08:30 - Exhibitions open & breakfast

12:30 - Lunch & networking

09:30 - Session 1: The Future of North East Transport

• Introduction & Welcome - CIHT NE&C Chair, Grace Smith & CIHT President, Mitesh Solanki
• Lucy Jacques - Head of Transport Policy & Strategy, NECA
• Alan Weston - Head of Transport & Infrastructure, TVCA

13:30 - Session 3: Transport-led Regeneration

• Keel Crossing with Rachel Hurdman - Associate Director, Arup
• RTPI Presentation with Andrew Dorrian - Principal Transport Planner, North East CA
• CIHT NE&C Large Project of the Year winner - North Tyneside Seafront Sustainable Route with Laurie Scott - Associate, WSP and Sally Herbert - Head of Highways & Transportation, North Tyneside Council
• CIHT NE&C Small Project of the Year winner - Devonshire Street Public Realm with Caroline Patterson - Capital Programme Manager, Cumberland Council

10:30 - Break & Refreshments

14:30 - Break, refreshments & 'View of stadium'

11:00 - Session 2: Delivering an Integrated Transport Network

• DARe Hub: North East Case Study with Prof Roberto Palacin - Co-Director, DARe
• Realising NE&C Ambition for Active Travel – The Role of ATE with Claire Prospert - Regional Manager (North East), Active Travel England
• Metro to Washington with Tom Hardwick - Head of Systems Development, Nexus
• Women Safety Inclusion with Susan Leadbetter - Associate, WSP
• EV Infrastructure/NECA speaker TBC

14:45 - Session 4: Transport Technology

• Digital Transport Strategy with Andrea Reacroft - Digital Transport Programme Delivery Manager, TVCA
• Autonomous Vehicle Studies with Prof Phil Blythe - Professor of Intelligent Transport Systems, Newcastle University
• Monitoring & Evaluation with Paul McKenna -  Northumberland County Council (consultant) & Tom Bailey, Director at Street Systems
• How AI can help in Highways and Transportation with Lucy Batley - Owner, Traction Industries

15:45 - Summary & Close with Conference hosts Darran Kitchener and Phil Freestone

16:00 - Exhibitions & networking

Lucy Batley - Owner, Traction Industries

Lucy Batley is a tech innovator and AI strategist with 30 years’ experience shaping the digital landscape. She began her career with EMAP’s Best Young Designer award, going on to create digital experiences for Audi, MaxMara, Vespa and The Manic Street Preachers. She also designed the platform to launch the Euro into the UK for Barclays Bank SME division. Lucy later founded digital agencies and now leads Traction Industries, delivering AI-powered innovation. A respected thought leader and broker, she speaks widely on human–AI collaboration and is known for making complex tech accessible, creative and strategically impactful.

Claire Prospert - Regional Manager (North East), Active Travel England

Before joining Active Travel England in May 2023 as the Regional Manager for the North East, Claire had a career in academia, consultancy and local government. She worked for Newcastle City Council for over twenty years, securing funding and investment for economic development and overseeing the delivery of multi-disciplinary programmes in neighbourhood renewal, regeneration, innovation, and high street transformation. She also worked for the Great Exhibition of the North and the North East Local Enterprise Partnership on governance change and investment programmes. She is a passionate and award-winning advocate for walking, wheeling and cycling and never misses a chance to promote the North East, her adopted home since 2001.

Caroline Patterson - Capital Programme Manager, Cumberland Council

Caroline is a Chartered Project Professional with five years’ experience delivering major capital projects for Cumberland Council, she has led investment, design and construction across community buildings, active travel infrastructure, and highway and public realm improvements.

She plays a key role in shaping the future of Carlisle city centre, working across major programmes including the Future High Street Fund, Carlisle Town Deal, Borderlands, and the Active Travel Fund. Caroline is committed to driving transformational, place‑based regeneration and creating a vibrant, connected regional centre with a strong economic, cultural and historic identity.

Paul McKenna - Director, Transport Network Connect Ltd

Paul is a Fellow of the CIHT and Chartered Director of Transport Network Connect Ltd based in Newcastle. He has over 18 years experience working in both the private and public sector. In addition to Project Managing various schemes ranging from Public Realm, Active Travel and Highway design, Paul is an experienced Road Safety Auditor.

Graduating from Newcastle University in 2004, he then continued his studies in Civil Engineering at Teesside University before returning to Newcastle in 2015 to complete his Masters Degree in Transport Planning and Business Management.

Susan Leadbetter - Associate, WSP

Susan Leadbetter is a transport planner with over 10 years’ experience, specialising in gender‑inclusive design and women’s safety.

Susan spearheaded WSP’s Gender Inclusive Design team and now leads work across the UK to embed safety and inclusion into transport networks, public spaces, and infrastructure. Her strengths lie in stakeholder engagement, participatory and co‑design processes, and cross‑sector collaboration. Her work spans research, engagement, and technical assessment, ensuring solutions are both evidence‑based and practical.

She is Vice Chair of Women in Transport’s Women’s Safety Steering Group, where she leads collaborative research, engagement, and design initiatives that centre the needs of women, girls, and gender‑diverse people. She works closely with operators, local authorities, and developers to address violence against women and girls, supporting the delivery of safer, more inclusive environments for all.