Blog

We have begun work on the first phase of the Lisburn City Centre Wayfinding Project, a new initiative designed to make it easier and more accessible for residents and visitors to navigate the city centre on foot. 

The project focuses on inclusive design and aims to improve how people of all ages and abilities move around Lisburn City Centre. By providing clearer pedestrian signage, the scheme will support greater independence, encourage active travel, and help to drive footfall for local businesses. 

A total of 18 new and replacement fingerpost signs will be installed at key decision points across the city centre. The signs will direct people to shopping areas, bus and train stations, parks, and public toilet facilities, working alongside existing signage to create a clearer and more connected wayfinding network. 

Accessibility has been central to the design of the signs, with estimated walking distances and times displayed, along with universal symbols, clear text, and strong colour contrast to ensure the signage is easy to read and understand. 

The first phase of the project will be completed by the end of December 2025 with installations planned around Bow Street, Bridge Street, Castle Street and Market Square North and Bridge Street area. The remaining signage will be installed during the first quarter of 2026. 

Welcoming the installation, Cllr Claire Kemp, Chair of the Regeneration and Growth Committee, said: “I am delighted to see this project get underway. At its heart, this investment is about making Lisburn City Centre more accessible for everyone, while also supporting increased footfall and a more welcoming experience for residents and visitors.” 

The project is jointly funded by Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council and the Department for Communities. 

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said “I welcome the commencement of works on this project which will make a real difference to Lisburn City Centre. By improving the walkability and helping visitors to easily navigate the city centre, it will create a better experience for shoppers and visitors.”

Homes England has appointed five experienced leaders to deepen local collaboration and drive forward the Agency’s new regional operating model, which will come into effect in April 2026. 

The move will strengthen collaboration with Mayors, local leaders and partners, ensuring tailored solutions for housing and regeneration that reflect local priorities. Regional teams will work hand-in-hand with national programmes to make it easier for partners to engage and deliver homes and places communities need. 

Each executive director brings extensive experience in housing, regeneration and place-making. The appointments, made following an open competition interview process, are as follows: 

• Danielle Gillespie as Executive Regional Director for the North West. Danielle is currently Director of Regeneration, Partnerships and Major Projects at Homes England. 

• Tom Bridges as Executive Regional Director for the North East, Yorkshire and Humber. Tom joins the Agency from Arup, where he is a Director and UK Government Business Leader. 

• Jo Nugent as Executive Regional Director for the Midlands. Jo is currently Acting Executive Director of Markets, Partners and Places at Homes England. 

• Vicky Savage as Executive Regional Director for London and East. Vicky joins the Agency from the London Borough of Camden. 

• Kate McBride as Executive Regional Director for the South. Kate is currently Regional Development Director for the South at Home England. 

It is anticipated the executive regional directors will take up their new roles from March 2026. They will own their respective region’s development pipeline and sub-regional programmes, from large-scale placemaking and growth partnerships to affordable housing initiatives.  

The teams will also draw from a nationally managed technical hub, ensuring extra specialist expertise can be deployed flexibly to the regions when needed. 

The appointments represent the latest milestone for the Agency as it continues swift and sustained progress towards enacting its new regional operating model and new Strategic Plan, which was published last week (11 December), alongside an Investment Roadmap, and has collaboration at its core. 

Pat Ritchie CBE, Chair of Homes England, said: 

I am encouraged by the strength of regional leadership we have secured, which will empower our teams to better connect investment and land with local priorities.  Executive regional directors will bring the full breadth of the Agency’s offer, including our subsidiary the National Housing Bank, to partners and ensure support is tailored to local needs.   

This approach positions us to plan confidently for the long term and deepen relationships with Mayors, local leaders, housing associations, and developers, building on the 10 Strategic Place Partnerships already in place. From my own experience in local government, I know that when national and local partners work together with clear, shared leadership, we achieve the very best outcomes for local people and places.

Amy Rees CB, Chief Executive of Homes England, said: 

I am delighted that positive momentum continues at pace towards delivering our regional operating model for April 2026 – alongside major national programmes including the National Housing Bank (NHB), National Housing Delivery Fund (NHDF) and Social and Affordable Housing Programme. I would like to thank existing colleagues for their continued dedication and welcome our new executive directors to the team. 

Collaboration is vital to creating the new homes and thriving places that communities want and need. This is not a hollow statement; I stand by these words with absolute conviction and commitment. I want Homes England to be in full step with regional leaders and partners to deliver a shared endeavour of more homes, regenerated communities and local economic growth across England.

ENDS 

Notes to editors  

• Homes England is the government’s housing and regeneration Agency, and we’re here to drive the creation of more affordable, quality homes and thriving places so that everyone has a place to live and grow.  We make this happen by working in partnership with thousands of organisations of all sizes, using our powers, expertise, land, capital and influence to bring investment to communities and get more quality homes built.  View our explainer animation: Homes England 2025 Animation 

Biographies:

• Danielle Gillespie, Executive Regional Director for the North West. Danielle has over 20 years of development and regeneration experience and is a trusted and experienced leader at Homes England, having previously led teams at both the regional and national level.  In her current role as Director of Regeneration, Partnerships and Major Projects, she has played a key role in establishing and delivering the new tools and approaches needed to work in partnership with localities and unlock large-scale, transformative delivery. This including the Strategic Place Partnership model with Mayoral Strategic Authorities, the £1bn Brownfield Infrastructure Land Fund, ATLAS capacity offer and as an advisor to the New Towns Taskforce. 

• Tom Bridges, Executive  Regional Director for the North East, Yorkshire and Humber. Tom brings extensive experience spanning 29 years in town planning, regeneration, economic development, master planning, and transport. He joins the Agency from Arup, where he is a Director and UK Government Business Leader. From 2012 to 2017 he was Chief Officer Economy and Regeneration at Leeds City Council. 

• Jo Nugent, Executive Regional Director for the Midlands. Jo has more than 20 years’ experience in planning, regeneration and development and is Acting Executive Director of Markets, Partners and Places (MPP) at Homes England. Currently she is leading on work to operationalise the Agency’s role in devolved areas through Strategic Place Partnerships and establishing its new funding programme – the National Housing Delivery Fund. Previously she was MPP Director for the Midlands. 

• Vicky Savage, Executive Regional Director for London and East. Currently working in the Community Investment Programme Team at the London Borough of Camden, Vicky has a proven track record built over decades in strategic place-shaping, partnership led development and regeneration,  and inclusive motivational leadership. Up to August 2025 she was Executive Director of Development and Sales at L&Q. 

• Kate McBride, Executive Regional Director for the South. Kate has more than 25 years’ experience leading and delivering on residential-led, large-scale, high-profile, complex projects, and a proven track record of unlocking land and delivering new homes across a wide range of markets. She is currently Regional Development Director for the South at Homes England. 

• Read the Strategic Plan 2025 – 2035:  Strategic Plan 

• Learn more about the Agency’s Strategic Place Partnerships (SPPs): SPP Animation 

• For media enquiries please contact: media@homesengland.gov.uk  or 0207 874 826