All Speakers Joanna Key Director General for Regeneration, Housing and Planning, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) Joanna Key is Director General, Regeneration, Housing and Planning at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Joanna was previously Director of Growth and Infrastructure at HM Treasury and Director for Domestic Affairs at the Cabinet Office. Prior to the Cabinet Office, she spent three years working as a director at the Department for Exiting the European Union, leading the work on the legal and constitutional implications of the UK’s departure from the EU. Joanna joined the UK Civil Service in the mid-1990s and, over her career, has worked on a wide range of issues including economic growth, Brexit, planning and housing, climate change and energy policy. Married to a diplomat, she has lived, worked and travelled extensively in the Balkans and China, returning to the UK in 2015 after three years working in Beijing on urban policy and growth. She has a master’s degree in economics. Thursday 16 October 2025 14:15–14:55 1.5 Million Homes: Ambition, Action, and Accountability Pearl Suite, Royal Armouries Go to session

Paulette McAllisterProgramme Director Strategic Housing Delivery Programme < Speakers < Previous Next > Paulette McAllister Programme Director Strategic Housing Delivery Programme Brentwood Borough Council Paulette has over 30 years’ experience in the Built Environment. As an accredited advisor to Public and Private Sectors she has a strong track record in place-making and urban design, including regeneration strategies for new settlements and urban extensions across the Southeast. Her longstanding role supporting local government in the UK also involves acting as an external consultee and advisor in the delivery of high-quality homes and Placemaking. She currently also acts as Programme Director for the Strategic Housing Development… Show More

Stand TBC < Back PSTAX pstax.co.uk PSTAX: Public Sector Tax Experts PSTAX is the UK’s leading specialist provider of tax advisory and compliance services to the public sector. For over 22 years, we’ve worked with hundreds of local authorities, police forces, fire services, NHS bodies, and other public organisations, helping them with expert VAT, employment taxes, and other specialist tax services. Our team comprises former public sector tax professionals and HMRC officers who understand the unique challenges and financial pressures faced by public bodies. We offer practical, tailored solutions that are both compliant and value-for-money, enabling our clients to maximise tax recovery, mitigate risk, and improve efficiency. In addition to expert consultancy, PSTAX delivers a comprehensive suite of support services including training, VAT health checks, employment tax reviews, and an all-taxes helpline (a key feature of our subscription service, PSTAX Club). Our clients value us for our depth of knowledge and experience, our proactive advice, and our commitment to delivering tangible financial benefits We pride ourselves on our strong relationships with HMRC, allowing us to resolve issues swiftly and ensure our methodologies are robust and acceptable. From agreeing one-off exceptional partial exemption breaches to managing the off-payroll working rules and tax implications of service transformations, PSTAX brings clarity and confidence. As a trusted partner to the public sector, we are proud to support SOLACE and its members in driving financial resilience and good governance across UK public services. To learn more about how we can support your organisation, visit www.pstax.co.uk or contact us at devolutionlgr@pstax.co.uk .

Day One Day Two Previous Next Thursday 16 October 2025 Barton Suite, Royal Armouries 15:00–15:40 Roundtable Shaping Communities – How Leaders Unlock Social and Economic Value Speaker/s Nicola Monk, Divisional CEO, Energy & Environment, Procurement & Partnerships, Commercial Services Group Rosa Foster, Director, Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission Jon Gleek, Head of Research LGIU, Senior Leader from Local Government Hayley Hamlett, Director of HR & Corporate Affairs, Halton Borough Council Session Outline and Objectives Local government leaders are facing one of the toughest financial periods in recent memory. With growing demand for services and shrinking budgets, chief executives are being asked to make deeper cuts while still protecting communities. In this environment, conversations about social impact can feel like a luxury. Yet, for many leaders, it remains at the heart of what they do: shaping stronger, fairer, and more resilient places. This panel discussion recognises the fiscal reality but also highlights that driving social and economic value does not always mean spending more. Instead, it’s about seizing opportunities that already exist, adopting proven models, and looking ahead to future innovations that can reduce costs while improving lives. Delivered by

< All sponsors Locality Stand 2 locality.org.uk Locality is the national membership network of 2,000 community organisations. We believe in the power of community to transform lives. As well as supporting local charities and social enterprises with paid specialist advice and resources, we’ve helped over 80 local authorities build stronger communities by investing in and working with local people. We’re experts in VCSE funding and governance, community engagement, service transformation, climate projects and community ownership of assets. Find out more at www.locality.org.uk/consultancy-services .

