From data centres in Blackpool to space centres in Newcastle, a panel of Northern leaders set out their investment propositions on the global stage and discussed how the North can work together to make them a reality.

Positive steps taken towards reinvigorating housebuilding by the government nine months into its term are not to be sniffed at – but does the ambition match the reality on the ground? Place North’s MIPIM breakfast conference focused on this topic with a panel of private and public sector experts.

The rental sector is seeing record growth and massive international investment: no surprise then that this Place event attracted a large and vocal audience. Issues discussed included green rooms for a new generation of creatives, opportunities for retrofit, and the ongoing university challenge.

Stronger partnerships, being willing to take more risks, and adopting off-site manufacturing at scale were all posited as ways the North can deliver better schemes at pace at a Place North panel session on the UK Stage at MIPIM.

Eamonn Boylan is hoping to restructure the way the organisation works from within and leave a lasting legacy that will provide a springboard for delivery when he vacates his post for the next permanent chief executive of the government’s housing and regeneration agency.

Delegates of all stripes keen to get their week off to a flyer descended on Huracannes for the third edition of Place’s popular Monday evening gathering.

“You can say you heard about them before they were cool,” was the tempting introduction at the 2025 North West Emerging Development Hotspots conference in Manchester, where sleepy seaside towns, underperforming town centres and rural idylls ripe for development were all being showcased.

If we are serious about improving the quality of homes delivered and getting close to meeting Labour’s 1.5m target, SMEs must be allowed to play a bigger role in the UK’s housing market. That was the main takeaway from a summit on the nation’s housing sector held last week.

Cyber security, Preston’s “limitless” ambition, and the county’s exceptional digital connections were high on the agenda at Place North West’s Lancashire Development Update, held at Preston’s Guild Hall. Education, skills, and the need to develop a workforce to enable growth also took centre stage.

One hundred Place North delegates heading to Cannes in four weeks gathered for an inaugural preview dinner at hotel voco in Manchester.

Respondents to a recent survey conducted by the lender are finding it tough to deliver in the current market. However, the government’s pro-growth agenda has given the sector an injection of optimism, attendees at a special event heard last night.

Delegates heading to MIPIM for the first time this year were treated to a masterclass on what to expect and how to have a successful time in Cannes at an intimate Place North event last night. 

The official start of the festive networking season was marked yesterday when 200 guests gathered at Junction in Manchester to reflect on 2024 and look ahead to 2025.

While the snow fell outside, the North West’s next generation of property professionals stayed warm and dry at Place Young Things.

A new government, revised city council structure… could these trigger a new dawn for Liverpool and its neighbours? The public and private sector – including Everton FC, Liverpool City Council, and Muse – shared their reasons to be optimistic for the city region’s future, as well as details about the challenges the area faces.

The government wants the UK to become a science superpower. Place North West’s Life Sciences Update looked at the role the North West can play in achieving this goal as well as exploring the need for dynamic cities and pioneering buildings to address the significant shortfall in appropriate accommodation for innovative businesses. 

The RIBA award-winning Stoller Hall swapped out live music for an intriguing Place North Question Time event, where political leaders, investors, and industry figures took to a panel to take questions from Place North’s editorial team and members of the audience.

Terrifying housing targets, viability issues, and the need to do things differently – those were the words on everyone’s lips at Place North West’s event.

Is the office market like a Halloween zombie being raised from the dead? Are the horrors of the Covid work-from-home era about to be destroyed as rents soar? Those questions were answered at the latest Place North West event.