Stantec
Stantec designs with community in mind—whether that's in engineering, architecture, energy, water, or project management.
- Date
- 23 May 2024
- Time
- 10:00 - 16:00 BST (GMT+1)
- Location
-
South West Institute of Technology Rennes Drive Exeter, EX4 4RN United Kingdom
This event has now ended
Overview
Creating infrastructure that is resilient to the effects of climate change is critically important to the South West. But how quickly and effectively the region can adapt is the urgent question. The increasing severity of storms, floods, heatwaves, and droughts are already impacting the region’s vital infrastructure such as water, transport, energy, and telecommunications networks. Clients across these sectors are having to innovate, think differently and collaborate to adapt existing infrastructure to provide resilience today while also planning new pathways to a more resilient future.
In the second of three face-to-face workshops exploring climate adaptation in the region, the South West Infrastructure Partnership (SWIP) will be focusing on adaptation through the lens of infrastructure clients operating in the region. The workshop will bring together representatives from a wide range of sectors to discuss the most pressing adaptation challenges for infrastructure clients and possible solutions. The event will also consider how those working with infrastructure clients can influence change and innovation in climate adaptation.
The format of the event will include presentations and case studies to help inform and inspire delegates, combined with breakout discussion groups to share opinions, and expertise. There will also be time for inter-sector networking, where professionals can exchange ideas with those outside their own sphere.
An earlier workshop held in Bristol in February identified client education and engagement on climate adaptation as a key area of opportunity for the region. Building on these findings, the latest event will discuss what needs to change for infrastructure decision makers, how to make a compelling business case to funders for climate adaptation and where collaboration needs to happen to form effective adaptation partnerships.
A buffet lunch and refreshments are included. A short tour of the University of Exeter’s engineering-related facilities is available as an optional extra after the workshop.
There is level access to the venue and throughout the ground floor where the presentations, breakout sessions and lunch will take place. There are accessible toilets in the building and disabled parking is available on the site.
The W3W location for the event is note.added.pencil.
Please note, a photographer will be taking photos throughout the day for ICE South West, SWIP and the University of Exeter to use on their websites and social media channels. Anyone wishing not to be photographer should email [email protected] before the event.
The third and final workshop in November 2024 will focus on the end user perspective of climate adaptation.
Programme
10:00 - 10:25
Arrivals and networking with tea/coffee
10:25 - 10:30
Welcome to the University of Exeter by Stuart Brocklehurst, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Business Engagement & Innovation
10:30 - 10:35
Welcome to the workshop by Miranda Housden, ICE South West
10:35 – 10:40
Introduction by Paula Hewitt, SWIP
10:40 – 10:55
A perspective on the climate adaptation of infrastructure by John Evans, South West Water
10:55 - 11:15
Local authority perspective by Jason Humm, Gloucestershire County Council
11:15 - 11:20
Q&A
11:20 - 11:25
Introduction to breakout session 1 by Professor Colin Taylor, SWIP
11:25 - 11:30
Delegates assemble for breakout session 1
11:30 - 12:30
Breakout session 1 – How can we overcome the barriers to factoring climate adaptation into infrastructure decisions?
12:30 - 12:35
Delegates re-assemble for presentations
12:35 - 12:50
Climate information for decision makers by Katie Jenkins, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
12:50 - 12:55
Q&A
12:55 - 13:05
Feedback from breakout session 1 by Colin Taylor
13:05 - 13:55
Networking challenge set by Paula Hewitt, then lunch is served
13:55 – 14:00
Introduction to the afternoon session by Paula Hewitt
14:00 – 14:15
Case study 1: Exmouth Coastal Resilience by Hamish Hall, Moffatt & Nichol
14:15 – 14:30
Case study 2: Bridgwater Tidal Barrier by Nick Tait, Somerset Council
14:30 – 14:45
Case study 3: South West Rail Resilience Programme by Julie Gregory, Network Rail
14:45 – 14:50
Q&A
14:50 – 15:35
Breakout session 2 – What do you need to help you make the business case? What is needed to build collaborative partnerships across sectoral boundaries?
15:35 – 15:45
Feedback from breakout session 2 by Colin Taylor
15:45 – 16:00
Workshop close by Paula Hewitt
16:00 – 16:45
Tour of University of Exeter facilities (optional)
Speakers
Stuart Brocklehurst
The University of Exeter
deputy vice-chancellor for business engagement and innovation
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Stuart Brocklehurst
Stuart leads collaboration between academic teams and industry partners to deliver positive change
John Evans
South West Water
head of programme delivery
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John Evans
Within South West Water John has responsibility for waste water programmes in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and waste water infrastructure, including storm overflows.
For more than 30 years he has been involved in the design, construction and operation of nationally important infrastructure projects, predominantly in the water, environment and tunnels sectors.
