Attending UKREiiF for the first time was both exciting and, at times, a little overwhelming. It’s a huge conference, bringing together a wide range of professionals. From property specialists and developers to local authorities, government representatives, housing providers, and beyond. The scale of it really brings home how interconnected the housing and development sector is.
A particular attraction this year was the Great Housing Development Summit. The discussions explored strategic site development, council house building, affordable housing, and the critical role of working in partnership with government to deliver the homes the country needs over the coming years.
Day one
I arrived on Tuesday morning and headed straight into the launch of the Great South West Housing Prospectus. The session set out our region’s ambitions and highlighted key opportunities. There was a focus on strategic schemes in East Devon, including the proposed new town at Marlcombe, an example of the scale of thinking required to meet future housing demand.
After a lunchtime catch-up with colleagues from across the sector, I attended a panel session on attracting investment into housing development. This session explored both private investment and the potential role of a government-backed National Housing Bank.
A key takeaway for me was the importance of early engagement with investors particularly in the context of our own Spatial Development Strategy work. Creating the right conditions for investment from the outset will be crucial if we want to successfully attract funding and deliver at scale.
Day two
One of the most valuable sessions I attended was a roundtable organised by Local Partnerships, focusing on increasing council house building across the UK. It was particularly insightful to hear how strategic authorities are supporting delivery elsewhere, and how different areas have successfully built pipelines for new council housing. There’s a lot we can learn from these approaches, and plenty for us to follow up on.
Another session brought together private sector perspectives on devolution and local government reorganisation. It was interesting to hear how these changes are being interpreted by developers and investors, particularly in terms of both opportunity and risk.
One key point that stood out was the role strategic authorities can play in providing stability during periods of uncertainty. That reassurance is something we shouldn’t underestimate when it comes to maintaining investor confidence.
Final Reflections
UKREiiF was a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with existing colleagues, meet new contacts, and gain a deeper understanding of how government expects the sector to respond to its ambitious housing targets.
It also challenged me to think differently about our work including collaboration, investment, and long-term planning. I’ll definitely be taking a lot of this learning forward.