Supporting councils to unlock investment
Later this month, I, along with senior leaders from the LGA, will be attending the UK’s Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) in Leeds, where we will be building on a strong and well-received first-time presence at last year’s conference.
We will be showcasing local government leadership, strengthening relationships, and promoting the LGA’s place-based programmes that support councils to unlock investment and deliver change – all emphasising our strategic and results-driven approach.
UKREiiF has become a key national platform for the real estate, property and infrastructure sectors, bringing together local and national government, investors, developers and the wider built environment industry.
This year, the LGA is an Associate Partner for UKREiiF 2026, reflecting the importance of the conference as a space to champion the role of councils in shaping places and driving inclusive growth.
Our programme of events is shaped by our member councils’ priorities and mirrors the ‘golden thread’ that will be running through our own annual conference later this year – ‘From neighbourhoods to nations: building lasting futures locally’.
This theme runs throughout our UKREiiF sessions, focusing on how councils shape places, unlock growth and deliver long-term outcomes for communities.
The programme is also closely aligned with the LGA’s new LG Horizons work, which aims to help the sector shape its own future.
A central part of our presence will be to use UKREiiF as a platform to explore the future of local government and public sector reform, and what councils need to remain effective, investable and resilient over the long term. It’s important that we create and preserve the conditions that foster inward investment.
Crucially, our approach blends LGA policy leadership with our sector support and improvement programmes, ensuring sessions are grounded in the practical tools and support we offer councils – from housing and planning to land, regeneration, productivity and innovation.
The LGA will deliver and support a wide range of panels, roundtables and high-profile conversations, including:
- discussions on devolution and public sector reform
- a roundtable on unlocking ‘patient capital’ (long-term investment) to support housing and communities
- sessions on designing for neighbourhoods and
- community cohesion
- LG Horizons events to promote our new work programme
- panels on spatial development strategies, digital innovation and ‘PropTech’ – digital tools and software used to streamline, manage and optimise the real estate sector
- a panel on local government’s role in driving growth and innovation.
Additionally, we will be highlighting the work of some of our place-based programmes at UKREiiF, including: the Council Housebuilding Support Service, a fully funded national improvement programme helping councils strengthen their capacity, capability and confidence to deliver more council homes; the national fire safety Joint Inspection Team, hosted by the LGA and funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG); our award-winning One Public Estate programme – delivered in partnership by the LGA, the Office of Government Property within the Cabinet Office, and MHCLG; and the Planning Advisory Service, which runs 14 projects funded by MHCLG.
Together, these sessions and programmes showcase councils as leaders, convenors and delivery partners, and highlight the value of local leadership in shaping national outcomes.
I am looking forward to attending this huge event, and I hope to see many of you there.
- Find out more, including details and timings of LGA panels and events, please visit the LGA website.