Keynote Speaker, Clare Maltby, Head of Transport Strategy at the East Midlands Combined County Authority

Clare is the Head of Transport Strategy at the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA), responsible for developing the Local Transport Plan and broader policies at a regional scale. Clare joined EMCCA from The Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, where she was Director for the Midlands and East of England. She previously worked on climate change and energy strategy in Whitehall, and had roles supporting transport policy and scrutiny in Parliament and the third sector. She is a passionate advocate of the importance of transport in influencing our lives: our health, our opportunities, our streets and neighbourhoods, and the planet itself.

Paul Collins (Chair)

Paul Collins is a Chartered Planning & Development Surveyor who was a past head of department for architecture and civil engineering at NTU. He now is an occasional part-time lecturer within the School of Architecture Design & the Built Environment, but also gives his time as a trustee to Nottingham Civic Society, Nottingham Energy Partnership and the Green Roof Organisation. He is currently an external examiner at UWE Bristol and just very recently contributed to the RICS’s response to the government’s draft NPPF. He has always had a keen interest in urban design and green infrastructure and was a co-editor for the 2012 edition of Building for Life 12 and a keen supporter of its latest incarnation: Building for a Healthy Life. 

Jon Parker, Director of Jon Parker Consultancy

Jon is highly regarded as one of the UK’s leading sustainable transport planners and was recognised as the 2015 ‘smarter travel professional of the year’.  He has 30 years’ experience in the development, implementation and evaluation of transport strategies, policies and programmes, and has expertise in overseeing creative and innovative sustainable transport and behaviour change programmes, using visioning and behavioural science techniques. Jon brings the necessary skills of technical understanding, personal qualities, analytical expertise, exceptional presentational abilities, and a deep understanding of relevant national & local policy to all the projects he is involved in. He is also an author of the Vision Led Planning guide published in 2025.

Nicola Lodge, Associate Director, ITP by Haskoning

Nicola is an Associate Transport Planner with a background in strategic advice, development planning and transport strategy. She was recognised by the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation as a Highly Commended Emerging Professional in 2024 and by the Transport Planning Society as a finalist for Transport Planner of the Year 2025.  She is currently Vice Chair of the national ‘Fixing Transport Assessments’ Working Group, providing recommendations to the DfT on new guidance for Local Plan and site-specific TAs. She is also an author of the Vision Led Planning guide published in 2025.

Grant Butterworth, Head of Planning at Leicester City Council

Grant Butterworth has worked in city planning since 1987.  He has led city centre and transport capital programme teams delivering a wide range of major schemes and led to the adoption of the Greater Nottingham Aligned Core Strategies following the Government’s dismantling of strategic planning.  He was Head of Planning at Liverpool and subsequently has led the Planning service at Leicester City Council where he has sought to deliver positive place making.  

Kieron Manning, Assistant Director of Planning and City Services at Lincoln City Council

Kieron has spent his entire career at City of Lincoln Council, having joined in 1996 as a Modern Apprentice and working his way through the ranks to become the Head of Planning in 2014. Kieron was lead officer for the development of the University masterplan and has overseen large scale multi-phased developments in housing, retail and heritage led regeneration in a historic urban environment. Now as Assistant Director for Planning and City Services, his responsibilities also include the council owned bus station and car parks requiring reconciliation of providing critical operational services to a city and wider hinterland whilst enabling growth and maintaining strategic oversight and vision for the city into the future.

Ben Biddulph, Highway Design Manager at Nottingham City Council

Ben Biddulph has built a substantial public sector career at Nottingham City Council and is currently Highway Design Manager, leading the technical and strategic engineering team responsible for shaping the city’s transport infrastructure. His work includes overseeing complex engineering schemes and multi-disciplinary infrastructure projects that support regional connectivity, traffic flow, public realm safety, active travel and public transport provision. This is balanced with rigorous design standards and the wider objectives of sustainable growth, regeneration, place-making and the safe daily movement of residents, visitors and commercial activity across Nottingham.