50 Shades of Planning is Sam Stafford’s attempt to explore the foibles of the English planning system and its aim is to cover the breadth of the sector both in terms of topics of conversation and in terms of guests with different experiences and perspectives.
50 Shades episodes include 'Hitting The High Notes', which are a series of conversations with leading planning and property figures. The conversations take in the six milestone planning permissions or projects within a contributor’s career and for every project guests are invited to choose a piece of music that they were listening to at that time. Think Desert Island Discs, but for planners.
50 Shades episode also include the 'All Around the World' series, which is being led by friend of the podcast, Paul Smith.
Paul put it to Sam that debates about the planning system in England tend, for the most part, to focus solely on the planning system in England. Planners here very seldom look to other countries for inspiration and ideas. Paul wanted to remedy that and so in this series he chats with planning professionals and academics from a number of countries to find out what works well there, what works less well, and what can be learnt.
The 50 Shades platforms are expressions of Sam's personal opinions, which may or may not represent the opinions of his past, present or future employers.
50 Shades of Planning is by planners and for planners and so if you would like to use the podcast or the YouTube channel for sharing anything you think that the sector needs to be talking about then do please feel free to get in touch with Sam via samstafford@hotmail.com or the 50 Shades WhatsApp Community.
Why Fifty Shades? Well, town and country planning is very much not a black and white endeavour. There are at least fifty shades in between....
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One of the most common topics of conversation that Sam Stafford heard at UKREiiF this year was the need for statutory chief planners. There are perhaps three factors behind that interest in building or strengthening leadership capacity within LPAs. First, the impending programme of devolution and local government reform will create larger teams covering larger geographies that will need to co-operate with newly emerging strategic authorities. Second; more authorities being in no overall control need guiding through the decision-making implications of that. And thirdly, the emerging need to manage the possibly contentious gateway test element of the soon statutory scheme of delegation. A role of statutory status, I also heard it suggested in the context of wider LPA capacity and skills, might be something to encourage a junior officer to stay in local government and work towards were they ever tempted to leave for the bright lights and coffee machines of the private sector.
The RTPI has certainly been keen on statutory chief planners. In February 2025 it set out its legislative proposals for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which, on the basis that only 23% of local planning authorities have a head of planning reporting to the Chief Executive,, included Statutory Chief Planning Officers to "ensure planners have a seat at the leadership table".
Is it as straight-forward as that though? Is planning any different from other place functions (environmental health and licensing, for example) that have statutory functions but no statutory status? The most senior planner in an authority might not have a seat at the leadership table, but does that matter if the person at the 'top table' with responsibility for planning knows and values the role of planning? And would a statutory chief planner have to be a member of the RTPI?
These are some of the questions that Sam invited old friends of the podcast Ben Woolnough, Gilian Macinnes and Alice Lester, and new friend of the podcast Grant Butterworth, to explore in this episode .
Ben is Head of Planning and Building Control at East Suffolk Council; Gilian advises LPAs on improving planning and place-making services and is presently Interim Assistant Director of Planning and Building Control at the Royal Borough of Greenwich; Alice is now doing her own thing having most recently been Corporate Director of Neighbourhoods and Regeneration at the London Borough of Brent; and Grant is Head of Planning at Leicester City Council.
In a conversation recorded online in July 2026 they talk about management structures, relationship and culture; they talk about dealing with poorly behaved councillors; and they talk about the qualities required to be a good chief planner.
If you enjoy the episode do please consider bolstering Sam's fragile self-esteem by leaving the podcast a nice rating and a nice review wherever you listened to it. Obviously though if you have not enjoyed it then please do not leave a review, but do please feel free to let Sam know why via samstafford@hotmail.com or the 50 Shades WhatsApp Community. Feedback on 50 Shades episodes is always welcome.
If you have enjoyed to the extent that you feel compelled to share the podcast on one your social platforms then, if you tag Sam, you will be entitled to an exclusive and much-sought after 50 Shades of Planning mug.
50 Shades of Planning is the podcast by planners and for planners and so if you would like to use it as a platform for sharing anything you think that the sector needs to be talking about then you are also very welcome to get in touch with Sam.
Neutral Impact IV
Episode 185
Saturday, October 17, 2026 • Duration 01:20:10
When 50 Shades of Planning first covered nutrient neutrality in February 2021, Sam Stafford described the process of eutrophication as a bit like the podcast itself: a little niche, but very important.
When Sam published a second episode on the subject in September 2022 it had grown in significance to the extent that Prime Minister Liz Truss had pledged to “scrap nutrient neutrality rules”.
The question that was posed in that second episode, and again in a third episode in June 2024, was how far away is a satisfactory resolution in those parts of the country that have been affected.
