Put your question to our expert panel chaired by RICS President Max Crofts

Panel members:

Chair: Max Crofts, BSC FRICS, President, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors 2009/2010

Max is a Partner with King Sturge, which has grown to be one of the largest property consultancies in the UK and mainland Europe. His professional work encompasses corporate real estate advisory services, especially in the food sector, out-of-town retailing and arbitration in commercial property disputes.

Ruth Reed, President, Royal Institute of British Architects

Ruth has been a previous President of the Royal Society of Architects in Wales, and RIBA Council member and is the Course Director of the Postgraduate Diploma in Architectural Practice at the Birmingham School of Architecture.

Peter Head OBE FREng FRSA, Director, Arup

Peter is a civil and structural engineer who is a recognised world leader in major bridges and received an OBE for successfully delivering the Second Severn Crossing as Government Agent. In the October 2008 issue of Time magazine, he was nominated as one of 30 global eco-heroes.

Jim Claydon RTPI

Jim is a South West based planning consultant, a Past President of the RTPI and formerly Head of the School of Planning & Architecture at UWE, Bristol.

Colin Molton MRICS, Regional Director South West, Homes & Communities Agency.

With the HCA since December 2008, Colin was previously Director of Development with the South West Regional Development Agency. He chairs one of the subgroups for the SW Regional Economic Taskforce. In October 2009 Colin was named Property Professional of the year by South West Business Insider Magazine.

The Debate

This unique multi-disciplinary event brings together Planners, Surveyors, Architects and Civil Engineers to debate the future of the region. 

As the sands continue to shift under the sector's feet how can built environment professionals work together to limit the impact of the current economic climate and continuing credit crunch fall-out on the South West?

What are the fundamental issues now and how significant is the threat of public sector cutbacks? Are more measures needed to help secure appropriate funding? How do we maintain resource and capacity and build up the skills in our sector to take advantage of the up turn?

How do we identify and seize the opportunities to keep the region moving forward? Does sustainability have a place in times of financial difficulties and at what cost?

Opened by the Chair of the debate and with each panellist making an introduction, the panel will debate the issues using questions from the audience.