TO BE PUBLISHED September 2025
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This conference will examine next steps and policy priorities for regenerating neighbourhoods and town centres across the UK.
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to assess implementation of funding allocated by government in April under the Plan for Neighbourhoods, as well as priorities and next steps for the trailblazer neighbourhoods scheme recently announced in the Spending Review, which will see 25 areas receive up to £20m over the next decade.
The conference will also be an opportunity to consider recommendations in the Independent Commission for Neighbourhoods’ Think Neighbourhoods report - including for the Government to develop a Mission Delivery Prioritisation Framework to improve transparency in allocation of resources, as well as for neighbourhoods to track how public services are utilised locally, and that investment in social infrastructure be prioritised. Implementation of proposed measures in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will also be considered, including proposals to reform planning committees and compulsory purchase orders with the aim of streamlining the planning process.
Neighbourhood Boards, local collaboration and aligning regeneration with growth agendas
Sessions will examine priorities for Neighbourhood Boards, as they are implemented under the Plan for Neighbourhoods, in developing proposals and approaches to the delivery and implementation of plans, and for providing community benefits. We expect discussion on best practice examples from previous regeneration projects, alongside key considerations for aligning the delivery of plans with broader local growth agendas and supporting collaboration with local stakeholders.
Devolution, planning reform and implications for local growth delivery
Further discussion will focus on the English Devolution White Paper, assessing what it might mean for delivery of place-based services, as well as implications of proposed planning reform under the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and National Planning Policy Framework on development opportunities. Priorities for ensuring local government financial sustainability will also be discussed, as well as the impact of the local government financial settlement for 2025/26 on service delivery, with delegates also expected to assess long-term priorities against the backdrop of the Fair Funding Review 2.0.
Delegates will assess opportunities for local economies and regeneration through greater flexibility for commercial, business, and service uses under Use Class E, and streamlined zoning policies, alongside issues around governance, oversaturation of certain uses, and the resulting balance of positive economic and social outcomes.
With new guidance for Mayoral Strategic Authorities on developing Local Growth Plans, as well as the introduction of spatial planning and changes to planning committees, delegates will assess emerging options for securing capital investment and delivery at a local level. They will also look at delivery of funding under a new Local Growth Fund and the Transport for City Regions settlement. Sessions will also consider the future role of bodies such as NISTA and Homes England in securing and supporting delivery of financing options for projects at the local and regional level.
Diversifying town centres, supporting high street viability and enhancing community access
Further sessions will consider the long-term viability of town centres and high streets.
With the declining dominance of retail stores highlighted in the House of Lords Built Environment Committee’s recently published High streets: Life beyond retail? report, delegates will assess approaches to diversifying town centres, including the role and mix of leisure and catering industries, charity shops, and public services such as libraries and community centres.
Measures to support high street occupancy and community interests will be discussed, including initial perspectives on the use of High Street Rental Auctions to release disused lots, the potential scope of a Community Right to Buy mechanism as outlined in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, and a ban on Upward Only Rent Reviews. Delegates will assess how to best balance the commercial objectives of town centre redevelopment with the need to maintain affordability, preserve distinctiveness, and prevent displacement of community uses or local businesses. There will be discussion on how to avoid uniformity in high street use and also how to address the competitive challenge posed by out-of-town and online retail.
Latest thinking on strategies for increasing footfall in high streets and town centres will be considered, as well as approaches to tackling anti-social behaviour and shoplifting, and progress made under the Safer Streets summer blitz initiative. With a reported £1.8bn spent on anti-theft measures, as well as on emerging technologies including AI-powered surveillance, computer vision and facial recognition systems, sessions will consider best practice approaches to tackling retail crime, with ongoing concerns remaining around funding for neighbourhood policing and progress in meeting the Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.
Parking and public transport will be discussed, including effective implementation of the Bus Services Bill and integration of green spaces into high streets.
Promoting culture, heritage and arts access in regeneration initiatives
Delegates will consider the delivery of grants, including funding announced as part of an Arts Everywhere Fund, and priorities for the independent review of Arts Council England. Attendees will look at strategies for achieving widened national provision of access to high-quality arts, heritage and culture, with discussion on improving engagement with individuals across a range of age groups, and further supporting diversity, resilience and adaptability in neighbourhoods, town centres and high streets.
Further discussion is expected on key measures within the Creative Industries Sector Plan - forming part of the new Industrial Strategy - assessing proposed measures, as well as strategies for supporting cultural venues at the local level.
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those due to attend include officials from MHCLG; Defra; DfT; Homes England; Historic England; DfI, NI; DfC, NI; Ofwat; EA; Active Travel England; Forestry Commission; OfI; and UKIB.
