The challenge of revitalising town centres was acknowledged to be a serious issue before the advent of Covid-19. The pandemic accelerated some trends, created new problems as well as generating opportunities.

This webinar will develop themes around the contribution of the planning system to the process of securing the vitality and viability of town centres. It will look at how the aspirations for a market town have had to evolve in response to changing circumstances.

The webinar will also consider development management and planning policy challenges and opportunities. It will be of interest to those involved in town centre regeneration, development management and policy formulation.

Details About the Webinar

About the Speakers

1659010897-8e3e326a9c10fa99 Alyn Nicholls
RTPI Yorkshire


1667566755-166b0bfdfed67c2d Gerald Jennings
Chair, Morley Town Deal

Gerald is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and has worked in the property sector for over 30 years. He is Chairman of the Morley Town Deal Board, a Non-Executive Director of Henry Boot PLC, Chairman of Social Communications (Leeds) and he runs his own property investment and consultancy business, G R Jennings Properties Ltd.

His previous non-executive roles include President of Leeds Chamber, Chairman of West and North Yorkshire Chamber and Governor of Leeds College Group. He was formerly a Portfolio Director at Land Securities.

1668611520-346c9c2c5c917622 Heather Lindley-Clapp
Director, Nexus Planning

Heather is a chartered town planner, with over 15 years professional experience in private sector consultancy work. Heather’s professional work has included managing and delivering on projects from retail to residential development and wider project management and research work.

Heather has a specialist background in retail planning, across in-town and out-of-town convenience, comparison and leisure sectors across the UK, working for both the public and private sectors. Heather has delivered a number of retail and leisure studies on behalf of local planning authority clients across the country, providing recommendations to help the formulation of local plan policies, and regularly provides independent policy advice in respect of edge and out of centre retail and leisure development for local authorities.

1667567140-7aa4e92263805c29 Ian Ponter
Barrister, Kings Chambers

Ian enjoys an extensive national planning and public law practice at Kings Chambers. He is highly rated, consistently featuring in Planning’s list of top-rated junior barristers. He appears for both developers and local planning authorities at inquiries for housing, employment, retail, energy and waste schemes.

He also appears at development plan examinations (both promoting and objecting to draft plans), and at CPO inquiries (as well as proceedings in the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) dealing with compensation issues arising out of compulsory purchase). On top of his busy inquiry practice, he appears in the High Court on judicial reviews, statutory planning challenges, and injunctive proceedings.

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