Environmental Industries Commission Conference 2008

Living on a crowded island the ability to bring back into use brownfield sites is central to building the new houses and commercial developments we need, whilst protecting the countryside for us all to enjoy.

Recent years have seen a step forward in our reuse of brownfield sites with the Government’s target of 60 percent of homes to be on previously used land regularly exceeded as planners adopt a ‘brownfield first’ approach. Housebuilders, developers and their consultants and contractors have become increasingly expert in tackling the particular challenges brownfield sites bring – such as dealing with the polluted legacy of our industrial past.

However as economic times get harder the added complications and costs of brownfield sites can become major stumbling blocks to projects going ahead. In such times the need to be at the forefront of policy and market developments becomes even more pressing. Those involved in brownfield development need to understand the changing market drivers behind commercial developments and public sector regeneration. They also needed to ensure they are not caught unawares by the rapidly evolving regulatory requirements.

On October 23, the Environmental Industries Commission (EIC), the leading body for those involved in brownfield development, will hold the leading event of the year on the challenges of bringing back brownfield sites into reuse – the National Brownfield Development Conference: “Policy, Practice and Profits: a definitive review of the policies and regulation driving brownfield development.”

The event brings together a unique line up of leading policy makers and key industry players to examine what factors will continue to drive brownfield development in the current market – including the role of the new Homes and Communities Agency. The event also examines the continuing rapid developments in the regulatory regime within brownfield development operates.

The first session of the conference will hear from the most senior policy-makers on future policy framework to support and regulate brownfield development. The line up includes Jonathan Shaw MP, Minister for Local Environmental Quality and Grant Shapps MP, Shadow Minister for Housing.

The second session brings together some of the figures in driving market demand including Sir Bob Kerslake, Chief Executive of the new Homes and Communities Agency (which will just be setting out its agenda); and Roger Madelin, Chief Executive, Argent (the property developer responsible for Kings Cross).

In the afternoon, leading professionals will set out the new regulatory and fiscal drivers coming up. These include the removal of the Landfill Tax Exemption and the extension of the Land Remediation Relief to a broader range of costs, new EU rules on liability and a new code of practice on remediation and waste legislation.

The final session will hear from the Chief Executive of the British Property Federation and industry experts on how to deliver successful projects in the current regulatory regime. To help networking and business development the event also features an exhibition of brownfield development services and a drinks reception which will be addressed by Greg Barker MP, Shadow Environment Minister.

The conference is sponsored by: Regenesis Ltd and Parsons Brinckerhoff and is co-sponsored by Davis Langdon Crosher & James, Sirius, ECC and DEC Environmental. The media partners are: Regeneration & Renewal, Estates Review, CL:AIRE and Brownfield Expo. The drinks reception is sponsored by Arletan.
ENDS

Contact details
For more information and to book for the Conference see www.eic-uk.co.uk/land2008.cfm. For more information on EIC please contact Merlin Hyman on 0207 935 1675 or www.eic-uk.co.uk