Dr Lucy Montague to Represent Manchester Met and IPM at Parliamentary Roundtable on New Town Regeneration
The Institute of Place Management is pleased to confirm that Dr Lucy Montague will represent Manchester Metropolitan University at an upcoming roundtable hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on New Towns.
The session, organised by the APPG secretariat, will take place on Wednesday 18th June 2025 in Portcullis House, Westminster. The discussion will focus on regeneration across the UK’s 32 post-war New Towns, with the aim of learning from existing schemes to inform future renewal strategies.
Dr Montague, based in the Manchester School of Architecture, brings a wealth of insight as a former Special Adviser to the House of Lords Built Environment Select Committee. Drawing on both architectural and place management perspectives, she will contribute vital reflections on the role of town centre regeneration and high street renewal in shaping the future of New Towns.
She joins a distinguished panel that includes:
- Tom Pike, Chief Executive, Stevenage Borough Council
- Andrew Hunter, Executive Director for Place, Bracknell Forest Council
A key theme for the roundtable is the critical relationship between housing and place. New Town regeneration cannot succeed without integrating high-quality, sustainable housing with well-designed, vibrant public spaces and connected infrastructure. Dr Montague will draw on her academic and policy expertise to emphasise how placemaking approaches - rooted in community, design, and liveability - must underpin new town housing development. Each speaker will share brief remarks on their regeneration experiences, followed by a facilitated discussion.
Fiona Howie, Chief Executive of the Town and Country Planning Association, welcomed Dr Montague’s involvement:
“We’re delighted that Lucy will be attending on behalf of IPM and Manchester Met. She is extremely well-placed to contribute meaningfully to the discussion, drawing on academic, practitioner, and policy perspectives. We look forward to hearing Dr Montague's perspectives and hearing the importance of place-based approaches in shaping the future of our New Towns.”
The APPG for New Towns plays a vital role in raising awareness of the distinct challenges and opportunities these communities face, and in championing strategic thinking for their long-term success.
More on the APPG can be found here: https://www.tcpa.org.uk/resources/all-party-parliamentary-group-on-new-towns/
Summary and call to action
The UK Government has committed to delivering 1.5 million new homes over the course of this Parliament - a target that presents both significant opportunities and major challenges. Achieving this ambition will require coordinated action across national, regional, and local levels, with a strong focus on place quality, infrastructure, and community engagement. At the Institute of Place Management, we are keen to hear from members about how this target can be met in ways that promote sustainable, liveable, and inclusive places. Your insights - whether from planning, development, design, or community perspectives -will help shape our response and inform future discussions. As part of this conversation, we’ll be hosting a special event ahead of World Urbanism Day in November to explore international perspectives on solving the housing crisis, and we welcome your insights to shape this important debate. You can register here.
About the author
Formed in 2006, the Institute of Place Management is the international professional body that supports people committed to developing, managing and making places better.