UKREiiF is quickly becoming the biggest property event in the UK, and team Ridge were there in force. We hear from Phil Kelly, Andy Cleevely and Lauren Bailey about the key takeaways from this year’s event.

Phil Kelly, Sustainability Partner

“Whilst ESG as a theme is currently undergoing turbulent times internationally, it is great to hear during UKREiiF that decarbonisation and resilience are still at the top of the agenda across many sectors. It was a pleasure to join the panel debate at the Winvic Pavilion to discuss this in greater detail for the industrial & logistics sector. There was a certainly a positive outlook at this year’s UKREiiF, beyond simply the weather, and it was a great opportunity to discuss with clients the ever evolving legislative and market changes and drivers around Net Zero Carbon and Decarbonisation.”

Andy Cleevely, Civil and Structural Engineering partner

“I was looking forward to returning to UKREiiF this year after an energising visit in 2024. The physical size and attendee numbers of the event has grown enormously with more local authorities and key contributors than ever before. There are lots of local authorities with ambitious development proposals, largely underpinned by regeneration, that are coming forward to market. It was great to hear more detail about these and discuss the challenges with key stakeholders. The key themes coming out from my conversations were largely around the scarcity and over reliance on ageing infrastructure to support these large mixed-use developments. This was particularly relevant to one of our fastest growing sectors – Data Centres, where power infrastructure is of paramount importance to viability.

Coming away from UKREiiF I feel invigorated knowing Ridge are well placed to support our clients in meeting these infrastructure challenges with our growing list of expertise and increased focus on pre-development services.”

Lauren Bailey, Head of Social Value

“I was pleased to contribute to a lively discussion at UKREiiF exploring the social impact of housing, particularly in the context of a national housing crisis. Too often, objections to development overlook the opportunity cost of not building homes for those who need them most.

It was refreshing to examine the topic through a different lens, delving into what social value truly looks like in the housing sector. As the concept of social value continues to mature, it’s encouraging to see specialist social value organisations pushing boundaries, not just in how we deliver impact, but in how we articulate and evidence its full value.”