Breakout Session

Tuesday 24th May, London: 13:50 – 14:45

Supported by Power to Change

What does good really look like in community consultation? Can we take the politics out of placemaking?

Speakers:

• Anthony Okereke: Anthony Okereke is a Labour Councillor for Woolwich Common, and the Cabinet Member for Housing at the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

• Melissa Mean: Melissa oversees the We Can Make programme, which supports citizens and communities to create affordable homes when and where they need them, by unlocking micro-sites for development.

• Reverend Angus Ritchie: Fr Angus Ritchie is the Director of the Centre for Theology and Community (CTC) in east London, and the author of Inclusive Populism – a book Pope Francis has cited as an expression of his vision of “a politics of fraternity, rooted in the life of the people”. The book emerged from twenty years of community organising in local parishes. CTC is currently working with Create Streets and Citizens UK on a placemaking project in Shadwell. 

• Richard Bacon MP: Richard Bacon is the MP for South Norfolk. He was educated at The King’s School Worcester (Bright 1970 – 1980) and the London School of Economics. Before his election to Parliament in 2001, he worked in investment banking, journalism and consultancy. He served on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for sixteen years and was the PAC’s deputy chairman from 2010 to 2017. Based on his PAC experiences, Richard wrote the book ‘Conundrum: Why Every Government Gets Things Wrong – and What We Can Do About It’ (published by Biteback Publishing) and also contributed to the book ‘How to Run a Country’ (published by the Reform think tank). He has led workshops for the National Audit Office and the World Bank and also lectured widely, including at the London School of Economics and at Saїd Business School, University of Oxford. Parliamentary colleagues have voted him the House Magazine’s ‘Backbencher of the Year’ (2006) and also ‘Commons Select Committee Member of the Year’ (2012) and he has twice been named The Spectator magazine’s Parliamentarian of the Year (2006 and 2013). He founded the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Self-Build, Custom and Community Housebuilding and Place-Making, and steered through Parliament a Private Member’s Bill which became the Self-Build and Custom Housebuilding Act 2015. He is now Ambassador for the Right to Build Task Force, focusing on implementing the Right to Build legislation.

• Chair: Rose Grayston: Rose Grayston is part of the Create Streets Foundation. She has 10 years of experience in providing policy, research and strategic communications services to progressive campaigns and their leaders. Previously, she was Policy Manager at Shelter.