We organise, speak at and attend various planning policy and public affairs events on industry-related topics

We have hosted various events in recent years with various councils across Surrey, Essex, Kent, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire, with planning consultants such as Strutt & Parker, Vail Williams, Bidwells, Lichfields, Knight Frank and DLP.

Upcoming events

Surrey & Sussex Breakfast Briefing: Local Government Reorganisation and devolution

Chelgate Local is hosting a further breakfast briefing about local government reform (LGR) and devolution, this time how they could impact upon the development industry in Surrey and Sussex. The event is on Friday, 7 November, at Denbies Wine Estate, Dorking.

We have four excellent speakers with proceedings chaired by Nick Wood-Dow, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Surrey.

It is perhaps counter intuitive to be reforming local government when also trying to ramp up housing delivery to 300,000 per year and meet centralised targets. However, the government is adamant these reforms are designed to facilitate faster housebuilding in order for these targets to be achieved, not to hinder them.

Surrey and Sussex are priority areas for the reforms, although they are on different paths: unitary elections will take place in Sussex 2026, with unitary elections the year after. Surrey will have unitary elections in 2026 with mayoral elections likely a year after. The new councils are expected to operate in shadow for a year before being vested in 2027 and 2028 respectively.

Breakfast will be served from 8am with the event starting at 9am. Speakers include:

• Lisa Townsend, Current Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC)
• Daniel Mouawad, Chief Executive of Spelthorne Borough Council.
• Marisa Heath, Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Planning and Development
• James lacey, Regional Managing Partner, LLP Member and Head of Public Sector.

The event will be chaired by Nick Wood-Dow deputy chairman of Chelgate and Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, and introduced by Michael Hardware, Cabinet Member for Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution at an Essex council.

To register to attend please click here.

Previous Events

Essex Breakfast Briefing: Local Government Reorganisation and devolution

On Friday 12th September 2025, Chelgate Local and Bidwells, in conjunction with the Essex Developers Group, co-hosted a Local Government Reorganisation and Devolution Breakfast Briefing at Pontlands Park Hotel near Chelmsford, in Essex.

After attendees enjoyed a scrumptious breakfast buffet, the event was introduced by Michael Hardware, Chelgate Local’s director of planning & property and also the cabinet member for local government reorganisation and devolution at Harlow Council. He welcomed attendees and briefly outlined the upcoming timetable for Essex – four business plans are being prepared for Essex: a three-unitary configuration being promoted by Essex County Council two four-unitary configurations, one from Rochford and one from Thurrock, and then a five-unitary configuration being promoted by Southend and supported by 10 of the 15 existing councils.

You can read a full report on the briefing here – speakers included:

Cllr Louise McKinlay Louise is deputy leader of Essex County Council and former leader of Brentwood Borough Council. She has just been selected as the Conservative mayoral candidate for Essex for 2026.

 

 

 

 

Bayo Alaba MP Bayo is the Member of Parliament for Southend and Rochford

 

 

 

 

Steven Butler Steven is partner, planning, at Bidwells, a planning consultancy operating across Essex.

 

 

 

 

 

Cllr Stephen Robinson Stephen is the leader of Chelmsford City Council and an Essex county councillor.