International Summit: Delivering Land Assembly - UK Dilemmas, Global Solutions

COVID restrictions mean we cannot meet face to face in London this March as originally planned. Instead, we have converted the event into a virtual conference. The programme has been reviewed, updated and re-packaged into five different sessions, partly to reflect limitations on “screen time” and to take account of different time zones; but also to incorporate more panel and Q&A time - something that works so well in the virtual format. All sessions remain topical and are relevant to the aim of exploring legislation to develop best practice whilst focusing on the need to deliver housing, commerce, modern services and infrastructure, and regenerate towns and cities globally.

Start Date	Venue	Price
26 April 2021	Book All 5 Virtual Sessions

Note: All prices are to be paid in GBP and are subject to VAT at the prevailing rate

Event duration: 8 CPD Hours.
Registration from: 15.55 (GMT). Event starts at: 16.00 (GMT). Event finishes at: 17.30 (GMT) except session 4 which finishes at 18.00 (GMT).

Book individual sessions at £75 + VAT each, click here for a new booking page

Speakers are Embedded in the Programme Below

Programme

Re-purposing and Re-Vitalising Town Centres - Getting from A to B:

But where do we seek to go, and how do we get there?

Session 1 - Tuesday 18 May 2021 (16.00 - 17.30) (Moved from 20 April 2021)

A - What are the problems with towns?

B - What is the future of towns?

C - How do we get from the problem to the solution?

Now that the UK is waking up from its COVID hibernation, we are now beginning to recognise the economic and investment imperatives that are needed to repurpose our urban environments.
The future of many UK town centre is precarious.
Even Pre COVID, some local authorities were seeking to re-purpose their town centres. Local authorities need to act as a catalyst for inward investment and visionary planning to create go to destinations for modern life, work, retail and play. Municipal authorities need to attract populations, visitors and investors to avoid them migrating to neighbouring towns and centres.
There are government funds to help support schemes that would otherwise be unviable using more traditional funding methods, but they will only be released from deliverable schemes; and such funding is likely to be time limited.

Programme:
Introduction and the Call for Action - Conference Chair: Colin Smith, Senior Director, CBRE Ltd

The Imperatives for Change - Nicola Rigby, Principal, Avison Young

Drivers
Covid has accelerated change. Change of behaviours. Change of fortune for bricks and mortar retailers -v- internet retailers. Has Covid brought forward obsolescence of buildings, districts and traditional local authority services?
What impact has that had on property investors?
Have High Streets been put in terminal decline?
Increased and sustained home working requires employers to question their occupancy needs. This will result in significant drops in footfalls in many urban environments
Change Audit: Quantifying the extent of change and its potential impact
The Consequences of Doing Nothing
Obsolescence and deprivation and loss of inward investment
Catalysts
Is the commercial sector in good enough health to bring forward macro regeneration and renewal schemes? Are they capable of remodelling communities?
Does the responsibility rest with public sector leadership with central government funding and incentives?
The new viability conundrum: schemes should be less profit led, but strategic and sustainability led for a Covid changed world
Micro development opportunities for more typical developers

A Case Study - John Sayer, Senior Director, CBRE

How to Respond - Virginia Blackman, Principal and National Head of Site Assembly & Compulsory Purchase, Avison Young

No land and no rights to it equals no change!
Land assembly strategies and tactics
Retaining control
Site assembly and development partners

Chaired Panel Session with Q & A's

With Dr Jonathan Carr-West Chief Executive, Local Government Information Unit (LGiU), Jonathan Bower, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson and all above speakers.

Acquiring Land and Rights for Public Projects in the UK, USA and Canada

Process projects and approach to compensation

Session 2 - Monday 26 April 2021 (16.00 - 17.30)

Chair: Peter McCrea FRICS FCIArb, Surveyor Member, Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber)

Panel:

UK Overview: Meyric Lewis, Barrister, Francis Taylor Building

US & Canada Overview: Gordon E. MacNair SR/WA AACI P.App, President, MacNair Consulting Ltd; Past President of IRWA

An Operator's View: Tom Harrison, Head of Real Estate North America, Ørsted

Devising a scheme involves identifying the need, and the land, and building a business case. Then comes the hard part - how do you acquire the rights – what do you need? Do you need additional land temporarily to build the project, and how do you obtain the land and rights for the project?

We travel to North America and hear about issues that arise in Canada and the USA, Mark Gillard will give us an operator’s view of schemes Orsted are building in North America, the far East and the UK. Meyric Lewis will explain the challenges for UK promoters.

The group will then weight the strengths and weaknesses in these respective jurisdictions. Can we codify a best practice regime that could be adopted as a universal template for land assembly?

