PROPERTY QUESTION TIME A HIT WITH NOTTINGHAM AUDIENCE

THE aftermath of Trussonomics, the UK’s creaking planning system and tackling the skills gap were some of the key topics discussed at the inaugural Property Question Time, hosted by ProCon Nottinghamshire.

Seven experts from across the property and construction sector faced questions from a live audience at the event held at Trent Bridge, with the panel tackling some of the major issues currently facing the industry.

Among the other topics on the table were the challenges around interest rates, and the progress that has been made towards the UK’s ambitious climate change targets.

Nick Grace of Grace Machin – who sat on the panel and is also a board member of ProCon Nottinghamshire – said: “With the current economic situation, it is a really interesting time for the property and construction industry, and this event provided a platform to air some of the issues and discuss how they can be solved in a cross-industry manner.

“Given this was the first event of its kind, the audience response was phenomenal – everybody was engaged, and we had some great questions.”

The panel was made up of Grace, Innes England managing director Matthew Hannah, interim regional managing director at housebuilder Lovell East Midlands Beth Bundonis, Simon Smith of Nottingham Trent University, Botham Accounting’s Andrew Botham, Andrew Butcher of Saxondale Properties and Spenbeck co-owner Victoria Green, and was hosted by Tom Snee of Cartwright Communications.

Issues around planning permission were a consistent topic on the day, with the panel agreeing that the current system is badly under-resourced and that a significant reform would make a major difference in ensuring vital projects are delivered.

Tom said: “What made the event tick was the breadth of knowledge and expertise on the panel, which not only meant we could really get under the skin of some big issues, but also get perspective on them from different parts of the property and construction ecosystem.

“Overall, it was an excellently supported event, which we’re sure will become a regular fixture in the ProCon calendar.”

The next ProCon Nottinghamshire event is a City and County Update, co-hosted with Nottingham Partners. Attendance is free to ProCon members, and tickets can be booked here: https://www.procon-nottinghamshire.co.uk/events/event-city-update