Webinar: Delivering Resilient Infrastructure through Partnership: Lessons from Greater Manchester's Water Collaboration
Join us for this webinar to hear insights from cross-sector collaboration in Greater Manchester
Meeting the UK's future infrastructure challenges will require stronger collaboration between government, utilities, businesses, and communities. Greater Manchester's Integrated Water Management approach has become a recognised example of how organisations can work together across traditional boundaries to address issues such as flooding, water quality, climate resilience, and economic growth. The model has attracted national attention, including recognition by the Independent Water Commission led by Sir Jon Cunliffe. This webinar will examine how cross-sector partnerships can improve infrastructure planning and delivery, and what other places can learn from Greater Manchester's experience.
Key Discussion Points
- What makes cross-sector infrastructure partnerships successful?
- How can local leaders align environmental and economic priorities?
- Which elements of Greater Manchester's water partnership could be replicated across other sectors and locations?
David Hodcroft MRTPI is Head of Strategic Infrastructure at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), with over 28 years of experience in strategic planning, infrastructure delivery and policy innovation. He leads the development of long-term infrastructure strategies and collaborative programmes that support sustainable growth, resilience and investment across Greater Manchester.
Beginning a career with Bury Council in 1998, David progressed through a range of planning and leadership roles before moving into strategic infrastructure leadership at a city-region scale. His work focuses on aligning infrastructure investment with spatial development, economic growth, environmental objectives and public service outcomes.
David leads engagement with utility providers, government departments, regulators and infrastructure partners, helping to coordinate place-based approaches to infrastructure planning and delivery. His current portfolio includes the Greater Manchester Infrastructure Plan, the Integrated Infrastructure Pipeline, water sector reform initiatives, digital infrastructure and data centre strategy development, and programmes designed to improve collaboration across infrastructure sectors.
A Chartered Town Planner (MRTPI), David holds a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Science/Management and an MSc in Environmental Planning. He also holds CMI qualifications in leadership, management and professional coaching practice. His approach is rooted in systems thinking, collaborative leadership and creating the conditions for successful long-term delivery.
David is passionate about empowering people and organisations to work together more effectively, translating complex strategic challenges into practical and deliverable solutions that create positive outcomes for communities, places and the environment.
Infrastructure is no longer simply about delivering assets; it is the foundation for good growth, resilient communities, environmental sustainability and inclusive prosperity.
Throughout a career spanning infrastructure, public policy and strategic leadership, David has brought together government, infrastructure providers, regulators and delivery partners to address complex challenges that no single organisation can solve alone.
His work focuses on aligning infrastructure investment, governance and collaboration to support housing delivery, economic growth, climate resilience and long-term place-making. He believes the most successful infrastructure programmes integrate transport, energy, water, digital, environmental and social infrastructure within a shared strategic vision.
David has developed expertise in systems thinking, partnership leadership and strategic planning, enabling organisations to move beyond organisational boundaries and towards more integrated decision-making. He is particularly interested in helping regions develop shared evidence bases, collaborative governance and long-term infrastructure pipelines that reduce delivery risk while improving outcomes.
Jo is accountable for leading United Utilities’ strategy and planning activities for the business for the next 25 years, including developing and strengthening the company’s approach to asset management, catchment planning, resilience, climate change, sustainability and the wider environment.
Jo is an environmental scientist and has worked in a variety of operational, planning and strategic roles for United Utilities over the last 25 years. Before joining the company, she worked in environmental consultancy. Jo is a chartered member of CIWEM and a Chartered Environmentalist through the Society for the Environment.
Other roles:
- Foresight Environmental Infrastructure (UK) Limited – Non-executive Director
- Rivers Trust (Trustee)
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