Discretion Advised

Discretion Advised

Author: Samuel Stafford December 6, 2025 Duration: 1:00:19

Sam Stafford was in Manchester recently and took the opportunity to catch up with old friend of the podcast Charlotte Leach and new friends of the podcast Andrew Johnston and Lisa Tye.

Over the course of an hour so they chatted about a few of the hot topics exercising the planning profession at minute. They talked about ‘the next phase of planning reform’ as set out in a written ministerial statement issued by the Secretary of State last month. That takes in the "unleashing" of development around railway stations; a requirement upon local authorities to notify the Secretary of State where they intend to refuse an application for 150 or more homes; and streamlining statutory consultees.

They talked about AI and it’s growing influence on the planning system, and they talked about Section 106 Agreements. They also talked about a topic that has featured regularly on the podcast during 2025, national development management policies, which caused Sam to alight his soap box towards the end of the episode. Listen out too for some exciting mug-related news.

Some accompanying reading.

Next phase of planning reform

Housebuilding around train stations will be given default “yes”

Reforms to the statutory consultee system

Announcements

AI-powered nimbyism could grind UK planning system to a halt, experts warn

AI Will Add To, Rather Than Reduce, Planning Delays Unless We Do Something About It

Simplifying & Standardising Section 106 Agreement Processes: Proposals for Reform

On NDMPs

Some accompanying listening.

Make It Up As You Go Along – Liam Gallagher & John Squire

Any other business.

Sam is on Bluesky and Instagram. His blog contains a link to his newsletter.


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: 100

50 Shades of Planning
Podcast Episodes
A Conversation with Bethany Cullen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:24
When Karolina Grebowiec-Hall contacted Sam Stafford about sharing her podcast with his LinkedIn network Sam went a step further and invited Karolina to share it by way of the 50 Shades platform. Karolina has created a we…
Planning for a Feminist City [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:32
Spatial planning can only deliver a safe, healthy and sustainable environment for all if it is sensitive to the needs of all, which means taking into account the different roles women and men have in society and the diff…
Life on the Front Line II [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:58
‘Are you planning a 50 Shades on the local authority staffing crisis?’ It was that message from a 50 Shades listener that prompted Episode 60 of the podcast, which Sam Stafford called ‘Life on the Front Line’. At around…
What Does a Good Local Plan Look Like? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:47
Local plan-making is in something of a crisis. Lichfields reported in April 2022 on the 11 local plans that had at that time been overtly delayed, paused or withdrawn. Indeed the number of plans published in draft, submi…
More Homes. Better Places. So Far As Possible. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:41
It will not have escaped the attention of regular 50 Shades listeners that a consultation on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was launched shortly before Christmas and, knowing that it was coming,…
🏆 The #Planoraks Awards 2022 🏆 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:04
Even by the standards of the fast-paced, ever-changing, rock and roll world of town and country planning 2022 has been quite a year. Who better to review it, Sam Stafford thought, than Zack Simons, one of the most erudit…
Call For Evidence - Life on the Front Line II [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:44
It was about a year ago that Catriona Riddell first wrote in Planning magazine about low morale in local planning authorities, which Catriona, Peter Geraghty, Paul Brocklehurst and Sam Stafford followed up with the 'Life…
🎄The 50 Shades of Planning Festive Christmas Quiz - London☃️ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:26
It’s cold, wet and miserable and, alas, there is little in Michael Gove’s recent Written Ministerial Statement to warm the cockles of a planner’s heart. Hopefully then the return of the 50 Shades of Planning Festive Chri…
Catch Up [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:35
This is an old skool, Adam Buxton-style ramble chat 50 Shades episode in which Sam Stafford fills his lunch hour with what he enjoys most: talking about planning with some of his planning friends. Planning being the fast…