BOOK NOW | Cumbria Development Update
Meet the candidates vying to become the county’s first mayor at this annual event, which provides attendees with the must-know information they need to spot opportunities and do business in Carlisle, Barrow, the Lake District National Park, and more.
On 18 June, Cumbria Development Update will examine what makes the area’s £12bn economy tick and how its local authorities plan to enable delivery of the homes required to house the more than 27,000 people they hope to add to the workforce by 2045.
Through a mixture of presentations and panel sessions, attendees will get the low-down on the real estate scene in Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness – where the opportunities lie, what the challenges are, and how they can be overcome.
The event will also provide a chance to connect with the potential future Mayor of Cumbria, bringing together mayoral candidates for a first hustings.
The half-day conference will also feature a deep dive into Barrow-in-Furness, the town backed with £220m from the government and support from defence giant BAE Systems.
With the most Michelin-starred restaurants outside of London, two UNESCO Heritage Sites, and unparalleled natural landscapes, it is no surprise that Cumbria brings in more than 42m visitors every year.
Add its tourism potential to the fact it’s the country’s leader in nuclear expertise, the home to a vibrant green energy and carbon capture storage economy, a power player in the world of defence, and an emerging – and its clear that the county has all the ingredients to be a fantastic place to live, work, play… and invest.
If you are on the hunt for the next great residential, industrial, or green energy opportunity – this is a conference that you will not want to miss.
Cumbria Development Update will be held from 8am to noon on 18 June at the Castle Green Hotel in Kendal. The event is sponsored by Caddick, Curtins, LUC, and Muse.
Confirmed speakers so far
Miranda Cannon is the chief executive of Westmorland and Furness Council. As chief executive, she leads one of England’s largest geographic unitary councils, responsible for diverse rural, coastal and urban communities across a vast and distinctive landscape. She brings more than 25 years’ senior leadership experience across large unitary authorities, national audit, and consultancy and major transformation programmes.
Laura Percy is a development director at Muse. Renowned for leading complex public-private partnerships, she brings deep expertise in creating long-term value through design-led, commercially robust, and socially impactful places. Before joining Muse in 2025, Laura was senior development director at Landsec, where she led transformative schemes across the North West including the £1.7bn Mayfield regeneration and the acquisition of MediaCityUK.
Angela Jones, director of thriving places at Westmorland and Furness Council. Jones is leading the council’s regeneration programmes in Barrow. She has worked in a mixture of unitary and county councils across the North West and Wales and has senior leadership experience across place-based services. She has significant experience of leading and managing frontline services and complex multi-disciplinary teams, with a robust track record in developing and maintaining strong working relationships with staff, members and external stakeholders. Jones is also the president of the Association of Environment, Economy, Planning, and Transport.
Cllr Jonathan Brook, Leader of Westmorland and Furness Council.First elected as a councillor in 2006, Brook has had various council roles since then, including as Leader of South Lakeland District Council, a member of the Lake District National Park Authority, Kendal Town Council and as the former Mayor of Kendal. He is currently a board member of Team Barrow the Brilliant Barrow Board, Kendal Futures, Cumbria Tourism, North West Employers, the Borderlands Board and the District Councils Network.
Libby Bateman, Mayoral candidate for the Liberal Democrats. Bateman has years of experience of working alongside Cumbrian communities to find solutions to problems; driving change on issues such as digital connectivity, countryside access, rural crime, housing, and public transport. As a former Cumbria County Councillor and current board member of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, she has a wide range of experience of working across local government, ensuring public money is well spent on vital infrastructure and services.
Mike Starkie, Mayoral candidate for the Conservative Party. The former Mayor of Copeland turned a £13.2m inherited overspend into a surplus during the eight years he was in office. He has been a fierce advocate for devolution in Cumbria and grew up in the area. He worked in construction for a decade before spending 32 years in the financial services sector.
