President update 3rd February - latest news from ADEPT
Hello everyone,
Gosh, a month into 2025 already but didn’t January feel like a very long (and busy!) month?
We recently had a really productive meeting with the joint presidents’ of ADASS, ADCS and ADPH plus the LGA. Together, we are preparing a joint pre-spending review submission to highlight the vital link between place based services, people services and health. It’s helpful too that ADEPT has a seat on MHCLG’s local government funding reform strategic group.
We met with Emma Ward from the Department for Transport in December to discuss planning system challenges, including trying to achieve a joined up approach across agencies such as National Highways and Homes England, local plan viability and growth enablement. We are now gathering case studies to help make our case stronger.
We’re also continuing our involvement in the Campaign for Better Transport’s pay-as-you-drive forum, which ties in with ADEPT’s wider work on travel demand management.
I was delighted to be invited to sit on the Government’s Flood Resilience Task Force, chaired by Defra Minister Emma Hardy. My home county of Leicestershire has seen the worst flooding in decades at the start of January, and I know many areas are likewise struggling to deal with the impact of a changing climate.
Our recent Corporate Partner Seminar, focusing on The Future of Digital Infrastructure: Smart Places, Connectivity, and AI Integration was a great success. It was a good opportunity to connect commercial partners and place directors, sparking valuable conversations that will help shape ADEPT’s work and strengthen the case for place-based investment.
Looking ahead, we’re working again with our partners at The Blueprint Coalition to host a webinar, exploring how planning reform can support our climate goals. Taking place on 13th February, we'll also cover embodied emissions, retrofitting challenges and the implications of regional planning proposals in the English devolution White Paper – if you are interested, please book your place.
I also want to remind everyone about the ADEPT President's Awards. These awards celebrate the exceptional work happening across our sector—what might seem like standard practice to you could be groundbreaking for others. I’d really encourage you to submit an entry and showcase the incredible work we do transforming communities across the country. Find out more.
And finally, don’t forget that the ADEPT Live Labs 2 Expo booking website is open, so please apply for your place. A brand new feature for this year are ‘Dragons’ Den’ style sessions, where SMEs working on decarbonising highways will pitch their innovations to a panel of sector specialists and decision makers. It’s a fantastic opportunity to highlight fresh ideas that could help drive real change. If you know of an SME that would like to take part, please ask them to register here.
For more updates on ADEPT's latest news, publications, and the work of our boards and groups, visit our website: www.adeptnet.org.uk
