At the City Centre Regeneration session, Council leaders from across the UK and Ireland were united in their views that retail-led development is an essential catalyst for successful city centre regeneration. Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council said that the regeneration of the city would continue in the midst of the economic crisis with a coordinated and planned approach.

Mike Storey, former Leader, Liverpool City Council and Deputy Lord Mayor, talked about the renaissance that Liverpool has undergone and the success that has been witnessed in Liverpool during this evolution can be replicated across other regions in the UK.

He said: “Retail is now clearly a leading factor in regenerating our city centres. As Liverpool One came to the foreground, unemployment was on the increase and the city had slipped as a destination. By providing much needed city centre retail space, and transforming public space, the shopping centre created thousands of jobs, and our city is now back among the top of the country’s finest places to visit. Liverpool One, and indeed retail in general, is not just about shopping, but jobs, regeneration and engaging with our communities to make our cities thrive again.”

Councillor Eibhlin Byrne, Lord Mayor of Dublin, said: "Dublin has a unique challenge to develop a world standard retail offer, while protecting the city’s important historical and architectural heritage.”