Empty to Essentials: Bringing empty buildings back into use

Sponsored by: 

Tuesday, 21st April 2026

Empty to Essentials is a one-day summit focused on one of Wales’ most pressing housing challenges: How do we bring more homes into social housing?  How to we  turn empty and under-used buildings back into safe, affordable homes.

Designed for those shaping, delivering, and experiencing housing and regeneration, from housing professionals, community partners to tenants, this event goes beyond policy talk. We want you to be inspired by good practice. 

It explores examples from England, Ireland and Wales as inspiration for routes to reuse while ensuring that tenant voices and lived experience remain central to decisions about place, design, and long-term community benefit.

Throughout the day, we will explore how buildings can be transformed into homes that are fit for purpose, affordable to live in, and rooted in local needs.

If you have an interest in:

• Empty homes and regeneration
• Affordable housing supply
• Community ownership and placemaking
• High street regeneration
• Tenant voice and influence
• Sustainable reuse of existing buildings

…then this 1 day event is for you.

We are TPAS Cymru. We want you on the journey, not intimidated by it.

With a LOW-COST GROUP PASS option, organisations can involve tenants, staff, and board members - not just a select few.

10:00am – 10:10am | Welcome and Introduction

An overview of the day, setting the context and outlining key themes.

Regenerating derelict buildings: Examples from beyond Wales

This fasinating session looks at how empty and derelict buildings are being brought back into use beyond Wales and what we can learn from those experiences.

Our speakers bring these challenges to life through two inspirational campaigns that are accelerating reuse at scale.

• Derelict Ireland shines a spotlight on the real consequences of long-term vacancy, while championing action to bring neglected properties back into use showing how coordinated effort can turn overlooked spaces into homes and revitalise communities.
• Don’t Waste Buildings is a voluntary, non-party political initiative led by developers, architects, engineers, and heritage experts advocating for the productive reuse of empty buildings to deliver housing faster, at lower cost, and with reduced environmental impact.  

We promise these examples will provide inspiration on how empty buildings can become homes again when people, policy, and communities work together.

• Jude Sherry & Frank O’Connor - Derelict Ireland
• Tania Jennings , Net Zero Carbon Manager at Lewisham Council. She will focus on the 'Don’t Waste Buildings' campaign

11:05am, – 11:15am | Break

Disposals: the good, the bad, and their place in the future

Disposals of social housing strongly debated issue in Welsh housing. With rising costs, ageing stock, and pressure to invest in existing homes, many landlords are facing difficult decisions.

This session creates space for an open and balanced conversation about when disposals are considered, what the risks and benefits can be, and how these decisions affect tenants, communities, and long-term housing supply.
Our speakers were chosen for their frank and honest views on this subject! 

• Stuart Epps, Executive Director (Finance, Assets and Development), Wales & West Housing
• Wendy Dearden, Senior Policy and Research Officer - Bevan Foundation

12:00pm– 12:45pm | Lunch break

Brick by brick: How Welsh landlords are regenerating our communities

• Different programmes supporting the reuse of existing buildings 
• Delivery challenges and how they are being managed 
• Lessons learned from regeneration projects across Wales 
• The session offers a broad view from strategic considerations to practical implementation with space for audience questions and discussion. 

• Liz Gibbons, Partner - Acuity Law
• Tom Jacob, Head of Land & Partnerships – Beacon Cymru Group
• Casey Edwards, Community-led Housing Programme Manager – Cwmpas 
• Stephanie Hughes – Operations Manager - Easy Living Ltd 
• Gareth John – Commercial Director - Easy Living Ltd
• Steve Ingham – Senior Technical Manager - Easy Living Ltd

• What options do social landlords have and how do they work  
• How funding works and the opportunities and limitations 
• What has worked well and what could be improved 
• Insights for organisations exploring similar opportunities 

• James Griffiths, Managing Director,  Development & Regeneration, Valleys 2 Coast HA 
• TBC – north Wales Local Authority  

Booking & Cost Details

Group Pass – £399 + VAT
Unlimited access for your staff, tenants, board members, or stakeholders to attend any or all the session throughout the day.

Everyone using the group pass must still register individually via the Zoom link and select the Group Pass option, including your organisation name. This ensures access and session updates and followup materials and recordings.

Individual Prices (if not purchasing the group pass)

• Housing staff: £150 + VAT
• Tenants: £80 + VAT
• Non-members: £220 + VAT

Register via this Zoom link

• All cancellations for paid events must be made by email to [email protected]  If you cancel your place less than 2 working days before the online event you will incur the full cost.
• If you are unable to attend, you can send a substitute delegate at no extra cost.  All substitute delegates must be notified to [email protected]
• If you fail to attend a paid, online sessions, you will be charged the full cost of attendance.
• Once we have received your cancellation, we will forward you a confirmation of your cancellation.
• For our paid events please note, one paid registration may only be used by one person, and the sharing of joining links /screens is prohibited. Therefore, each person attending this event must have a separate registration.