A Framework-Led Conversation

A Framework-Led Conversation

Author: Samuel Stafford September 26, 2026 Duration: 1:05:26

Whilst in London recently Sam Stafford took the opportunity to catch up with old friends of the podcast Simon Ricketts, Andrew Taylor and Mike Kiely.

Simon is a Partner at Town Legal, Andrew is Group Planning and Sustainability Director at Vistry and Mike is a former Chief Planner, now independent planning consultant working mainly in the public sector as well as chairing the board of the Planning Officer's Society.

In a conversation recorded at Brazen Studios in Southwark they kicked around a few of the issues exercising the planning profession at the minute. Their ramblechat took in evidenced unmet need; the pause to local government reorganisation; housing targets; Reform’s planning teal paper; the importance of next month’s Budget; and reports from the RTPI of an increasing use of its professional conduct complaints process as a way of people seeking to challenge LPA decisions.

Some accompanying reading.

50 Shades of Planning T-Shirts!

England's Greatest Place

Evidenced Unmet Need

A Problem With The Draft London Plan?

Stacey Robbins’ LinkedIn post about settlement boundaries

What does the 2026 NPPF say about construction traffic?

Podcast episode 182: Meet a MP and an AM - Reform UK

Evaluation of the Help to Buy scheme

Land Matters: Removing Barriers to Housebuilding

Professional standards and accuracy

Some accompanying viewing.

Nature Restoration Fund – Business Readiness Forum, September 2026

Some accompanying listening.

The Summer Has Flown – Katherine Priddy

Any other business.

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Samuel Stafford hosts 50 Shades of Planning, a podcast that digs into the often perplexing world of the English planning system. Rather than offering dry policy lectures, these conversations embrace the sector's inherent complexities and occasional absurdities. The aim is to provide a wide-ranging view, bringing in diverse voices from across the fields of planning, property, design, and development. You'll hear from practitioners, thinkers, and critics, each sharing their unique experiences and perspectives on how places are shaped. A recurring series within the podcast, titled 'Hitting The High Notes', features in-depth discussions with leading figures, examining pivotal career moments and influential projects. These talks are structured around six key planning milestones, offering a concrete framework for understanding professional journeys and systemic challenges. By weaving together themes from government, business, arts, and social sciences, this podcast reveals how planning sits at a crowded intersection of politics, economics, and community life. Tune in for thoughtful, sometimes surprising, explorations of the forces that decide what gets built, where, and why.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

50 Shades of Planning
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