Date: Thursday 23 October 2025, 8:00 - 12:00
Location: Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley St, Manchester M2 3WS
Email: [email protected]
Company: Place North West
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Place RESI 2025
Place Event
In association with WSP, Onward Homes, Close Brothers Property Finance, and Trowers & Hamlins
Date: 23 October 2025, 8:00 - 12:00
Location: Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley St, Manchester M2 3WS
Email: [email protected]
Company: Place North West
All you need to know about housebuilding in the region. Land values, Green Belt strategies, spatial planning policies, and more will be covered and explored in this popular conference that has been a part of the Place North West events calendar for many years.
Speakers confirmed so far include:
- Tom Stannard, chief executive, Manchester City Council
- Jo Volpe, CEO, Leeds Older People’s Forum
- Vanessa Rowell, associate, WSP
- Caroline Baker, managing partner of the North West at Cushman & Wakefield
- Joanne Parr, director property finance, Close Brothers Property Finance
- Cllr Mark Smith, cabinet member for economy and built environment, Blackpool Council
- Jamie Adam, director, head of Northern & East Midlands region, Savills
- Cllr Nick Mannion, Leader, Cheshire East Council
- Dr Mark Hammond, senior lecturer and deputy research lead, Manchester School of Architecture, Manchester Metropolitan University
- Jack Widdup, development director, McLaren Living
- Leanne Beirne, director, BTP Architects
- Steve Skelton, associate director housing and planning, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
- David Chilton, managing director NW division, Rowlinson
- JO VOLPE | LEEDS OLDER PEOPLE'S FORUM | Jo is CEO of Leeds Older People’s Forum, having previously worked for Alzheimer’s Society, Centre for Ageing Better and Age UKYH. Jo is Chair of AgeUK Bradford District. She sits on West Yorkshire’s Dementia Ready Housing Taskforce; is interested in housing for older people - previously working for a housing charity, housing association and local authority housing department.
- TOM STANNARD, MANCHESTER CITY COUNCIL | Tom Stannard is Chief Executive of Manchester City Council, one of the largest Core Cities in the UK and a high-performing organisation of almost 7,000 staff. Manchester is a fast-growing and diverse city of more than 600,000 people, with a proud history of successfully competing on the global stage to attract investment, jobs and visitors. Tom works closely with Cllr Bev Craig as Leader of the Council, focussed on maximising these strengths and ensuring that growth generates benefits for the whole city, providing excellent day-to-day services and improving the lives of Manchester’s residents.
- JOANNE PARR | CLOSE BROTHERS PROPERTY FINANCE | Joanne joined Close Brothers Property Finance in 2019 to head up the new team based in Manchester. She has over 29 years of experience in finance, having worked at a high-street bank and specialist short-term bridging and development lender, as well as founding her own business as a commercial finance broker.
- VANESSA ROWELL | WSP |Vanessa is an Associate planner at WSP in Manchester. Vanessa has over 12 years experience in both the private and public sector and has been involved in securing planning consent for residential development in Manchester City Centre and across the North West, Midlands and South East. Vanessa has also been a specialist planning policy advisor to Local Planning Authorities across the country.
- CAROLINE BAKER, CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD | Caroline specialises in working with public sector clients to regenerate priority areas through determining how their development potential could be unlocked. She has worked extensively across the North West and is currently working on transformational projects in Blackpool, Stockport and Liverpool.
- CLLR MARK SMITH | BLACKPOOL COUNCIL | Councillor Mark Smith was first elected to Blackpool Council in 2011, and is currently the Cabinet Member for Economy and Built Environment. Mark is also the Chair of Blackpool Operating Company Ltd, after serving over 6 years on the board of both Blackpool Operating Company Ltd then Blackpool Entertainment Company Ltd. Mark has overseen the delivery of the Enterprise Zone at Blackpool Airport, which is one of the most successful in the country, and continues to work hard to champion future success there. In addition, Mark has also overseen the completion of the new Holiday Inn Hotel complex and tramway extension, and is looking forward to work beginning on the new Multiversity, following completion of the DWP site.
- JAMIE ADAM | SAVILLS | Jamie oversees Savills new homes sales teams across the North of England. With 25 years of experience spanning both client-side and agency roles, he advises and represents developers on the sale and marketing of residential projects throughout the region
- CLLR NICK MANNION | CHESHIRE EAST COUNCIL | Nick Mannion became the Leader of Cheshire East Council in July 2024. He has a career and background in housing and regeneration and is a retired member of the Chartered Institute of Housing. He attended The Kings School in Macclesfield, and then the University of Liverpool. He has taught in the further education sector and served as the deputy chair of a local registered provider until his election to Cheshire East Council in 2015 as Labour Councillor for Macclesfield West & Ivy. Nick was appointed Cheshire East Council portfolio holder for the Environment & Housing in May 2019, leading on the Council’s ambitious drive towards becoming a carbon neutral organisation. From May 2023 he chaired the Council’s Finance sub-committee prior to his election as Leader of the Council.
- DR MARK HAMMOND | MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY | Dr Mark Hammond is Senior Lecturer and Deputy Research Lead at Manchester School of Architecture, Manchester Metropolitan University. His research explores the relationship between architecture and population ageing, with a specific interest in policies and practices that support the creation of age-friendly homes and communities.
- LEANNE BEIRNE | BTP ARCHITECTS | Leanne Beirne, Director at BTP Architects, has 10 years’ experience in housing design, from new build to retirement living. Lead architect for Oaklands and Langholme Heights extra-care homes, she champions dignity, independence, and sustainability. A certified Passivhaus Designer, she promotes energy-efficient, inclusive environments and regularly speaks on housing, safety, and ageing.
- DAVID CHILTON | ROWLINSON | David has championed later-living solutions including extra-care, nursing led, step-down care and HAPPI designs in a variety of schemes across Greater Manchester. Examples include the ongoing Academy of Living Well in Stockport, the recently completed Birch Lea Park extra-care as part of the Hattersley Central regeneration, and the flagship award-winning intergenerational development at The Depot, Manchester.
- JACK WIDDUP | MCLAREN GROUP | Jack is a Development Director at McLaren and York Central’s residential lead; one of the largest regeneration projects in the UK. With a proven track record securing residential sites and progressing them through planning, he’s previously worked for Berkeley Group and Redrow - helping secure the delivery of over 10,000 homes.
- STEVE SKELTON | LIVERPOOL CITY REGION COMBINED AUTHORITY | Steve is the Associate Director of Housing and Planning at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, where he leads on housing strategy and delivery, and the development of the Spatial Development Strategy. Steve's background is in public sector policy and programmes. He runs Question Factory, a strategy and innovation agency for ambitious councils and combined authorities.
Tickets cost £125+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 WSP, Onward Homes, Close Brothers Property Finance, Trowers & Hamlins and Allsop
