Revitalising our Town and City Centres 2025

MATTHEW COLLEDGE | INTO PLACES | Matt created and led Altrincham forward, an innovative public, private and community partnership to transform this ‘Ghost Town of England’ reducing the 30% vacancy rate by 73% in seven years and seeing the town become English High Street of the Year 2018. He has his own place consultancy, IntoPlaces and has recently completed 4 years as the Executive Director of the Governments High Streets Task Force. Matt’s held a number of public roles in the North West, including Leader of Trafford Council, Chair of Transport for Greater Manchester, Vice Chair of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority as well as being on the regions LEP and Chair of NHS Trafford.

DR KELLY WATSON | HATCH | Dr Watson is a Director with wide-ranging experience in sustainability, social impact and wellbeing, with a particular specialism in social value strategies and impact assessment. She has over ten years of combined industry and academic experience in the development and application of socio-economic impact approaches for cities, infrastructure, built environment and corporate clients. She completed a social value PhD at the University of Manchester partnered by Arup Buildings, and then spent several years working on smart city research and urban innovation before moving into consulting. She is the author of several peer review publications, across both social value in the built environment and applying urban learning in smart cities. Kelly has been extensively involved in working groups on social value convened by RIBA and UKGBC and she is a Trustee of the Quality of Life Foundation.

PETER ANSTISS | TEAM BARROW | A resident of Cumbria, Peter’s career has been centred around the global aerospace and defence units of BAE Systems Plc where he has led international consortia and multiple new business initiatives in the military aircraft sector. His appointments have included Divisional CEO, MD, and Board positions in worldwide markets including the UK, Australia, and the US. Ambitious growth targets have required him to develop innovative sales and marketing strategies, demonstrate exemplary standards of corporate governance, and provide the inspirational leadership of complex multi-national partnerships between governmental, industrial, and military participants.

PROFESSOR CATHY PARKER | MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY | Cathy Parker is Professor of Retail and Marketing Enterprise at Manchester Metropolitan University and Chair of the Institute of Place Management, the professional institute for all those involved in making better places. Cathy is regarded as an international expert and leader in place management and is the research lead for the Government’s High Streets Task Force. She is frequently asked to commentate on place and retail related topics and has appeared on BBC Newsnight, BBC Breakfast, BBC Sunday Politics (NW), BBC Radio 5 live and ITV Tonight. Cathy was the Principal Researcher and Director for two £3.5m+ EU part-funded projects.

BECKIE JOYCE | PRESTON PARTNERSHIP | Beckie has over 25 years of experience from land, property, economic development, regeneration and commercial positions. Beckie set up Radics Consulting Ltd in 2020 and is working on complex multi-partner urban regeneration projects for public and private sector clients including brownfield regeneration; Local Regeneration Fund programmes; city centre commercial re-development; and Preston Partnership. Preston Partnership is a private sector led membership organisation which brings together businesses and the public sector to help make Preston a prosperous city to live, work, visit and invest in.

ANDREA GEORGE | REPUBLIK OF IDEAS | Andrea is co-founder of Republik of Ideas, a creative, purpose-driven, destination creation consultancy. Applying over 30 years of experience shaping places across the UK, she works collaboratively with visionary clients to deliver impactful branding, dynamic activations and smart leasing strategies that breathe energy and meaning into projects and places and deliver maximum ROI.

CLAIRE MCCOLGAN CBE | LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL | Claire is a leader with over 30 years of creative experience in local and central government, specialising in transformational cultural initiatives. Notable achievements include producing major international events such as Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture 2008, Eurovision 2023, football parades, and the city’s acclaimed COVID-19 response, opening up events for the UK. As Director of Culture and Major Events at Liverpool City Council and more recently Associate Director for the region, Claire manages a £50m budget, overseeing the growth of the visitor economy from £1.73bn to £3.3bn.  Claire is responsible for the city's UNESCO City of Music status and is leading on the transformational United Nations Accelerator City Programme.

ERNST TER HORST | MCAU | Ernst is a Director at MCAU architects with 20 years’ experience at renowned practices Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Mecanoo, and SimpsonHaugh. He is a thought leader on town centre transformation having led projects in Stretford, Chorlton, and Wythenshawe coupled with strategic masterplans such as the Trafford Civic Quarter, Strangeways and Stockport East. Ernst is known for delivering industry-setting schemes including HOME, Kampus, Beetham Tower, Circle Square and Leaf Street Hulme.

MAX BENTHAM | MUSE | Max has over 18-years’ experience in delivering major mixed-use developments and directing large multi-disciplinary teams to deliver complex urban regeneration projects. He works in partnership with local authorities, including Salford City Council, delivering holistic placemaking where it matters.

BECCA THOMAS | NEW PRACTICE (PART OF CIVIC) | Becca is the Director of Place & Architect of New Practice, part of Civic. She leads on placemaking, community engagement and regeneration strategies that revitalise town and city centres. Her projects include Glasgow’s £2.7m Kinning Park Complex redevelopment, alongside public realm, cultural and community spaces. Becca also serves on several influential design panels and boards.

TOM JONSON | LUC | Tom is an innovative and passionate landscape architect and urban designer with over 25 years' public realm design experience. Tom has overseen the design and implementation of several high profile public realm schemes including projects in Manchester, Sheffield, Salford, Liverpool and Birmingham.

REBECCA MORGAN | CHESHIRE WEST AND CHESTER COUNCIL | Leading initiatives to drive inclusive and sustainable economic growth, enhanced place-making and innovation, Rebecca has a background in working closely with public, private sector and community partners to deliver impactful economic development programmes, business growth and place-based regeneration. Passionate about community co-production combined with economic resilience, Rebecca believes in bringing people together across sectors and communities to create vibrant places where businesses thrive and residents feel proud to belong.

This event is sponsored by LUC, Brabners, Muse and Hatch

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