Last month I kicked off Turley's political party conference roadshow. With colleagues attending conferences across the country, it felt fitting that my stop was much closer to home, as Reform UK delegates, party officials and a growing number of stakeholders descended on Birmingham's NEC.
At the 2025 local elections, Reform UK secured 677 council seats, marking its breakthrough in local government. Just over a year later, the party had added a further 1,454 councillors, significantly increasing its presence in local government.
With noticeably more non-members in attendance this year, I lost count of the number of people I spoke to who were attending on behalf of their organisation for the first time. That growing interest reflects the party's expanding influence and raises an important question for those of us working in the built environment sector: what are the implications of Reform's developing policy agenda?
As Reform's presence in local government continues to grow, understanding how its policy thinking is evolving will become increasingly important for those involved in shaping and delivering places.
Here are my key takeaways from the conference.
Planning reform: a growing consensus that the system needs change
There was a strong consensus around one issue - the planning system is not working as efficiently as it should.
Launched during Reform UK's Business Day ahead of conference, the Planning Teal Paper proposes significant changes to the current system, including a renewed focus on brownfield development, a streamlined local plan process and reforms to how housing requirements are determined.
One comment from a Reform local authority leader particularly resonated. Describing planning as the "hot potato of the day", the phrase captured much of the wider discussion taking place across the conference. While opinions varied on how to build more housing, there was broad agreement on the challenges facing the sector: lengthy planning processes, under-resourced planning departments and ongoing viability pressures.
One of the more interesting contributions came from former council leader Dan Thomas MS, who at the time was Reform Wales leader, although he has since stepped down from the role. He emerged as one of the party's strongest pro-development voices, arguing that the planning system is fundamentally broken and requires significant reform if housing delivery is to accelerate.
As Reform's policy platform continues to develop, it will be interesting to see how prominently this pro-development perspective is reflected within the party's wider leadership and policy agenda in the months ahead.
Local Government Reorganisation and devolution: efficiency versus local representation
While planning sparked some of the livelier debates, conversations around Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and devolution were more nuanced.
Taking place before the Government's subsequent decision to pause aspects of LGR, much of the discussion focused on what reorganisation could mean in practice rather than whether local government should be reorganised at all.
There was recognition that restructuring local government could create efficiencies and deliver savings. However, there were also genuine concerns about what might be lost in the process, particularly the local democratic relationships, local knowledge and community representation that councillors provide.
Ben Bradley, the former Conservative MP and council leader who now leads Reform's local government work, reflected on the evolving role of regional mayors. The original rationale for devolution was centred on strategic leadership, economic growth and attracting inward investment. However, as additional responsibilities continue to be devolved following Andy Burnham becoming Prime Minister, questions were raised about whether an increasingly delivery-focused role could dilute those strengths and create expectations that mayors were never originally established to fulfil.
It is an important debate, particularly as devolution becomes an increasingly central feature of how places are governed and investment decisions are made.
Energy and infrastructure: local benefit remains central
Energy policy was another major talking point throughout the conference.
While Reform's criticism of Net Zero policies is well known, there did appear to be a recognition that renewable energy will need to form part of the UK's future energy mix and could support a wider programme of reindustrialisation.
Both Richard Tice and Suella Braverman, speaking during conference sessions on energy and infrastructure, emphasised that if major energy projects are to proceed, they must deliver tangible benefits for local communities. Jobs, skills, apprenticeships and opportunities for young people featured prominently throughout these discussions.
A party developing its policy agenda
Reflecting on these discussions, I wanted to look beyond the headlines and better understand the policy direction Reform is seeking to take in the areas most relevant to how I advise clients.
For me, it is becoming increasingly important for those working across the built environment sector to understand Reform UK's policy positions. The party now leads a number of local authorities, while Reform councillors are sitting on planning committees and helping to shape local policy decisions.
Whatever your political perspective, understanding where these policy debates are heading matters, particularly as Reform's influence within local government continues to grow.
It was also notable that a wide range of organisations, including the Home Builders Federation (HBF), the National Housing Federation (NHF) and Planning Futures, were represented at the conference. This highlighted that many of our industry's representative bodies are already engaging in policy discussions and helping to inform Reform's thinking.
With the Reform UK Planning Teal Paper consultation remaining open until 31 December 2026, there is still an opportunity to engage with the proposals. Whether you agree with them or not, it is worth taking the time to read the document and contribute to the conversation. Find out more about the Reform UK Planning Teal Paper proposals here.
This is the first in our series of articles reflecting on the 2026 party conference season. Watch this space for further insights and key takeaways from the other party conferences attended by our Strategic Communications team.
For more information on how our Strategic Communications team can help you navigate the evolving policy landscape, please get in touch with Parv Gandham.
6 October 2026
