The UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum

The UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UK REiiF) connects public and private-sector decision-makers to highlight investment opportunities - driving economic growth through development and regeneration.

We’ve had a presence at UK REiiF since it launched in 2022 and will be attending this year’s event, which takes place in Leeds from 20-22 May.

Every core UK city and region is involved and with more than 16,000 attendees, the event will provide us with opportunities to connect with Government officials, investors and funders, developers, housebuilders and more.

With devolution plans advancing, we will be attending alongside Warrington Borough and Cheshire West and Chester councils to showcase the scale of the investment and growth opportunities that are available across the region.

You’ll find us at stand H20 in the Royal Armouries exhibition. In total, we’re expecting this year’s event will create more than 50 opportunities for us to promote the borough and discuss the opportunities available.

Read on to find out more about our event schedule.

Crewe - Gateway to the North: The heart of North West growth

Our agenda for UK REiiF will put the spotlight firmly on Crewe.

We’ve secured a private roundtable with attendees from organisations including Muse, The Royal Town Planning Institute, The Berkeley Group, Mid Cheshire NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust, Nuveen Real Estate, Related Argent, Arcadis, Inner Circle Consulting, Keele University, West Coast Partnership Development and the National Wealth Fund, as well as the Government Property Agency, and the Cabinet Office.

Participants will consider how Crewe’s existing strengths and 3600 hub station, planned investment – including the green-lit £1bn Leighton Hospital redevelopment – and a potential devolution agreement can be leveraged to cement Crewe’s position as gateway to the North and help the town to reach its ‘city potential’.

Read more about the roundtable and why we’re putting Crewe at the heart of our growth plans.

The Garden Village at Handforth

We’ll be talking to UK REiiF attendees about our ambition for a bespoke new village – The Garden Village at Handforth.

Our plans include 1,500 new high-quality design homes and extensive ‘green infrastructure’ – more than 40 per cent of the site will be open space, public amenity space or protected habitat for both residents and the wider public to enjoy.

It will also include a new school consisting of up to 700 places for pupils aged four to 16, new employment space, a village centre, extra care accommodation, a community hub and new footpaths and cycleways.

The development is one of 14 Government designated Garden Villages through Homes England’s locally-led Garden Village Programme, which gives the scheme national recognition.

The council is the lead developer and owns around 70 per cent of the land allocated for the garden village, while the remaining 30 per cent is owned by third parties.

The site – allocated as a strategic development site in the council’s adopted Local Plan Strategy – is around 300 acres and is east of the A34, south of the A555 and will be accessed via the A34 bypass.

In March 2025, the council agreed to explore the potential of forming a joint venture with MADE Partnership, which would see them work together as the master developer for the scheme.

MADE Partnership – formed between Barratt Redrow plc, Homes England and Lloyds Banking Group – is a specialist master developer that was set up to support councils and landowners to deliver large-scale developments like garden villages.

If a joint venture is formed, it means the council and MADE Partnership would work together as ‘master developers’ and be responsible for all aspects of the Handforth Garden Village until the scheme is delivered in full.

A new hospital and health and care neighbourhood for Crewe

We’ll be welcoming colleagues from Mid Cheshire NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust to our stand, who are leading plans to develop a new £1bn health and care neighbourhood in Crewe, which will include a new Leighton Hospital.

This is a once in a generation opportunity to change how healthcare is delivered.

The vision is to create a new healthcare model where people receive care in their homes and communities and can access services or go to hospital when they need to.

The Trust aims to build the new hospital on land located to the north of the existing Leighton Hospital and an outline planning application for this is expected to be submitted to the local planning authority this summer.