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

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.

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.

Harry Bunbury, Director at HBD, reflects on a decade of delivering Airport Business Park Southend with Southend-on-Sea City Council, exploring how trust, two-tier governance, and shared risk make public-private partnerships succeed.