North East Emerging Development Hotspots 2025

MICHELLE PERCY | NEWCASTLE CITY COUNCIL | Michelle is the director of investment and growth, playing a crucial partin ensuring that the wealth generated by the city benefits every residentas part of an inclusive economy. Michelle oversees the functions of planning, highways, property, major projects, housing and commercial so is key to how the city continuesto grow and thrive. Michelle also holds responsibility for economic development, culture and events and works closely with private industry to ensure the needs of residents are met.

JONATHAN SEEBACHER | RYDER ARCHITECTURE | Jonathan joined Ryder in 2003 and has a wealth of experience across education, masterplanning, civic, residential and office sectors. He has been instrumental in growing Ryder’s portfolio across the UK and was part of the team that established Ryder’s Hong Kong office. Jonathan leads on our portfolio of buildings at Newcastle Helix, an exemplar of sustainable urban development which combines prestigious commercial and residential space with first class research and education facilities in the heart of Newcastle. Jonathan has extensive experience of working internationally and is board member for Okana, our pioneering global built environment consultancy, placing visionary thinking alongside economic viability. Jonathan is part of the British Council for Offices (BCO) northern committee and mentors for the BCO in the North and London. He has been a RIBA awards panel member and is a graduate of the common purpose meridian senior leadership programme and the CBI executive education programme

SIMON DEW | MUSE | Muse’s Development Director Simon Dew has over 25 years’ experience in property acquisition and development and joined the Muse team in 2010. Simon is responsible for several projects in Muse’s portfolio, including Northshore, a £300 million mixed use regeneration scheme in the Tees Valley, One City Park, Bradford, an 81,000 sq ft office building in the heart of the city centre and Bradford City Village. City Village is being delivered by The English Cities Fund, Muse’s partnership with Homes England and Legal & General and as ECF’s lead in the city, Simon is working with Bradford Council, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Homes England to deliver this green, healthy, vibrant and sustainable city centre neighbourhood with up to 1,000 new homes, shops, bars, workspace, public spaces and active travel infrastructure.

INSIYAH KHUSHNOOD, IGLOO REGENERATION | Insiyah Khushnood is a senior development manager at igloo Regeneration, with a career spanning 20 years working in commercial, urban regeneration projects. Insiyah’s passion is to create sustainable communities that have a net positive impact on People, Place and Planet. Insiyah is based in the North East and has worked in a number of cities across the UK and different sectors, from transport, regeneration, retail and residential.

TANIA LOVE | FAULKNERBROWNS Tania drives FaulknerBrowns’ thinking on city centre place strategy and activation. With over 30 years’ experience in mixed-use development and regeneration she has experienced the evolution of retail, food, leisure and lifestyle across Europe and has contributed to many innovations that have created successful destinations, including developing a communal dining concept for Market Halls. She has delivered over 3 million sqft of new places as well as remodelling existing buildings in heritage settings. Tania’s expertise has led to seats on several industry boards including Revo and the Leisure Property Forum, and in the North-East with NE1 Newcastle’s Business Improvement District and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. A Fellow of the Institute of Place Management, she was also part of the Government’s High Street Task Force 2020-24.

CLLR KEVIN JOHNSTON | SUNDERLAND CITY COUNCIL | Cllr Johnston was appointed as Portfolio Holder for Housing, Regeneration and Business in May 2024. He was first elected to the council to represent the Copt Hill ward in May 2016 and held the position of Portfolio Holder for Dynamic City between 2021 and 2024. Cllr Johnston represents the council and city on a number of external bodies and organisations including Environmental Protection UK, the North East Migration Network, Northern Housing Consortium Ltd, South Tyne & Wear Waste Management Partnership, and the Samuel Dobson Trust. Cllr Johnston is passionate about creating wide-ranging opportunities for all of Sunderland’s residents and businesses through the city’s significant programme of regeneration and investment, including the development of Riverside Sunderland, recognised as one of the UK’s most ambitious regeneration sites.

Organisations that attended this event in 2024 included Story Homes, Placefirst, Mott Macdonald, HTA Real Estate, Willmott Dixon, Hilson Moran, Pegasus Group, McCarthy Stone, JK Property Consultants, TEP, FaulknerBrowns, Identity Consult, Naylors Gavin Black, Vincent & Partners, OOBE, SGi Consulting, Ward Hadaway, Aspinall Verdi, Weightmans, Meldrum Group, Rider Levett Bucknall, LDA Design, Arup, and many more.

Tickets cost £88+VAT. Local authorities and registered providers can purchase tickets at a 50% discount below.

There will be a mix of presentations and panels. Breakfast and lunch are included, providing plenty of opportunity for business development.

Book using the form below – if you can’t see the form, please contact [email protected]

This event is sponsored by Caddick, DAC Beachcroft and Muse

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