ADEPT Membership
ADEPT is the leading voice of place directors across England, serving as a vital conduit between local authorities and central Government.
Our members are part of a forward-thinking and influential organisation with a strong national profile, actively helping to influence and shape government policy to build stronger and more resilient communities.
ADEPT members work collaboratively to build successful and sustainable local economies and come from a wide range of groups, authorities and organisations including:
- County, Unitary and Metropolitan Borough councils
- Combined Authorities
- Sub-National Transport Bodies
- Corporate partners drawn from key service sectors
Through our unique system of technical working groups, subject, regional and national boards, ADEPT provides regular opportunities to contribute to research and development, examine new approaches and develop policy with colleagues from different professional backgrounds.
If you want to help influence and shape government policy and initiatives then read how to become an ADEPT member.
What you need to know
- ADEPT members serve over 42.5m people – that’s almost three quarters of the English population and over half (63%) of the population of the UK.
- ADEPT members deliver a wide range of services to individuals and communities each year including waste, housing, environmental and regulatory services, planning, development, highways and transport.
- More than 164,000 miles of road in England are managed by ADEPT members – that equates to just under 88% of England’s total road length.
- ADEPT members collect more than 16 million tonnes of waste from households annually and recycle or compost over 7 million tonnes.
The benefits of being an ADEPT member
We have a strong national profile and offer a wealth of benefits and opportunities to our members and their organisations.
As a member of ADEPT you will have immediate access to:
- Networking opportunities with ADEPT and like-minded organisations both regionally and nationally.
- Opportunities to participate in a range of working groups, subject boards, research and development programmes including the ADEPT Digital Academy and the Carbon Leadership Programme.
A collaborative approach
A full list of our current local authority and other associate members can be found here along with a map showing where ADEPT members are situated across the country.
An ADEPT membership offers
- A real opportunity to contribute to government policy, consultations and initiatives.
- Opportunities to share best practice, experience and technical expertise with colleagues regionally and nationally through regional and national subject boards, working groups and panels.
- Networking opportunities with corporate, public sector and political partners at events including the Spring Conference and Annual Awards Dinner (May), the National Traffic Managers Conference (October) and Autumn Conference (November).
- Use of ADEPT's extensive online resources and networks. ADEPT has exclusive partnerships with a number of influential organisations.
- Opportunities for local authority participation in research and development programmes. An example is the Live Labs 2 programme which secured £30m for a UK wide, three year programme on decarbonising local roads.
- Leadership development preparing and inspiring upcoming place directors to take the next step in their careers with our development programme, delivered in partnership with SOLACE. We also run other leadership and development courses as well as hosting our monthly, members-only Lunch & Learn sessions.
- Thought leadership on issues such as climate change and making the case for place through the PACE thought leadership programme.
- Access to best practice toolkits including SEND transport, EDI and employee retention and Gen Z recruitment.
- Members can also promote their organisation’s latest vacancies on the ADEPT website through our Vacancy Advertisement page.
Who can be an ADEPT member?
- Local authority directors* with strategic service responsibilities for planning, transportation, environment, waste management, economic development throughout England.
- Combined Authority chief executives / strategic directors
- Sub-national Transport Body chief executives / strategic directors
- Former local authority directors who have now retired but still want to be involved with ADEPT
- Former ADEPT members who now work within the private sector or outside of local government in the public sector
*Local and combined authority directors join on behalf of their organisation and their staff and teams are welcome to engage with ADEPT.
The ADEPT membership year runs from 1st April to 31st March and organisations can join at any time.
Once membership is confirmed, colleagues may also enjoy the benefits of ADEPT membership including joining boards/working groups, receiving ADEPT communications, participating in member-only learning and development opportunities and receiving members-only rates at conferences and expos.
ADEPT also offers a Corporate Partner Membership option, with more information available here.
If you have any questions on membership, please contact us or download further information on the benefits of membership here.
How to join ADEPT
You can find essential information on our membership types, fees and how to apply to join ADEPT here.