Surrey 2025-2023 – Outlook over the Next Decade
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.
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.
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.
Full agenda will be announced shortly.
