BDT Legal to set up Thames Estuary regeneration special interest group

A special interest group for regeneration in the Thames Estuary is to be set up by BDT Legal, the shared service for the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham and Thurrock Borough Council.

BDT Legal said the establishment of the group was a response to the need for a special interest public sector practitioners' forum.

The group (‘TESIG’) is to focus on the challenges and opportunities that the Thames Estuary regeneration presents.

The first event, How we as practitioners can make our Thames Estuary a regeneration success, will be held on 23 January (10.00 am – 12.30 pm) at Thurrock Council. It will include presentations from Olwen Dutton, partner at Anthony Collins, on Brexit, the Supreme Court decision on Article 50 and regeneration, and Paul Shadarevian, barrister at Cornerstone Barristers, on the lessons to be learned from the Thames Gateway Development Corporation.

The meeting will also consider a draft constitution for TESIG, which will look to share know-how and practitioners’ experience in addressing and delivering regeneration and sound governance across the Thames Estuary “and so strengthen all the practitioners’ capability to tackle the demands that will be made in an environment that seeks urgent growth within a context of limited resources”.

Membership is to be predominantly drawn from those unitary, county and district local authorities both North and South of the Thames. However, BDT Legal said the group would not seek to be exclusive and all practitioners operating within the region were welcome. 

The initial start stage phase of TESIG will offer free membership, though active membership in terms of reasonable attendance will be an expectation. Meetings will be set on a quarterly basis.