ADEPT Spring Conference round-up 2026
The ADEPT Spring Conference 2026 took place on Wednesday 13th May 2026.
It was a busy day, packed with engaging conversations about the future of place leadership in an ever-changing landscape and was attended by nearly 200 delegates.
To open the conference, outgoing ADEPT President Angela Jones highlighted her presidential theme for 2025-26, Making the Case for People and Place, and reflected on her priorities of influence, inclusivity and innovation.
Angela emphasised the importance of community cohesion and collaboration, before announcing the publication of four new ADEPT publications: ADEPT’s Strategic Plan 2026-29, Navigating Highways Service through LGR Toolkit, Supporting the Transition to Electric Vehicles and the Local Highways Climate Adaptation Guide.
We were delighted to be joined by Simon Lightwood MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Transport, who gave a speech inspired by Thomas Telford, the Institute of Civil Engineer’s first president, whose pioneering work shaped modern infrastructure and showed that success is defined by what works for people. The Minister spoke about measures the government is taking to place more power in the hands of local place leaders and brought attention to the Better Connected Strategy and the Connectivity Tool.
Session 1 focused on the shifting landscape of local government, particularly exploring the opportunities and challenges presented by local government reorganisation and the need to adapt to multi-party politics. The session was chaired by Katie Stewart, Executive Director of Environment and Place Services at the City of London Corporation and incoming ADEPT President, who led the conversations on devolution and political change.
Piali Das Gupta, Director at Roretti, Mark Rogers, Interim Chief Executive at Sussex & Brighton Strategic Authority, and Tony McArdle, Senior Sector Adviser at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, each gave insightful speeches and took part in a detailed panel discussion.
In Session 2: Innovation in highways and transport, it was the turn of the Live Labs 2 project leads to showcase the outputs and outcomes of their work. Each project demonstrated successes, from carbon and financial savings to increased biodiversity and road safety.
The Live Labs 2 programme is now in its fourth year, with focus on disseminating the findings of each project across the industry to help shape the future of highways innovation.
Rachael Orr, CEO of Climate Outreach, delivered this year’s Presidential Lecture. Rachael explored the challenging national dynamic of high public worry about climate change, versus low awareness of progress and declining political support for net zero. In discussion with Nigel Riglar, Executive Director of South Gloucestershire Council, she emphasised the importance of empathetic communication, local storytelling and transparency when connecting with audiences about climate change.
The final session of the conference, Delivering the government’s planning agenda, involved discussions around simplified regulations, the integration of nature recovery with economic growth and community wellbeing, and the threat of rising costs on scheme viability.
The session was chaired by Chris Henning, Executive Director of Place at Derbyshire County Council, who guided the panel conversation on housing targets and car-based communities.
Oliver Harmar, Chief Officer of Strategy at Natural England, Vivienne Clements, Executive Director at Henry Boot Developments, Joanna Averley, Chief Planner at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government and John Wilkinson, Director of Place at West of England Combined Authority, each participated in the panel and spoke about the planning agenda, providing varying perspectives on the subject.
Delegates found the networking opportunities invaluable, with conversations described as varied and inspirational and many reflecting on the value of connecting with so many colleagues from across the network.
The conference was followed by the AGM, where the new President's team was confirmed.
You can find out more about the new ADEPT President, Katie Stewart, and her presidential priorities for the year ahead here.
