VIDEO | The Building Safety Act: landscape update from the industry

The built environment is a major contributor to global carbon emissions, and refurbishing and retrofitting existing structures is crucial to achieving net zero targets. This roundtable, convened by DeSimone Consulting Engineering, brought together developers, architects, and real estate experts to discuss the pros and cons of breathing new life into a building.

Place North’s invitation-only briefing on the Wednesday morning at UKREiiF explored one of the biggest and most enduring obstacles the property and development industry is seeking to overcome – society’s distrust of the sector.

The widespread adoption of hybrid working has sparked a rise in the requirement for flexible workspace in secondary towns and cities, according to Paul Rowe, senior account executive at Yardi.

Investor requirements for more and better data on their residential assets are putting increasing pressure on operators to adopt tech solutions, according to Chloe Sachikonye at Yardi.

The government’s 1.5m homes target is “a stretch” but presents an exciting opportunity for the country’s development industry, according to Justin Hartley, regional director at Yardi.

Jonathan Wilson, owner of Citu, and Crystal Jenkins, associate director at Overford sat down with Place North’s Sally Gibson to discuss what’s on the agenda for developments in the region over the next few years, and how the introduction of the BSA and changes to planning laws will affect construction disputes.

Bolton Council’s largest regeneration opportunity has the potential to breathe new life into the town centre and, with demolition of the existing buildings due to begin this summer, the hunt is now on for a developer to bring the project forward.

Over breakfast on the final day of MIPIM 2025, Place North’s managing partner & head of commercial, Dino Moutsopoulos, joined deputy editor Dan Whelan to reflect on a standout year for the North of England at the world’s leading real estate conference.

Reskilling the workforce, planning patience, and a move away from engrained ways of working are all required to deliver on the city region’s ambitious housing delivery targets, according to participants at a roundtable discussion hosted by Mansell Building Solutions at MIPIM.

Over the last few years Bolton Council has taken a more proactive approach to regeneration as it builds up to the town’s most transformational project – Crompton Place.

From data centres in Blackpool to space centres in Newcastle, a panel of Northern leaders set out their investment propositions on the global stage and discussed how the North can work together to make them a reality.

WSP’s head of digital innovation, Dale Sinclair, sat down with Place North’s Sally Gibson at MIPIM to discuss how the company’s kit-of-parts approach is improving construction productivity and efficiency.

Positive steps taken towards reinvigorating housebuilding by the government nine months into its term are not to be sniffed at – but does the ambition match the reality on the ground? Place North’s MIPIM breakfast conference focused on this topic with a panel of private and public sector experts.

Stronger partnerships, being willing to take more risks, and adopting off-site manufacturing at scale were all posited as ways the North can deliver better schemes at pace at a Place North panel session on the UK Stage at MIPIM.

The international brand appeal of Manchester United FC and the emergence of development potential in the surrounding area make Old Trafford an extremely attractive regeneration prospect, according to Savills director Jeremy Hinds and Trafford Council Leader Tom Ross.

Wigan Council has laid the foundations for large-scale development in its borough and now is the time to deliver, according to the council’s director of place Aidan Thatcher.

The need for society to be connected and the rapid adoption of AI are driving the requirement for more and better digital infrastructure, including data centres, according to Thomas Pearson, partner at JMW.

Like many local authorities across the country, Bury Council is on a mission to breathe new life into its town centres. Chief executive Lynne Ridsdale spoke to Place North West about how her organisation is funding that vision.

The regeneration of Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium and the land around it presents arguably the biggest opportunity for transformation the borough has ever seen. The council and its partners discussed how to maximise the potential of that project and others in the pipeline.