The South West’s most foremost housing summit with the focus on sustainability, planning and procurement, and the opportunities and challenges each brings to the sector.

Leaders and professionals from the built environment are invited to attend.

In order to make positive changes for the future, the sector needs to explore how and what it can do differently to successfully tackle the ongoing challenges it faces.

This event will look closely at how collaboration within the new homes sector can meet the environmental challenges that lie ahead, and also make improvements to planning and procurement across the industry.

Itinerary

9.00  Registration

9:30  Welcome & Introduction: Dan Macey, Chair CESW

9:45  Future Homes Hub led by Christopher Gaze, Future Homes Hub. To include round table discussion & feedback

10:45  Tea/Coffee Break

11:00  Planning led by Frances Summers, Senior Planning Policy Office, Dorset Council UK. To include round table discussion & feedback

12:00  Tea/Coffee Break

12:15  Procurement led by Matthew Goulcher, Levitt Bernstein. To include round table discussion & feedback

13:15  Closing thoughts: Andrew Carpenter, Chief Executive CESW

13:30  Lunch

Speakers

Christopher Gaze

Frances Summers – Senior Planning Policy Officer, Dorset Council

Frances is a Senior Planning Policy Officer at Dorset Council and an Associate Lecturer at The University of the West of England. In her short time in planning she’s worked on two local plans and a few neighbourhood plans leading on topics such as using digital technology for consultation, housing supply, affordable housing and climate change. Frances is passionate about social equality and uses this in her work. She regularly presents to schools and hosts work experience to try and inspire the next generation of planners.

As well as being vice chair (soon to be co-chair) of the Dorset Young Planners, she is also the Honorary Secretary of the RTPI’s Regional Management Board. In 2021 she was selected as a Woman of Influence  and won the RTPI’s South West Young Planner of the Year.

When not at work, Frances spends time with her family; her two teenage children, two cocker spaniels, a cat and a husband who is a Royal Marine Commando.

Matthew Goulcher

Matthew Goulcher is Managing Director of Levitt Bernstein, a practice of architects, landscape architects and urban designers. His experience of leading housing projects encompasses both large scale urban renewals and smaller community-led schemes of all types and tenures.

As such, he regularly contributes to research and publications, particularly those related to space standards, design guidance and non-mainstream housing. Matthew also sits on the board of The Housing Forum, a cross-sector network of 150+ organisations driving quality and supply in UK housing.