John is a Fellow of the ICE.
Julie Gregory
Network Rail
senior programme manager
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Julie Gregory
After working as meteorologist and climate scientist at the Met Office, Julie moved to Network Rail where she has been for more than 20 years in a variety of roles. She spent five years as senior sponsor for a programme of weather and climate resilience works on the Devon Coast, securing funding for over £160m and seeing four out of five projects into delivery. Julie is now working as a Senior Programme Manager for the Weather/Climate Risk Task Force in Network Rail’s Wales & Western Region where her role is to lead work to make the railway more resilient to extreme weather, both now and in the future.
Hamish Hall
Moffatt & Nichol
director
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Hamish Hall
Hamish Hall manages the Moffatt & Nichol Flood and Coastal Risk team in Europe. He is a chartered civil engineer whose main passions lie in coastal management, river engineering, waterside & harbour development and climate change adaptation. He was worked extensively across the UK and abroad based from Exeter. He has a detailed understanding of coastal processes, hydrological, hydraulic and economic modelling and business planning, particularly in relation to developments close to water.
Hamish has delivered numerous flood and coastal risk management projects and regularly supports the ongoing efforts of the flood risk management community into furthering their understanding of risk, particularly in generating projects that achieve multiple objectives.
Paula Hewitt
South West Infrastructure Partnership
chair
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Paula Hewitt
Paula Hewitt is the chair of the South West Infrastructure Partnership. She was deputy chief executive, lead director for Economic and Community Infrastructure and also the director of commissioning at Somerset County Council, where she had a diverse mix of responsibilities including economic development, highways and transport, waste, planning, property, environment, registration services and libraries. Paula was acting CEO at Somerset County Council during 2022.
She has led a number of high-profile programmes, delivering innovation and partnerships. Paula’s led the Council’s work in relation to accommodating and securing a legacy from the largest construction project in Western Europe, the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. Other notable achievements securing significant Government and private sector investment in regeneration, environmental and transport schemes and the development of a network of innovation and enterprise centres to deliver increased productivity and prosperity.
Paula was heavily involved in co-ordinating the Local Authority response to the devastating Somerset winter 2014/15 floods and led the work to minimise future flooding in the county through the establishment of the Somerset Rivers Authority. As a result, she was asked to be an expert advisor to the European Committee of the Regions in relation to disaster resilience. Paula is a past president of the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT).
Jason Humm
Gloucestershire County Council
director of transport and highways
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Jason Humm
Jason is a chartered engineer and an ICE Fellow. He has over 30 years' experience working within highway, transport and infrastructure roles. He is a member of the ICE South West Regional Committee and director of transport and highways at Gloucestershire County Council.
His current role sees him delivering multi-million pound transport and highway infrastructure programmes to meet community needs and deliver economic growth. He leads one of the few Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) to be delivered by a local authority, oversees the management and maintenance of over 5,000km of transport network, and works to deliver transport decarbonisation through supporting and encouraging walking, cycling and public transport use. He has extensive experience of working within highly visible, public and political environments and in working with partners and central government to fund and deliver infrastructure projects.
Jason is passionate about ensuring that transport and highway networks can support communities, businesses and the economy, while also delivering on sustainability and decarbonisation needs that help meet the demands of our environmental and climate challenges.
Nick Tait
Somerset Council
planning policy service manager
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Nick Tait
Nick has responsibility for supporting the delivery of a number of large projects including the Bridgwater Tidal Barrier and the Gravity Enterprise Zone, which will host the UK’s largest battery factory.
He previously worked for Sedgemoor District Council for over 30 years being responsible for a number of statutory local plans and other planning guidance, as well as supporting the implementation of a range of public and private sector projects. Nick was responsible for introducing an innovative flood defence tariff on new developments in 2009 as part of the council’s commitment to part-fund the Bridgwater Tidal Barrier, and subsequently introduced the Community Infrastructure Levy in order to continue to secure funding contributions for the project.
Nick has been the council’s senior user on the Bridgwater Tidal Barrier Project Board since 2014, a project led by the Environment Agency, and of which the council is a formal partner. As well as providing planning and design input for the project, he has been responsible for securing significant partnership contributions from a wide range of sources in addition to development funding. The council’s formal support and funding commitments have been critical in progressing the scheme to the point where full construction is anticipated to start in the autumn of 2024.
Colin Taylor
University of Bristol
emeritus professor
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Colin Taylor
Colin is emeritus professor of earthquake engineering at the University of Bristol. He is an ICE policy Fellow for sub-national infrastructure decarbonisation, and is champion of the South West Infrastructure Partnership’s net zero route mapping activities. He has over 40 years' research and practice experience on the impacts of natural hazards on all kinds of infrastructure systems.
