Peter Gregory and Betty Albon provide a comprehensive overview of the 2026 ACES National Conference in Southend-on-Sea, detailing sessions on the housing crisis, planning viability, public-private partnerships, workforce recruitment, and the strategic impact of Local Government Reorganisation.

Alan Richards Good morning everyone, and welcome to the 2026 ACES National Conference and a very warm welcome to Southend. It is a real pleasure to see so many familiar faces, colleagues, friends and partners from across the country here today. I hope you have already had the chance to experience some of what our city has to offer. You will no doubt have seen some of the street art from our fantastic City Jam festival a few weeks ago, and there is a reasonable chance you trav

Nicholas Maclean OBE RD FRICS Nicholas Maclean is a Fellow of the RICS and serves as President and Chair of the RICS Governing Council. Nick has served as an elected member and Chair of the RICS Governing Council, an RICS Board Member, Chair of the Membership Services Committee, and Chair of the RICS MENA Market Advisory Panel. Based in the United Kingdom, Nick established CBRE Middle East in 2004 and served as Co-Chairman and Managing Director until leaving the business at t

Jen Lemen FRICS breaks down the alternative route to MRICS via the Senior Professional Assessment (SPA), detailing key 2026 updates including strict generative AI policies, interview security rules, and case study competency mapping.

Maddie Thomson from Knight Frank explores why strategic asset management must act as a core leadership discipline during public sector reform, ensuring estate decisions, operating models, and service delivery remain aligned around place and community outcomes.

Henry Mahalski analyses the High Court decision in Mulbury Homes v Scoto & Stockport Council, exploring its crucial guidance on SCPC 11.3, landlord consent to assignment, contract rescission, and the legal standing of contracting purchasers.

Chris Skipworth highlights why the Five Eyes cyber risk warning applies urgently to local authorities, showing how property and estates teams can build an essential first line of defence against attacks by treating logins as a managed asset class.

Retired surveyor Bernard White FRICS recounts his experience speaking at the RICS APC graduation ceremony at Great George Street, sharing decades of career insights, ethical advice, and reflections on the future of the surveying profession.

Francis Truss examines the critical question of "who pays for place," evaluating four emerging stewardship funding models to ensure long-term public realm, ESG, and biodiversity management remain viable amid tight development margins.

Urban regeneration specialist Jackie Sadek proposes "Public Build to Rent" (PBTR) as a modern solution to council housebuilding, exploring how local authorities can leverage planning powers and private sector delivery to tackle the housing crisis.

Luka Mikulandra recaps the 2026 iBEE and RICS Accredited Providers Conference at RICS London HQ, exploring innovations in built environment education, AI in the classroom, assessment reforms, and the launch of the new RICS TikTok channel.

Alicia Gristwood of Park Avenue Recruitment explores the vital link between recruitment, development, and retention in local government property teams, urging leaders to "make the career visible" to attract and keep future talent.

Mary-Jane O’Neill of Lambert Smith Hampton examines the August 2026 NPPF in practice, detailing emerging appeal trends, station-led density opportunities, grey belt potential, and why estates teams should conduct a strategic portfolio review.

Donna Best FRICS of RICS explores what full Red Book compliance looks like in practice for public sector property teams, covering financial reporting standards, defensible audit trails, rotation policies, and the responsible adoption of AI.

Stuart Knight and Mark Walshe share candid lessons and practical guidance from Cumberland Council's transition to a unitary authority, covering asset rationalisation, team integration, data management, and navigating change.

Alex McKinlay, Head of Public Sector Land at Savills, explains how local authorities can use whole-plan viability testing and strategic public land assets to bridge policy ambitions with deliverable housing and infrastructure outcomes.

Sam Caulton of Re-Leased explains how AI can support under-resourced public sector property teams by streamlining lease administration, providing portfolio-wide compliance assurance, and preserving institutional knowledge—while leaving professional judgement firmly with surveyors.

Clare Jones and Madison Thomas of BPS Chartered Surveyors assess whether the August 2026 NPPF reforms can overcome rising build costs, low flat sales, and viability bottlenecks to restart stalled housing delivery.

Richard Pigott examines the government's August 2026 Biodiversity Net Gain reforms from the perspectives of an SME developer and practicing ecologists, evaluating whether exemptions for small developments reduce burdens without undermining long-term nature recovery.

Former CIPFA asset management head David Bentley serves up a humorous update from Cuillich Mill B&B, recounting sleepless nights teaching in Ljubljana, travels around Aberdeenshire, and the trials of online guest reviews.