Surrey 2025-2035 – Outlook over the Next Decade
Sponsored by Stantec
Now in its fourth year, the Surrey Development Forum Annual Conference continues to look at and debate the challenges and opportunities that face Surrey’s future.
This year, we will be looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, and how the challenges and opportunities in Surrey sit within a national and local political context.
Breakfast. lunch and an afternoon coffee break will also be included in the day providing plenty of networking opportunities.
Book your tickets here – but be quick so as not to miss out!
Agenda
We are honoured to welcome an exceptional lineup of speakers to this year’s conference!
*Please note all items are subject to change
09:00 – 09:30 – Arrival: Coffee and Pastries
09:30 – 09:40 – Conference Opens with a welcome from John Tarvit, Chair of Surrey Development Forum and Director of Planning at Wates Developments
09:40 – 10:10 – Keynote Speech by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Lords Minister for Housing and Local Government)
Baroness Taylor will discuss Government’s ambitions for housebuilding and economic growth, planning proposals from the NPPF consultation, devolution ambitions, particularly for non-mayoral areas in the South and South East, and the development industry’s part in progress on net zero.
10:10 – 10:40 – “Oh Yes You Can. Oh No We Can’t ” A Planning Panto, by Mike Knott, Town Planning Director and Strategic Land Sector Lead, Stantec
Since being elected to government just over 4 months ago, Labour has consulted on proposed changes to national planning policy, amended the standard method calculation to substantially boost Local Housing Need figures, established a new towns task force, and introduced a Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
The government’s planning reforms and wider growth agenda has increasing the delivery of more, better quality homes, particularly social housing, at its heart. Whilst ambitious, some local authorities have challenged the proposals, particularly the adverse impacts of identifying sufficient land to meet needs in full. The government acknowledges that this may require the release of Green Belt land, in addition to grey belt and development of previously developed land within towns and villages. Ministers have been unambiguous that local authorities are expected to move quickly to ensure that there is universal coverage of up-to-date plans which deliver; and equally clear that they will intervene where authorities don’t.
We will explore the implications of the government’s proposals for Surrey, consider the reaction of authorities to the proposals, and identify how a plan-led approach to growth could be secured across the county. Ahead of a new strategic planning regime which is due to start being introduced from the end of 2025.
10:40 – 11:10 – Speech by Will Forster MP, Woking (Lib Dem)
11:10 – 11:30 – Refreshment Break
11:30 – 12:00 – Speech by Cllr Tim Oliver OBE, Leader of Surrey County Council
Cllr Oliver will discuss Surrey’s position on devolution, economic growth, housing and planning within the context of the agenda of the new Government. He will outline Surrey’s journey to devolution to date, setting out his view on the way forward and the benefits that devolution will bring to the residents of Surrey. He will also set out the County Council’s view on the proposed planning reforms to reintroduce mandatory housing targets, alongside an expectation for planning authorities to release Green Belt land to meet this housing need.
12:00 – 13:00 – Panel: Green Belt and Strategic Planning, Sponsored by Savills 
Panelists:
- Charles Collins, MSc MRTPI, Head of Guildford Office & South East Planning, Savills
- Matthew Fraser, Barrister, Landmark Chambers
- Paul Miner, Head of Policy, CPRE
- Ruth Bishop, Director, Savills
Roughly 73% of Surrey is Green Belt land, a total of 121,810 hectares – bigger than the total land area of New York City. Some of this land is also included in the Surrey Hills AONB or SSSI/ Special Protection Areas.
Overall, the Green Belt does perform an important function in preventing the sprawl of London, and coalescence of settlements within Surrey. However, not all of the Green Belt is of high quality, and some is either partly or entirely previously developed. Guildford, Mole Valley, Runnymede, and Reigate and Banstead have over the past 6 years reviewed and released Green Belt land for development and questions now arise in Elmbridge and Spelthorne as to whether they follow suit.
Meeting development needs of the future may almost certainly result in further releases – but where? And what role will the new definition of Grey Belt play?