Almost eight years on from the 'Dutch N' judgement in the European Court of Justice, a satisfactory resolution to the issue that has resulted in 74 LPAs in and around Special Protection Areas withholding planning permission unless the negative impacts of development can be ruled out completely might soon be close.
Pursuant to provisions contained within the Planning & Infrastructure Act 2025, Natural England recently published for consultation a draft Norfolk Environmental Delivery Plan (EDP), which is designed to protect and enhance the Norfolk: Broads Special Area of Conservation (SAC) (taking in the rivers Yare and Bure), the Broadland Ramsar and the River Wensum SAC, whilst at the same time enabling sustainable development.
EDPs are designed to address the impacts of development on specific sites and species, and are a key component of the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF).
Has the nutrient neutrality nut finally been cracked? Will EDPs work?
These are the questions discussed in this episode by new friends of the podcast Alastair Wager, Matt Browne and Phil Courtier, who were expertly steered by old friend of the podcast Nina Pindham.
Alastair is the Deputy Director at Natural England responsible for the NRF; Matt is Head of Public Affairs for The Wildlife Trusts; Phil is Director of Place at South Norfolk and Broadland Councils, and sits on the board of Norfolk Environment Credits; and Nina is a Barrister at Cornerstone Chambers.
They talked about how the EDP and NRF will work, both in so far as the practicalities for applicants and LPAs are concerned, as well as being expected to operate alongside existing credit markets. They talked about BNG, Local Nature Recovery Strategies and Regional Water Authorities, and they talk about the applicability of EDPs to species as well as habitats.
The New Local Plan-Making System
Episode 184
Saturday, October 10, 2026 • Duration 55:55
The previous Government’s Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 introduced the legislative framework for a new system of local plan-making and in March 2026 the current Government introduced the regulations concerning this new regime.
The headline changes are that local authorities will be required to complete plans within a condensed 30-month period; conduct three public consultations rather than the two currently required; and pass through three mandatory gateway checks on the way.
39 authorities, those that had submitted, but not adopted, a plan for examination on or before 12 March 2025 that proposed meeting less than 80% of local housing need, had to publish a notice of intention to commence plan-making by 30 June 2026 and will have to publish a gateway 1 self-assessment by 31 October 2026.
For those authorities not intending to submit a plan for examination under the existing system by 31 December 2026, they must give notice of an intention to commence plan-making by 31 December 2026 or by the time an adopted plan is 4 years and 8 months old, whichever is the latest, and then publish a Gateway 1 self-assessment by 30 April 2027 or by the time a plan is 5 years old, whichever is the latest.
It seemed to Sam Stafford then high time that the podcast takes a look at the new local plan-making system, which it does in this episode by way of a conversation between old friend of the podcast Nicola Gooch and new friends of the podcast Mary Cook and Sarah Matile.
Nicola is a partner at Birketts, Mary is a consultant at Town Legal and Sarah is Planning Policy Manager at Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council.
In a conversation recorded online in July 2026 they dwell largely on the difference between the legacy and new regimes, but also talk about the looming deadline for the submission of legacy plans and the influence of Mr Pennycook’s pragmatism letter, as well as NDMPS, LGR, EORs and Grey Belt.
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.
As regular listeners know there is often talk on the 50 Shades of Planning podcast about the role of local councillors in the planning system, in the context of, for example, overturning officer recommendations or a decision to withdraw a local plan.
There is talk less often about the role of MPs, which is something that friend of the podcast Andrew Taylor wanted to remedy and this is the third of what he and Sam Stafford hope will be five episodes exploring what it is to be a member of a parliament by way of conversations that Andrew records with representatives from the now five major parties.
Andrew, again regular listeners will know, is the Group Planning & Sustainability Director at Vistry.
This time he speaks to representatives of Reform UK.
The title of this episode is not 'Meet the MPs', as with the previous episodes in the series with representatives of Labour and the Liberal Democrats. In this episode listeners will meet a MP and a London Assembly Member (AM).
The AM in question is Alex Wilson. In a conversation recorded online in August 2026 Alex tells Andrew about his time, before switching allegiances, as a Conservative councillor in Redbridge that included a spell as the Cabinet member for planning. They then touch on the London Plan and the package of emergency measures proposed by the government and the Mayor of London to support housebuilding in the capital.
Having heard from Alex listeners will then hear from the MP for Boston & Skegness, and the Deputy Leader of Reform UK, Richard Tice.
In a conversation recorded online in September 2026 Richard tells Andrew about his background in property and the live property-related issues in his constituency, which also include viability. This led them to the planning teal paper, which was published during the recent Reform Party Conference and upon which Sam offers some reflections at the end of this episode.
Lisa is a Partner at Town Legal, Shaun is a Senior Planning Officer at Preston City Council and Jaimie is a Company Director at Lucid
In a conversation recorded at Reform Radio they discussed, principally, the new NPPF, but also touched upon the current live consultations on standard planning agreements for medium-sized sites and planning powers for mayors in England.
