The SiLC Annual Forum 2024 will be taking place virtually on Wednesday 20th March.

This half day event will begin at 9.30am, and will be Chaired by Tom Henman (SiLC PTP Chair) with an expected end time of 13.30pm (final timings to be confirmed).

The event will bring together industry professionals for a stellar programme of presentations and discussions divided into two sessions; Current Developments in the Land Condition Sector and Looking into the Future.

There will also be a panel discussion on ‘What regulators expect to see on the incorporation of climate change into land condition assessments’.

More details regarding speakers and presentations will be confirmed in due course.

Tickets are £72 for SiLC Members, £32.40 for Retired SiLC Members, and £111.60 for Non SiLCs. For Affiliate Schemes the rate is £70 per ticket, with Local Authority & Other Public Sectors, Jobseeking/Graduates and Students welcome to register free of charge. All prices include VAT.

To register, please fill in the registration form and pay in full by Friday 15th March.

Presentations

Antimicrobial Resistance in the Environment: A Systems Thinking Approach by Lucy Bethell (Senior Associate (Contaminated Land Specialist), Mott MacDonald)

The challenges associated with AMR can only be tackled by a systems thinking approach, as linked to the One Health Approach promoted by the World Health organisation. This presentation will give an introduction to AMR in the Environment, the challenges it brings and how a systems thinking approach must be used to start to tackle this global threat.

The Future of Land Condition and Sustainable Development by Freddie Kennedy (Associate Director, A-squared Studio)
Freddie will discuss opportunities for land condition professionals to have a more impactful role in shaping the sustainability performance of development projects. The presentation will feature Freddie’s forward-thinking ideas on how the industry can be reinvigorated, such as by adopting a broader scope to site assessment and remediation options appraisal.

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 for Land Condition Professionals by Emma Tattersdill (Partner (Environmental Law), Bexley Beaumont)
Emma will provide a brief overview of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 before exploring two areas of particular relevance to land condition professionals: Environmental Outcome Reports, which are set to replace the Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment regimes across the UK, and Nutrient Pollution Standards (relating to nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in water).

NCLOG Guidance – Simple Cover Systems and Their Verification by Rae Watney (Senior Land Quality Officer at Sheffield City Council)

An overview of the new NCLOG guidance on Simple Cover Systems and their Verification. This document is intended to be a reference to help Local Authority officers provide a consistent approach to regulating the design and verification of simple cover systems. The document signposts and collates existing guidance and discusses and contextualises regular issues faced by regulators and consultants.

Speakers

Dr Tom Henman (Director at RSK and Chair of SiLC PTP)
Tom has over 25 years’ experience in the assessment and management of land affected by contamination. His diverse and innovative project work has been recognised in several UK Brownfield Awards including major brownfield infrastructure and advice to Government on stakeholder engagement and risk communication. He has been actively involved with AGS, EIC, CIRIA and CL:AIRE and has worked with universities on collaborative research projects.  

Emma Tattersdill (Partner (Environmental Law), Bexley Beaumont)
Emma is a solicitor specialising in environmental law.  She works with businesses and individuals on all aspects of environmental regulation, contamination, water and waste management, nuisance issues and the natural environment.  As well as supporting SiLC, Emma is a trustee of CL:AIRE and represents UKELA on the National Brownfield Forum.

Lucy Bethell (Technical Director, Mott MacDonald)
Lucy is a contaminated land specialist at Mott MacDonald and is a Specialist in Land Condition (SiLC). Lucy has been involved in Mott MacDonald’s AMR Working Group since 2019 and has a keen interest in emerging contaminants and big picture, cross discipline challenges.

Freddie Kennedy (Associate Director, A-squared Studio)
Freddie is a contaminated land and remediation specialist and Chartered Environmentalist. He has practiced as a land quality consultant and remediation contractor. Freddie has a diverse project portfolio, including a wide variety of former industrial sites and contemporary oil and gas assets.

Mark Hill (Climate & Sustainability – Lead at The Pensions Regulator)
Mark is the Climate and Sustainability Lead within The Pensions Regulator (TPR), responsible for developing the regulatory response to climate change and sustainability disclosure requirements and delivering TPR’s Climate Change Strategy.  He brings some 30 years of experience working predominantly in the public sector.

Rae Watney (Senior Land Quality Officer at Sheffield City Council)
Rae has been a Local Authority Officer specialising in Contaminated Land for the last 4 years, and prior to that worked in Contaminated Land consultancy. She is active in local and national officer groups for NCLOG and YALPAG and is a member of the working group for the new NCLOG guidance on simple cover systems. In 2021, she won Best Young Brownfield Professional at the Brownfield Briefing awards.