Stand TBC < Back Robertson Group www.robertson.co.uk Robertson is one of the largest family-owned construction, infrastructure, and support service businesses in the UK. Our portfolio of businesses have extensive expertise in developing, delivering and maintaining buildings and infrastructure for our customers across the UK. At Robertson, we listen, we are professional, we take responsibility and work as one team. These time-tested principles guide how we work and what our customers can expect. Our capabilities and size as a business have grown over the past five decades, but our purpose has remained the same: to assure a sustainable future. As one of the joint founders of Clear Futures, which provides flexible strategic partnerships, we collaborate with the public and private sectors to help our partners overcome built environment challenges and drive change in their communities faster and more effectively. We combine the specialist expertise of industry experts with those in our customers’ organisations at the time that’s right for them. Through collaboration we deliver transformational change within local communities, with a focus on strategic support, strategic asset management, regeneration, decarbonisation, renewable energy and sustainability. Recent successes include the award-winning restoration of Bolton Library, delivered through a partnership that has secured over £75m of grant funding, generated over £100m of local economic benefit and created 40% social value for the town. Through Clear Futures, we support the public sector to address local priorities over the long term, and plan value-based routes to delivering energy-efficient, cost-effective infrastructure and services that create lasting impact in our communities.

< All sponsors Granicus Stand 6 granicus.uk Granicus is the global leader in digital engagement solutions for the public sector, connecting 500,000+ professionals with 350M+ subscribers. Its cloud-based platform streamlines communication, citizen engagement, websites, and services—powering 30B+ interactions annually across the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand to build stronger government-community relationships.

< All sponsors EY www.ey.com We help governments adopt digital technology to create new ways of working, with the aim of achieving better outcomes for citizens and better experiences for government workers. We help our clients meet their challenges head-on, and work closely with them to build a world that works better for all citizens.

< All sponsors Policy in Practice Stand 22 policyinpractice.co.uk Policy in Practice empowers people via proactive, integrated support. Millions of families are missing out on £23 billion of support during a cost of living crisis. Ask us how much is unclaimed in your area and how we are helping one in four local authorities to boost resident’s incomes and reduce their costs.

Ruth du PlessisDirector of Public Health < Speakers < Previous Next > Ruth du Plessis Director of Public Health St Helens Borough Council Ruth has worked at St Helens Borough Council since 2019 and became Director of Public Health in April 2021. Her background is nursing and health visiting. She also spent a few years in South Africa where she provided palliative care to HIV and AIDs patients in a poor, rural community. After returning to the UK, Ruth studied for a Masters in Applied Public Health and worked in several roles across the north of England before joining St Helens Borough Council… Show More

Ian Bancroft Chief Executive < Speakers < Previous Next > Ian Bancroft Chief Executive Wrexham Council Ian took up his post as Chief Executive of Wrexham Council in August 2018. For the previous fourteen years he worked at a senior leadership level within large public service organisations in Greater Manchester, Merseyside and North East Wales. Most recently, since 2014, this has been at Flintshire County Council as a Chief Officer successfully leading the development and implementation of a number of major strategic programmes. Ian is committed to public service delivery and aims to work with partners,… Show More

< All sponsors Newtrality www.newtrality.co.uk Newtrality is a consultancy firm that focuses on complex programme and transformation delivery. We work with councils to provide practical support and challenge to some of the sector’s biggest challenges. Whether it is LGR, Devolution, complex systems change, improving service delivery or driving savings and transformation, we can be trusted to deliver.