Photography: Angela Carrington, The Bigger Picture Agency
Developing Consensus was delighted to welcome over 60 members and associates to its Driving Forward Development and Devolution Conference at One Strawberry Lane last week.
The membership organisation, which has been running for over 10 years, comprises companies from across the development sector, with its members responsible for delivering millions of pounds of major regeneration and new build projects across the North East.
Opened with talks from Dr Henry Kippin, Chief Executive of North of Tyne Combined Authority, Sandra Manson, Developing Consensus Chair and founding member of the property and development group David Furniss, the event allowed members to reflect on the progress of the membership body and look forward at the changing political landscape and future opportunities for the region.
Attendees were also invited to take part in focused breakout sessions which brought both public and private sector members together to discuss barriers and opportunities within the North East and how Developing Consensus could align with devolution effectively.
Sandra Manson said: “This is an incredibly pivotal time for the region and it’s vital that we re-frame and re-energise Developing Consensus so that we can best support and amplify the opportunities Devolution will bring.
“Within this, it’s also important to us that we’re listening to our members and ensuring that we’re using our collective voice to break down barriers to growth within the industry and create a region that’s ripe for investment and development.
“Feedback so far from the event has been fantastic and there is a real optimism around the new Mayoral Combined Authority’s plans and the opportunities they will bring for the sector.”
The event was supported through sponsorship from North East Local Enterprise Partnership, Pegasus Group, Hanro, FW Capital and Ward Hadaway.
The Developing Consensus team will be analysing feedback from the event to produce a report, re-framing the group’s priorities and creating a strategic overview to align the membership’s activity with devolution goals.
Sandra added: “This is a new chapter for Developing Consensus and we’re just getting started. Our regular meetings will resume in the coming months and we already have talks lined up from a number of exciting organisations.”
To learn more about Developing Consensus, visit: http://www.developingconsensus.com/