Acquisition Processes and Procedures in the UK
"Compelling case the public interest"
Human Rights
UK compensation provisions
Rights to compensation in the USA and Canada
“Public use” and Kelo v. City of New London
What happens when there has been no physical taking and condemnation has not been instituted?
Transit Oriented Development (TOD) in North America and methods to streamline approval processes
Indigenous peoples’ rights in Canada
Resource information
Review of Ørsted schemes in North America, the Far East and UK

Panel Debate with Q & A's

Land Value Capture and Property Tax:

Who should "grab" land value? The good, the bad and the greedy!

Session 3 - Wednesday 26 May 2021 (16.00 - 17.30)

Chair: Paul Sanderson JP LLB (Hons) FRICS FIRRV, President, International Property Tax Institute

Panel:

UK LVC - The grab of land value - the good, the bad and the greedy - Richard Harwood OBE QC, Barrister, 39 Essex Chambers

UK LVC - Politics, lobbying and the development industry collide - Karen Hamilton, Partner, Brodies LLP

A Landowners Viewpoint - Fenella Collins BSc (Hons) MSc MRICS, Head of Planning, Country Land and Business Association

LVC Around the World - Vince Magioni, Associate Professor and Associate Dean, Education Faculty of Design Architecture and Building, University of Technology, Sydney

There is an assertion that LVC is an effective way to extract land value for community and regeneration use. Whilst there are undoubted benefits, there are downsides also. Some Governments have shied away from its introduction, while others have introduced LVC measures - with varying levels of success.

But is that about to change? With mounting COVID debt affecting every country, might governments now see LVC as an attractive and compelling option?

History has taught us that previous attempts by the UK Government to introduce development taxes simply resulted in a hiatus of projects coming forward. The property industry is not one that keeps on giving!

This session will focus on mechanics and viability of LVC and its impact on the property market.

Panel Debate with Q & A's

Practical Land Acquisition - A Focus on Valuation and Compensation

Issues from the USA, Canada, Australia and the UK

Session 4 - Tuesday 22 June 2021 (16.00 - 18.00)

Chair: Richard Guyatt, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson

Panel:

Canada - Sandy Grigg SR/WA, Infrastructure Real Estate Professional, D.A. Grigg Consulting; Past President of IRWA, Philip Smith FRICS AACI PLE, Executive Vice President (Research, Valuation, Advisory), Altus Group Limited, John S Doherty, Partner - Leader of the National Expropriation Law Group, Gowling WLG

USA - Randy A. Williams MAI SR/WA, Executive Vice President, Jones Lang LaSalle; Past President of IRWA and Kristina Silcocks, Special Counsel, Foley & Lardner LLP

Australia - John Gunthorpe, Director, CBRE Ltd and Dr. John Sturgeon SR/WA, Discipline Leader, The University of Queensland, Principal, Sturgeon Consulting Group

UK - Jonathan Stott MRICS, Managing Director, Gateley Hamer; Raj Gupta BA (Hons) CPE, Partner, Town Legal LLP

History helps understand how we have got to the present. Each of these countries started out, by and large, with British law and practises built into their DNA. But as sovereign states they diverged from that common base and created their own unique systems.

In this session, we are interested in comparing their current valuation and compensation systems for land assembly – who does what; and does the common ancestry still underpin what each does? But more importantly, can each country system be enhanced by embracing working practices from others? Is it conceivable we can bring together the best from each of these leading developed countries - with a common heritage - and forge a common practice alliance for land assembly?

Panel Debate with Q & A's

Strategic Planning for Future Infrastructure Needs

Session 5 - Tuesday 29 June 2021 (16.00 - 17.30)

Chair: Victoria Hills MRTPI FICE, Chief Executive, Royal Town Planning Institute

Panel:

Amanda Clack, Head of Strategic Advisory, CBRE Ltd; Past President of RICS

Bridget Rosewell CBE MA MPhil FICE, Commissioner, National Infrastructure Commission

Ian Lindsay, Director, aspireCP

Governments are investing in infrastructure. Why?
Infrastructure has the power to drive social change, create jobs, support businesses, improve the environment and create a better world in which to live.
The human population continues to grow. Resilient and effective infrastructure is central to supporting rapid urbanisation.
Aging infrastructure is holding back economic growth. Whilst investing in infrastructure enables it. UK statistics suggest that there is almost a 300% return of investment.
How do we enable and maximise delivery?

Looking at the Trends and Drivers

The economic imperative
Decay and renewal are core drivers
Smart living, smart working - What will the future cities look like? How do we plan them?
Work/live in the community -v- commuting
The 15 minute walkability rule
Refocusing communities and economic strategies
Buildings and infrastructure built now - are they fit for the future?
The ripple Effect from the core development

The Challenges of Planning for the Long Term in the Changing Times

Bringing together spatial planning and infrastructure
Handling macro uncertainty and the Commission's approach to the next National Infrastructure Assessment

Using Transport as the Magic Ingredient

The value of transport hubs
Footfall as drivers for increased rents and investment
Maximising space - building above and below

Panel Debate with Q & A's