Lancashire Development Update 2026

Nick has over 30 years leading-edge, planning, urban regeneration, economic development and corporate management experience at the public/private interface with high calibre Boards including senior positions of deputy chief executive and director at Manchester’s New Economy, Trafford Council, North West Development Agency, Merseyside TEC and Trafford Park Development Corporation. He is currently growth and prosperity programme director at Blackpool and leads the team responsible for implementing Blackpool’s £2 billion+ transformative Growth and Prosperity investment programme which includes major schemes at Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone, Talbot Gateway Central Business District, Blackpool Central and Blackpool Town Centre which are helping to transform Blackpool’s economic fortunes.

Cllr Lynn Williams is the Leader of Blackpool Labour Group and honoured to be the first female Leader of Blackpool Council. She currently holds the portfolio for Tourism, Arts and Culture, having previously held the roles of Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member and Statutory Leader Member for Children’s Services, Portfolio holder of Adults and Health and Chair of both BHC and BCH Boards. Being Leader of the Council in her hometown is especially important to Lynn, which is why she is committed to the town’s regeneration and housing, improving the facilities for both residents and visitors. Lynn was awarded an MBE in 2024 for services to Local Government.

Mo Isap OBE is the chief executive officer of IN4 Group, headquartered at MediaCity, Salford. He is also founding director of Star Academies, trustee and board director of the Careers Enterprise Company, and Chair of the Lancashire Business Board. IN4 Group is a leading international professional technology training and skills provider, with operations across the United Kingdom and the Middle East. The Group comprises award winning specialist training divisions with a portfolio of bespoke programmes, professional qualifications, and apprenticeships. It holds approved training provider status with Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, and Google. With a 30-year career as a tech entrepreneur, Mo has launched and scaled several successful start-ups. In 1996, he scaled his first business, MPG, to become one of the UK's largest independent document management companies, listed in the Financial Times 100 fastest growing UK companies. Latterly, Mo was Group Director at Hobs Plc. In four years, Hobs established itself as the UK’s leading prop-tech businesses, providing 3D technology solutions to the architectural, engineering and construction sector. Mo was awarded an OBE in the King’s New Year Honours list 2026 for services to education and skills. He was also awarded Director of the Year by the Institute of Directors in 2024. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Nick is a chartered surveyor with over 25 years real estate experience in funding, development and investment. He co-founded Axis-RE in 2021. Current projects include the delivery of a £75m GDV 261 unit BTR scheme in Manchester City Centre and bringing forward a key 3 acre site in the heart of Lancaster’s Canal Quarter with a potential GDV of £100m. Axis-RE specialises in working in partnership with both private and public sector partners.

Saira Hussain is the founder of HAD & Co, a female-led architectural practice based in Burnley, Blackburn & Manchester. With a passion for empowering women in business and the construction industry, Saira actively advocates for gender equality in these fields. As the Employment Policy Chair at the Federation of Small Businesses, she raises awareness and drives initiatives to support small businesses. Saira is particularly dedicated to enhancing the safety of women in construction, working tirelessly to create a more inclusive and secure environment for all.

John brings a wealth of skills and knowledge to this role, accumulated during his 20 years’ experience working in private housing and land promotion. John oversees the strategic land business unit to deliver exciting new land opportunities for Story Homes for the next 5-15 years. He works closely with other senior team members to facilitate a strategy for Story Homes’ long-term business plans and ultimately helps to shape the future of Story Homes.

Deborah is a highly experienced planning consultant and co-founder of S&L Planning Consultants, bringing 25 years of expertise from both local government and private practice. She has developed a strong reputation for delivering complex development projects with clarity, confidence, and care. Deborah is particularly passionate about creating high-quality homes for older people, and she has played a leading role in several major assisted-living and specialist-housing schemes. Her recent work includes contributing to a £23 million town-centre regeneration project in Burnley, where her collaborative approach helped drive the scheme forward. She excels at guiding multidisciplinary project teams, engaging positively with planning authorities, and building long-standing, trusted relationships with clients. She brings a blend of technical expertise and human understanding to every project she leads.

John has over 25 years of client-side project management experience in delivering transformational developments across the North West. He joined Eden Project Morecambe in May 2025 to head up the iconic £100m regeneration project to create a world class home for nature, learning and community inspired by the breath-taking Morecambe Bay. Before joining the Eden Project, John successfully delivered RHS Garden Bridgewater in Salford working with partners to establish a horticultural showcase of National significance connecting people with place.

Alex has worked with Lancashire over a number of years, leading the first Lancashire Independent Economic Review which focused on growth and prosperity. As a local government specialist who works with combined and local authorities on devolution and inclusive growth, Alex applies a wide knowledge of what works in local government to her work, developing projects with places from idea through to investment. She is an expert in shaping new narratives and navigating complex stakeholder environments to find consensus, applying creative thinking and fresh approaches to deliver impact. A significant part of this has been interrogating and redesigning local growth plans, ensuring that they will deliver greater prosperity for local people, are collaborative across public/private partnerships, and that they are both ambitious and achievable. This includes using data and analysis to challenge current thinking and introduce new ideas to address a place’s key issues.

Chris has worked in local government for several Lancashire authorities for over 37 years and has overseen the growth and regeneration of Preston over the last 15 years, including the City Deal, a £450m programme of infrastructure investment creating 20,000 new jobs and 17,000 homes. His planning background has ensured that development is plan-led, supporting the Council’s ambitious growth proposals. He is currently managing the delivery of over £200m of investment in the Harris Quarter in the city centre, including the city’s new leisure offer and council-owned Animate. Regeneration and tackling deprivation are at the heart of everything the Council seeks to do, and in 2021 Chris and his planning and regeneration team were successful in helping the Council win the National RTPI Award for its City Living Strategy, the first time a winner came from the North West.

Les is an executive director (RWP & Growth) at the Progress Housing Group, a North West based housing association. As part of that role he oversees the organisation’s £230m development programme which is focused on the delivery affordable homes for rent and to buy. He also leads the Group’s supported living division, RWP which is one of the leading providers of supported living housing in the UK. Les is a Chartered Accountant and his career spans the private and public sector having held leadership roles in variety of organisations in the UK, Ireland and South Africa.