Surrey Development Forum holds its sixth annual conference
The Surrey Development Forum convened its sixth annual conference on Wednesday, with over 140 delegates from Local Planning Authorities, the incoming East and West Surrey Councils, some of the county’s largest developers, and the wider industry.
The Forum, praised by Planning Inspectorate CEO Graham Stallwood for enabling a more collaborative approach in Surrey, ably identified the issues ahead for the county and some ways LPAs and the industry could work together to best address them. Such an open and collaborative approach establishes connections for a planning system which delivers better results for Surrey and its communities.
John Tarvit, Director of Planning at Wates Developments, opened the conference with insightful reflections on how organisations like Wates have reorganised themselves to emerge stronger, and how local government in Surrey now goes through its own reorganisation process with the aim of creating something better.
Following John’s message on the opportunities of reorganisation, Cllr Steve Wotton, the Leader of East Surrey Council, made clear his ambition for growth, both to support greater opportunities for residents and to support the emerging council’s long term viability through economic activity.
Local leaders, officers and industry delegates agreed on the high value of early engagement with local communities and the pre-application process. However, delegates recognised the changing nature of engagement in a world of AI, where both communities and the planning system will use AI agents with a risk of overwhelming the system with generated comments.
In the afternoon, panellists felt that disengaged communities could turn to AI agents as a means of expressing themselves when they feel developers or the planning system do not engage, emphasising the need to bring communities along in the planning process.
At a moment of such change, delegates were fortunate to also hear from Catriona Riddell, an expert in strategic planning, with an update on navigating the emerging spatial planning landscape. The region can be certain about its boundaries, with the extent of Surrey and its neighbouring Kent, Sussex and Hampshire strategic authorities now determined, and the future of strategic-level planning now emerging for Surrey.
The conference concluded with contributions from two of Surrey’s Members of Youth Parliament who urged the industry to design spaces for young women, noting the absence of teenage girls from parks across the county. The discussion, including Savills and Make Space for Girls, highlighted that spaces designed without intentional exclusion can fail to be fully inclusive for girls and young women.
Finally, delegates moved to the Sky Bar on the 22nd floor to continue the conversations of the day over a drink. This less formal part of the day was a great opportunity to catch up with colleagues across the industry and reflect on the conference.
Surrey Development Forum members will next gather online on 8 December. To join the next meeting and future events, contact us about membership at [email protected].
The Surrey Development Forum passes its thanks to 2026 sponsors Wates Developments, Motion, English Estates, Savills, and facilitators Cratus Group and Savills.
