Red Hot Planning Chat

Red Hot Planning Chat

Author: Samuel Stafford July 4, 2026 Duration: 1:03:25

Sam Stafford was in London recently and whilst there caught up with friends of the podcast Hana Loftus, Mike Kiely, Nicola Gooch, Simon Ricketts and Andrew Taylor.

Hana is a Director at HAT Projects; Mike is a former Chief Planner and now an independent planning consultant working mainly in the public sector; Nicola is a Partner at Birketts; Simon is a Partner at Town Legal and Andrew is Group Planning & Sustainability Director at Vistry.

In a conversation recorded at Soho Radio Studios they chatted about some of the hot topics exercising the planning profession at the minute.

They talked about the legal challenge by some London boroughs to the Mayor’s package of time-limited emergency measures to support housebuilding. They talked about planning committees, the national scheme of delegation, statutory chief planners, the designation of LPAs for poor performance, the Nature Restoration Fund, the need for the NPPF as soon as possible, and they talked about S73B. The hottest topic of all though, given that this episode was recorded during a red extreme heat warming, was whether the addition of awnings and air conditioning units are or should be permitted development.

Some accompanying reading.

Wishful Thinking

Legal battle brews over London's affordable homes target

Why NPPFs fail #1 - planning by committee

Delegation default: power to the Chief Planner

Good Practice Note - National Scheme of Delegation

Route 62A

The draft Nature Restoration Levy Regulations are here

Section 73 Or Section 73B

165,000 Reasons

Some accompanying listening.

Hitting the High Notes - Nick Kilby

Red Hot – Jurassic 5

Any other business.

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Sam is grateful to Richborough, Town Legal and Tyler Grange for supporting the podcast; to Vistry for sponsoring the 50 Shades mugs; and to Nick Stephenson and Adrian Meehan for recording and editing this episode.


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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