13:00 – 13:30 – Fireside Chat, John Tarvit in conversation with Cllr Stephen Robinson (Co-Vice Chair, EELGA, Leader of Chelmsford City Council)
SDF Chair John Tarvit will discuss with the Leader of Chelmsford City Council, and co-vice Chair of EELGA Cllr Steven Robinson about his mission to support the provision of new homes and infrastructure in Chelmsford. We will cover how this approach aims to deliver more affordable homes, a reduction in spend on temporary accommodation, and in turn support the overall financial well-being of the City Council.
13:30 – 14:20 – Lunch Break
14:20 – 15:00 – Your Questions Answered with Paul Morrison, Chief Executive, and Trudi Elliot CBE MRTPI, Chair of the Board of the Planning Inspectorate
Have your questions answered by the Chief Executive and the Chair of the Board of the Planning Inspectorate.
15:00 – 16:00 – Spaces for our communities – workshop.
This session will open with a short discussion on how local authorities, developers and communities can work together to ensure that the design and development of spaces in Surrey deliver for local residents. Afterwards, we invite attendees to share your ideas for best practice for developing Surrey with the local communities in mind.
16:00 – 16:10 – Closing Remarks
16:10 – 17:00 – Teas, coffees and soft drinks served
Read more about our speakers
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage – Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for MHCLG
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage is the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Housing and Local Government and a Baroness-in-waiting at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. She was appointed into post on 9th July 2024.
Prior to her Ministerial appointment, Baroness Taylor was a Shadow Spokesperson for Levelling Up, Housing, Communities and Local Government. She also served as the leader of Stevenage Borough Council from 2006 to 2022.
Mike Knott, Town Planning Director and Strategic Land Lead, Stantec
Mike is a Town Planning Director and Strategic Land Lead at Stantec. Based in Reading, Mike acts for clients across the South East, primarily in promoting residential-led and mixed-use developments through the plan process and planning applications.
With over 20 years’ experience and having started his career in a local authority local plans team in Buckinghamshire, Mike’s successes across Surrey include securing the allocation and a resolution to grant for Longcross Garden Village in Runnymede; the allocation of Gosden Hill, North East Guildford; and an allocation at the Former Copyhold Works, Redhill.
Stantec Reading office have also recently secured planning permission for one of the proposed Green Belt releases through Mole Valley’s Local Plan.
Will Forster – Member of Parliament for Woking
Will Forster is the first Liberal Democrat MP for Woking – the town where he was born and raised. An experienced local councillor since 2009 and former Mayor, recently Will became Deputy Leader of Woking Borough Council where he has played a leading role tackling the financial crisis left by the former Conservative council.
Educated in Goldsworth Park and Horsell, Will now lives near Woking Park where he often walks his sausage dog Toffee. Will has always fought for the vulnerable in our community. Raised by a single parent who had mental health issues, he understands all too well the damage that rising prices and a lack of appropriate local health care can do to families.
Paul Morrison – Chief Executive of the Planning Inspectorate
Paul Morrison started as Chief Executive of the Planning Inspectorate in December 2022. He comes to this role from the Ukraine Humanitarian Task Force where he helped create and lead the UK’s operation to allow Ukrainians displaced by the current conflict to find safety in this country.
He started his career by joining the Home Office in 1996 as an Administrative Officer. He has since spent time in a range of operational and policy roles across several Government departments including the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Food Standards Agency (FSA), Home Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Northern Ireland Office.
Trudi Elliott, CBE MRTPI – Chair of the Planning Inspectorate’s Board of Directors
Trudi Elliott, CBE MRTPI, was appointed as independent Chair of the Planning Inspectorate’s board of Directors on 1 April 2018 and reappointed on 1 April 2022.
Trudi is a Chartered Town Planner and has a wide-ranging and in-depth knowledge of planning in which she has worked in one capacity or another for thirty years. Trudi is a visiting Professor of Planning and Land Economy at Henley Business School, Reading University, and Chair of her local community transport charity.
Her previous roles included: Director of the Government Office for the West Midlands, CE of the West Midlands Regional Assembly, Director of Local Government Practice (ODPM), and CE of Bridgnorth District Council. Prior to this, Trudi was a lawyer, practicing in both the public and private sectors. Trudi was Chief Executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute which she left in 2018. She was also a member of the Taylor Review into planning practice guidance.
