Annual Surrey Development Conference 2026

Wednesday 4 November 2026 | Hilton Woking

Bringing Surrey’s development community together to shape the future of the county

The Surrey Development Forum Annual Conference 2026 brought together leaders from local government, the development industry, planning, infrastructure and the wider built environment sector for a day of discussion, insight and collaboration.

Held at Hilton Woking on Wednesday 4 November, the conference provided an important opportunity to explore the challenges and opportunities facing Surrey at a time of significant change, with a particular focus on planning reform, local government reorganisation and unlocking sustainable growth across the county.

The programme featured contributions from senior local government representatives, industry leaders and national planning experts, including Graham Stallwood, Chief Executive of the Planning Inspectorate, alongside leaders helping to shape the future of local government in Surrey.

Throughout the day, discussions explored how the public and private sectors can work more effectively together to accelerate development, support investment, improve planning outcomes and deliver the homes, infrastructure and places that Surrey needs.

The conference also provided valuable opportunities for delegates to reconnect, build relationships and share perspectives, reinforcing the importance of collaboration as Surrey navigates a changing political, planning and development landscape.

Thank you to everyone who made the conference possible

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all our speakers, panellists and session chairs for sharing their expertise, perspectives and insights, and for contributing to such an engaging programme.

A special thank you to our conference sponsors – Wates, Savills, Motion and English Estates – whose support helped make the event possible.

We are also grateful to our partners, supporters and everyone involved in delivering the conference, and to all delegates who joined us and contributed to the conversations throughout the day.

The Surrey Development Forum remains committed to bringing together the public and private sectors to encourage collaboration, share knowledge and support positive development across Surrey. We look forward to building on the discussions from this year’s conference through our ongoing events and activities.