alignment and collaboration in the industry to boost jobs, skills, growth and regeneration across the whole region.’’

 

For more information or to book tickets to the event on the 5th December visit: www.built-environment-networking.com/CPEGC18 and for media enquiries please contact Nathan Spencer at nathan.spencer@www.built-environment-networking.com