Who’s driving public/private partnership?

When it comes to making the most out of relationships, it is as much about who you know as it is the skills, passion and investment you have to offer. Here EG gathers its list of the 20 most powerful connections to make across the public/private sphere. Pooja Agrawal, chief executive, Public Practice Founder of Public Practice, Agrawal is on a mission to help “level up” local authorities planning and place departments. The not-for-profit Public Practice places private sector experts into local authorities to help build the skills they need to “shape the places we deserve”. Whether you’re the public or private side of the property equation, connecting with Agrawal can only be valuable. Tracy Brabin, mayor, West Yorkshire The UK’s only female mayor, Brabin is a politician with a showbiz background (with roles in Coronation Street, EastEnders and Emmerdale). She is on a mission to deliver 5,000 sustainable homes, make sure West Yorkshire’s creative industries form part of its wider recovery and ensure infrastructure sits at the heart of the region’s renaissance.   Andy Burnham, mayor, Greater Manchester “King of the North” Burnham is still seen as a Labour leader in waiting. He’s a strong voice for devolution and has an open door for the private sector if it wants to help him make Greater Manchester even greater. Deborah Cadman, chief executive, Birmingham City Council A degree in politics, a masters in economics, 30 years in public services, the first permanent chief executive of the West Midlands Combined Authority – Cadman is a force to be reckoned with. And she needs to be to help Birmingham be bold again. The authority was placed into special measures in September 2023. Bev Craig, leader, Manchester City Council A member of Manchester council since 2011, Craig took the reins of the council from Sir Richard Leese in 2021. Born and raised on a council estate in Belfast and moving to Manchester in 2003 to go to university, Craig has a special understanding of both the importance of good affordable homes and creating places where people want to stay. Housing, sustainability and building an inclusive economy are high on Craig’s to-do list. Catherine Davies, head of DIO estates, Ministry of Defence If you are a surveyor, looking after the Defence Infrastructure Organisation’s estate is a dream job – a portfolio that has every kind of asset you could dream of, in every kind of location and a million and one opportunities to make it better. Working closely with director of infrastructure Sherin Aminossehe, Davies has responsibility for maintaining, improving, disposing and modernising the MoD estate. Peter Denton, chief executive, Homes England Denton is desperate to work closer with the commercial real estate sector and turn Homes England into an agency of change, moving from delivering programmes to delivering places. With a background in banking, he knows how to get finance flowing.   Nuala Gallagher, corporate director of city development, Liverpool City Council Gallagher forms part of a new make-up of Liverpool council following a reorganisation of its senior team. She is focused on driving the city’s economic growth and delivering sustainable development across the city centre and communities. Gallagher has more than two decades of experience in development and placemaking internationally. Michael Gove, secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities Love him or loathe him, Gove is still the man with the direct line into Number 10 and 11 and tasked with leading the current government’s levelling up campaign. Having him on speed dial definitely wouldn’t hurt.   Photo by Mark Thomas/Shutterstock Lord Dominic Johnson, minister for investment, Department for Business and Trade A regular turn at the property investment shows, including MIPIM and UKREiiF, Lord Johnson definitely waves the flag vigorously for inward investment. While his speeches and choice in partner – running a £5.7bn investment firm with Jacob Rees-Mogg – might not be everyone’s cup of tea, Johnson does bring decades of experience in finance to the role. Jonathan Martin, director of inward investment, London borough of Waltham Forest Chartered surveyor Martin is passionate about supporting the regeneration of London and the South East and is driving inward investment into Waltham Forest. With a focus on regeneration, housing, workspace and higher education, Martin is seeking to bring public and private together to deliver key strategic regeneration for new developments, existing and new communities, and business occupiers. Lara Newman, chief executive, LocatED Like Denton at Homes England, Newman is all about working with the private sector but, instead of homes and communities, she Is looking to develop a sustainable educational estate. A champion of diversity – using the LocatEd programme to bring more people into property – Newman has acquired more than 200 sites for schools, facilitated more than 100,500 new school places, and believes school-led mixed development has a key role to play in levelling up. Tim Newns, managing director for levelling up, Department for Business and Trade Newns was chief executive of Manchester’s inward investment agency MIDAS for more than a decade and was instrumental in helping pull some £6bn of investment into Greater Manchester. At DBT his focus is on driving investment across the UK and overseeing the regional expansion of the Office for Investment. Matthew Pennycook, shadow minister for housing and planning Pennycook was appointed shadow minister for housing and planning during the frontbench reshuffle in 2021. He has been driving much of Labour’s policy thinking around housing and planning and has been vocal on topics such as nutrient neutrality, private rentals, leasehold reform and social housing. Worth getting on your speed dial now. Michelle Percy, director of place, Newcastle City Council With a background in real estate, leading the initial phase of the £200m Stephenson Quarter project next to Newcastle central station, Percy is tasked with delivering a major programme of change to “challenge and shape Newcastle City Council’s approach towards becoming an enterprising council”. Percy is passionate about delivering a fit-for-purpose portfolio for Newcastle Council and ensuring that the development has a positive effect on the lives of the people in the city and on the civic environment. Angela Rayner, deputy prime minister and shadow secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities Rayner was appointed Gove’s counterpart in September last year. Love her or loathe her, if the Labour Party does make it into number 10 this year, it is likely that she will be the one in charge of rethinking the planning process again.   Rachel Reeves, shadow chancellor of the exchequer Reeves and Labour leader Keir Starmer often come as a double act. She has his ear and has been making sure she gets close to the private sector as the party seeks to take power.   Photo © Tayfun Salci/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock Pat Ritchie, chair, Government Property Agency Ritchie has taken on a second term at the GPA as she seeks to help modernise the government’s sprawling estate, from ensuring better ways of working, more valuable ways to spend taxpayers’ cash, offloading surplus sites and teaming up with the private sector to deliver fit-for-purpose hubs across the country.   Andy Street, mayor, West Midlands Former John Lewis boss and one of the loudest champions for the West Midlands, Street knows how to work a room full of private sector players. If you’re keen to invest and Street thinks you can bring benefits to the West Midlands, you’re pretty much guaranteed a moment of his time.   Jace Tyrell, chief executive, Opportunity London Former New West End Company boss Tyrell tried to quit the London scene and head back to his native Australia but the draw of the capital was too much. As chief executive of Opportunity London, Tyrell is working as a concierge between private capital and the London boroughs to ensure the UK’s capital remains one of the most attractive places to invest in the world.