2024 has been yet another very busy and eventful year for the housebuilding industry, and indeed for Surrey Development Forum.
The year started with ongoing uncertainty about the date of the General Election, which for a long time was expected to take place in late Autumn. However, a surprise announcement in May brought the GE date forward to 4th July. While Labour secured a big majority, the General Election saw the Liberal Democrats turning the map from blue to a blue-yellow patchwork.
Private members of the Surrey Development Forum had written a manifesto letter, outlining what they needed from the future government so as to alleviate the housing crisis and contribute to positive growth and development in the county. This Manifesto letter was delivered to the four main political parties – Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrats and the Green Party – on 8th of May, ahead of the election announcement.
Local elections in early May also brought some changes to the local politics in Surrey, most notable with Elmbridge leader Bruce McDonald losing his seat. Throughout the County, the Conservative party lost ground to Lib Dem and independent candidates, predicting the results of the General Election.
This year the Forum held three virtual and one in-person meetings, two online CPD workshops, a traditional networking dinner and a highly successful annual conference. We are delighted to be able to update our membership regularly on news regarding Surrey Local Plans and major transport network changes, thanks to our local authority members and contributions from National Highways. The Forum also welcomed representatives from Surrey Wildlife Trust and Environment Bank to speak alongside Surrey County Council Natural Environment Strategy Lead on a special BNG workshop in April. Cratus Group held a webinar on the elections and their significance to the industry in May and joined forces with Savills to deliver another webinar on the national political climate and expected changes to planning policy before the General Election.
The annual networking dinner was held again at the House of Lords, sponsored by The Lord Porter of Spalding. Held in September, the conversations in the room, prompted by speeches by Cllr Tim Oliver OBE and Cllr Matt Furniss from Surrey County Council, touched upon the changes to planning policy suggested by the newly elected Labour government, as well as the Surrey devolution agreement.
The highlight of the Surrey Development Forum calendar is the annual conference. Held at Sandown Park Racecourse for the second year in a row, we were honoured to welcome some high-profile industry speakers. Baroness Taylor of Stevenage discussed Government’s ambitions for housebuilding and economic growth, as well as proposed NPPF changes. Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP for Woking, Will Forster, spoke about his first months as MP and his party’s view on the proposed planning reforms. The Chair of the Board Trudi Elliott CBE, and the Chief Executive of the Planning Inspectorate Paul Morrison CBE, took the stage after lunch to answer burning questions about resourcing and best practice at the Inspectorate.
With the new NPPF out only a few days ago, and the devolution whitepaper heralding further changes, 2025 shows no sign of being any calmer than the previous year. The Surrey Development Forum is honoured to provide a platform for important discussions on key matters to our members and the wider industry, and to amplify the voices of our membership as they work together to build a thriving Surrey.
