Conference to discuss major development and economic growth opportunities surrounding the Oxford Cambridge ARC

On the 20th June, prominent business and public sector leaders will come together in Milton Keynes for the Oxford Cambridge ARC Development Conference – one of the country’s largest business conferences of the year.

This conference, hosted by Built Environment Networking and supported by the Scottish Government, will see some of the country’s biggest names in business, politics and government lead an economic debate including discussions on transport, housing, skills, sustainable development, environment and industrial strategy to maximise opportunities across the arc corridor. More than 30 speakers will discuss and present plans for the future of the region including:

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  • OXLEP; Ahmed Goga, Director for Strategy & Programmes
  • SEMLEP; Sir Peter Horrocks, Chair
  • Oxfordshire Cotswold Garden Village; Jacqui Cox, Infrastructure Lead
  • University of Buckingham; Sir Anthony Seldon, Vice-Chancellor
  • Buckinghamshire Thames Valley LEP; Richard Harrington, Chair
  • Huntingdonshire District Council; Jo Lancaster, Managing Director
  • MEPC; Phillip Campbell, Commercial Director
  • Barratt David Wilson Homes; Jim Rawlins, Senior Planning Manager
  • The Land Trust; Euan Hall, Chief Executive Officer
  • Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust; Jane Hamilton, Chair
  • Wildlife Trust; Ellie Ellwood, Vision Co-ordinator
  • Hive Energy; Hugh Brennan, Managing Director
  • University of Cambridge; Aaron Cohen-Gold, Director
  • Oxford Brookes University; Prof Linda King, Pro Vice-Chancellor
  • Anglia Ruskin University; James Rolfe, Chief Operating Officer
  • Countryside Properties; Andrew Taylor, Director – Head of Planning
  • Grovemere Property; Harvey Bibby, Director
  • Perkins + Wills; Andrea Imaz, Senior Urban Designer
  • Orbit Homes; Guy Dixon, Head of Property & Portfolio Management
  • Taylor Wimpey; Bryn Maidman, Divisional Managing Director
  • Salmon Property; Pat Mahoney, Director
  • Santander; Hanayyah Sutton, Programme Director

The day-long event will provide a unique opportunity for 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 across the corridor and surrounding regions.

Jane Hamilton, Chair of Bedford & Milton Keynes Waterway Trust, said: “Investing early in green and blue infrastructure can help drive development, soften its impact, create a healthy environment and set the bar for quality. The Oxford to Cambridge corridor provides a significant opportunity to put this into practice at a strategic level. Creating a new waterway park between Bedford and Milton Keynes will underpin an environmentally driven approach to growth”

Martin Curtis, Associate Director and Head of Cambridge Office at Curtin&Co and the former Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “We live in a country that desperately needs to invest in infrastructure – that includes improving connections between the two top Universities.  This event will help businesses to navigate the path to success, so that Cambridge, Oxford and the community’s in-between can deliver even more for the UK.”

Euan Hall, Chief Executive of The Land Trust, said: “The Land Trust is committed to the long-term sustainable management of open space for community benefit. Our vision is to improve the quality of people’s lives by creating sustainable, high quality green spaces that deliver environmental, social and economic benefit. We want to ensure that the current green spaces we have are protected and that they are included as part of new developments as something of high importance.”

Andrew Taylor, Director – Head of Planning at Countryside Properties, said: “Our Partnerships division specialises in urban regeneration of public sector land, delivering private and affordable homes by partnering with local authorities and housing associations. The ARC is a key growth area for Countryside and that’s why we’re really keen to be involved in this event.”

Patrick Mahoney, Director of Salmon Property, said: “Property development will be one of the main engines for the successful establishment of a vibrant Oxford to Cambridge Corridor. From delivery of infrastructure through construction of the necessary buildings to the creation of wealth-creating opportunities, property developers working in close partnership with all stakeholders will play a vital role in every team. With the company’s longstanding proven expertise and ability, Salmon is ready, willing, able – and well-funded – to make its contribution.”

Harvey Bibby, Marketing & Development Director at Grovemere Property, said: “Lancaster Way Business Park, part of the Cambridge Compass Enterprise Zone, has seen significant growth over the last 5 years and this is set to continue during 2019/2020 with two additional buildings now under construction.  Between these two Hybrid style buildings we will see approximately 600 new employees join the park; pushing staff numbers to around 2,300 people on a daily basis. This rapid level of population increase represents challenges in terms of both on-site and off-site infrastructure and implementing early intervention to keep pace with this rate of growth is imperative so that we can continue to encourage business to relocate to East Cambridgeshire, helping spread Cambridge’s economic benefits and in turn alleviating some of the pressures on Cambridge’s infrastructure”.

Keith Griffiths, Managing Director of Built Environment Networking said: ‘’We’re delighted to be back once again in the region to continue to drive home the message of how important this crucial piece of infrastructure and connectivity is to the area. The Oxford-Cambridge ARC will provide a plethora of development and regeneration opportunities, with the vision of creating the UK’s Silicon Valley. Alongside the host of opportunities there is also barriers and challenges which need to be overcome – such as funding, the environment, sustainable development, skills and more, and this conference will delve further into these to ensure the industry working within the area is aligned to the future vision.”

For more information or to book tickets to the event on the 20th June visit https://www.built-environment-networking.com/event/oxford-cambridge-corridor-economic-growth-conference/ and for media enquiries please contact Nathan Spencer at nathan.spencer@www.built-environment-networking.com

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