The 3rd Annual Liverpool Leaseholders Conference has now been and gone for another year, and there were as always lots of interesting points raised and action plans agreed.

It was good to welcome back our MP Louise Ellman who took time out of her busy schedule to come and address us, giving us her full support, along with Councillor (and now cabinet member) Nick Small who regularly makes a big impact on Engage with his direct involvement.

During the conference, we heard from LEASE's Anthony Essien who warned us all that the new UK government does not see regulation as a priority for our problems. The previous Labour housing minister had been open to this, and was concerned about the problems that leaseholders were facing.

Engage does not retreat nor suffer defeat of course and, as Anthony said, the onus is now on us as leaseholders, with our partners Liverpool City Council, to take charge in this area.

We also heard from Laurence Bennett from the Residential Property Tribunal Service who gave some great information about the 'reasonableness' of service charges, and what we can do if things go wrong.

Ben Jordan from ARMA came along, to give us the managing agents standards body perspective, and it was good also to be joined by some delegates from managing agent Thomson & Moulton.

Three workshops were held during the event: Engaging with each other; Engaging with Managing Agents and Engaging in the legal debate, and these were designed to help us form our agenda for the next year.

City centre manager, Mike Cockburn, was on hand to help facilitate the event and listen to residents' views, as were a number of other council officers.

Lots of positive resident-led conclusions were reached, including proposals to help develop shared services, preferred supplier lists, and a kite-marking scheme for managing agents.

The conference was closed by Councillor Nick Small with a powerful speech to Liverpool residents, setting out the council's agenda for a positive, growth led approach to developing and encouraging prosperity for the city, and dismissing outright the assertions made in the recent 'Centre for Cities' report.

He also spoke of the Peel Waters plan, the impact that this could have on the size of the city centre area, and the council's determination that the north shore area will be served by a development of only the highest standard.

The Engage board was also formally elected.

Photos from the day