Date: Wednesday 5 November 2025, 8:00 - 12:00
Location: The Guildhall York, The Courtyard, Coney St, York YO1 9QN
Email: [email protected]
North Yorkshire Development Update 2025
Date: 5 November 2025, 8:00 - 12:00
Location: The Guildhall York, The Courtyard, Coney St, York YO1 9QN
Email: [email protected]
Harrogate, Scarborough, York, Selby…
Place Yorkshire’s series of unmissable sub-regional briefings offers the chance to get under the skin of the local market and mix with the movers and shakers who are shaping the latest major projects.
Confirmed speakers so far:
Andy Kerr, director of economy, York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority
Karen Stafeckis, development director, McLaren Regeneration
Nick Baker, director, Corstorphine & Wright
Helen Marriage, director, Artichoke | non-executive director, York Central
Adam Varley, development director, Scarborough Group International
Damien Woolliscroft, associate, Buttress
Jason Syrett, partner, Allies & Morrison
Allan Cook, founder, Arlington Real Estate
Leon Guyett, director of regeneration partnerships (York), Homes England
Alexia Swift-Cookson, director, head of asset management, The Helmsley Group
- ANDY KERR, YORK & NORTH YORKSHIRE COMBINED AUTHORITY | Andy is responsible for strategy, housing, transport, economic growth, and delivery of the devolution deal. He also has a key role in supporting James Farrar, chief executive, in shaping the future direction of devolution for the region. Prior to joining the Combined Authority in January 2025, Andy was the head of economic development at Durham County Council, and before that he spent 16 years at City of York Council in a variety of roles across housing, regeneration and economy.
- ALEXIA SWIFT COOKSON, HELMSLEY GROUP | Alexia is Helmsley Group’s as head of asset management. She brings 16 years of experience to the role, having previously worked in commercial property in the capital. Alexia’s role includes managing the performance of Helmsley’s syndicated investment portfolio and ensuring that its properties continue to deliver strong returns for its network of client investors.
- LEON GUYETT, HOMES ENGLAND | Leon has 30 years of experience in the real estate sector having started his career in 1995 at general practice surveying company, Matthews & Goodman followed by 3 years at Whitbread and 13 years at Manchester based developer Ask Real Estate. Prior to joining Homes England in 2022, he spent over 4 years with national placemakers, Muse Developments. Leon specialises in large scale mixed-use regeneration projects adopting a positive attitude focussing on delivery and satisfactory outcomes for all stakeholders.
- ADAM VARLEY, SCARBOROUGH GROUP INTERNATIONAL |Adam is an MRICS qualified chartered surveyor with over 20 years’ experience in the UK commercial property sector. Based in Leeds, he’s development director at Scarborough Group International, where he leads on some of the group’s most significant regeneration schemes across the North. He’s currently driving forward major projects including Thorpe Park Leeds, Flaxby Park near Harrogate, and Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, all focused on creating sustainable, well-connected places where people and businesses can thrive.
- JASON SYRETT, ALLIES & MORRISON |Jason leads some of Allies and Morrison’s most complex projects with a focus on urban regeneration. At York Central he has been leading the masterplan that is now transforming the former railway lands into a compact mixed-use neighbourhood that builds on the character of the site’s existing heritage. He is also overseeing the design for one of the first new office buildings to come forward in York Central fronting the Coal Drops.
- DAMIEN WOOLLISCROFT, BUTTRESS ARCHITECTS | Damien has an in-depth knowledge of traditional repair methods to highly significant historic buildings and sites, including adaptive re-use and upgrading historic buildings as part of client decarbonisation strategies. The Buttress team are currently involved in several high-profile historic building projects within the Yorkshire region, including a programme of conservation repair works to the Grade I listed Mansion House in York, for the City of York Council and has recently completed a multi-million-pound phase of roofing works to the Grade II listed Station Hall for the National Railway Museum.
- NICK BAKER, CORSTORPHINE & WRIGHT ARCHITECTS | Nick leads Corstorphine & Wright Architects, 40-strong Leeds Studio. He was born and raised in York and, upon qualifying as an architect, set up a small practice in the city before working in London and, more latterly, in Leeds. Throughout his career, Nick has worked on a diverse range of developments throughout the UK, including large scale urban regeneration projects, masterplans and the design and delivery of bespoke architectural solutions. Nick has a passion for his home city and is proud to be currently working on significant development sites at York Central, Coney Street and Foss Bank.
Tickets cost £88+VAT. Local authorities and registered providers can purchase tickets at a 50% discount below.
There will be a mix of presentations and panels. Breakfast and lunch are included, providing plenty of opportunity for business development.
Book using the form below – if you can’t see the form, please contact [email protected]
This event is sponsored by Scarborough Group International and York Central.
