The Chartered Institute of Housing in the South West (CIH SW) is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its popular Housing Event from 1st to 3rd April 2009 at the Palace Hotel, Torquay.

This year the event plays host to over 800 delegates and a major Housing Exhibition in the Palace Hotel Arena - a long way from the first event 25 years ago held at the Rozel Hotel in Weston Super Mare with 58 delegates. This calendar highlight for housing professionals has been held at the Palace Hotel since 1996 and has become the most popular housing conference in the South West, attracting delegates from housing providers and local authorities from Bournemouth to Penzance.

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Speakers at the event include Ken Livingstone, the controversial ex-Mayor of London, Rod Liddle irreverent political and social columnist with the Sunday Times, the Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe, MP and local resident of the South West, Sir Anthony Mayer, Chair of the recently formed Tenant Services Authority which champions the needs and aspirations of tenants throughout the UK and alternative comedian Jeremy Hardy.

To mark the silver anniversary the theme of this year's event is 'Shaping the South West: the last 25 years, the next 25 years' - recognising the changes in the housing and rural landscape in the South West over this time and looking towards the future of the region to create thriving, sustainable communities where people can afford to live and find local jobs.

(CD/JM)