The basis of this episode was a series of posts Sam Stafford spotted that Nick Cuff at Urban Sketch had shared on his Prop Views blog about the Parkhurst Road judgement and the implications thereof.
Sam asked Nick if he would like to explore the themes that he writes about with another new friend of the podcast Jamie Ratcliff, and old friends of the podcast Gilian Macinnes and Anthony Lee.
Jamie co-founded PlaceBase and is chair of the Housing Forum; Gilian advises LPAs on improving planning and place-making services and is presently Interim Assistant Director of Planning and Building Control at the Royal Borough of Greenwich; and Anthony is the Managing Partner at Quintic Advisory.
In a conversation recorded online in July 2026 they talked, philosophically, about how to test viability through the planning process and the conflict inherent between a desire on the part of most landowners to maximise land value and a desire on the part of most policy makers to maximise planning gain. They talked more practically about how Parkhurst begat the London Affordable Housing and Viability Supplementary Planning Guidance, which led onto to talk of fast tracks, thresholds and emergency measures. Then towards the end they discuss what approach might work better than which we have now.
Sam Stafford was at a symposium organised by Create Streets at Hatfield House in June last year called ‘Building for generations’. All of the presentations on the day and the conversations there upon led Sam back to the fundamental question as to why places look the way they do, which, it seemed to him on the train back that evening, would make for a good episode of a town planning-based podcast so he convened some experts in the field of design and placemaking to try to answer that question.
Hana is a Director at HAT Projects; Andrew is Group Planning and Sustainability Director at Vistry; Katie is a Director at Deloitte; Eleanor is the Built Environment Fellow for the 1851 Royal Commission; and Peter is an Assistant Director at the Cambridge Growth Company.
In a conversation recorded online in January 2026 they talk about what it is that makes the places that we like (what makes them ‘sticky’, asks Katie); they talk about culture, are places the way they are because ultimately that is the way we want them to be; they talk about the role of planning, does it make places better or worse; they talk about highways adoption standards, and they finish by talking about the changes that they would want to see to help deliver better places.
Myles is a Director at Lichfields, Mike is a Regional Practice Lead at Stantec, Bart is a Senior Planning Policy Officer at Sandwell and Beth is an Associate Director at Nexus.
During a good ol’-fashioned, Shades-style ramblechat, recorded at Podhaus studios in Digbeth’s Custard Factory, they talk about the NPPF's non-appearance before the parliament summer recess, local plan progress and the recent Pennycook pragmatism letter, changes to the BNG regime, Bart’s recent trip to Canada, which led them back to the reform agenda here, and towards the end, application fees.
This is another episode in the Hitting the High Notes series, which, if you have not listened to one before, is town planning's equivalent, nee rip off, of Desert Island Discs. During these episodes Sam Stafford chats to preeminent figures in the planning and property sectors about the planning permissions or projects that have helped to shape them as professionals and, so that listeners can get to know people a little better personally, for every permission, project or stage of their career, Sam also asks his guests for a piece of music that reminds them of that period.
Unlike Desert Island Discs you will not hear any of that music during the episode because using commercially-licensed music without the copyright holders permission or a very expensive PRS licensing agreement could land Sam in hot water, so, when you have finished listening to this episode, please have a look at the YouTube videos and a Spotify playlist to which there are links below.
This episode features a conversation that Sam recorded at PodFirst studios in Nottingham in January 2026 this with Richard Schofield. Richard began his career in planning as a policy officer in local government, becoming the Head of Planning at Bassetlaw. As listeners will hear, having got a local plan adopted and in need of a fresh challenge, Richard joined the Planning Inspectorate, becoming Chief Planning Inspector, before departing for a now extended secondment within the Chief Planner’s Department in MHCLG.
Over the course of an hour or so, as well as talking through his career to date, Richard touches upon the case for national development management policies, how to adopt a local plan in thirty months, and the best way to wind up an inspector at an inquiry.
If you enjoy the episode do please consider bolstering Sam's fragile self-esteem by leaving the podcast a nice rating and a nice review wherever you listened to it. Obviously though if you have not enjoyed it then please do not leave a review, but do please feel free to let Sam know why via samstafford@hotmail.com or the 50 Shades WhatsApp Community. Feedback on 50 Shades episodes is always welcome.
If you have enjoyed to the extent that you feel compelled to share the podcast on one your social platforms then, if you tag Sam, you will be entitled to an exclusive and much-sought after 50 Shades of Planning mug.
50 Shades of Planning is the podcast by planners and for planners and so if you would like to use it as a platform for sharing anything you think that the sector needs to be talking about then you are also very welcome to get in touch with Sam.
If you enjoy the episode do please consider bolstering Sam's fragile self-esteem by leaving the podcast a nice rating and a nice review wherever you listened to it. Obviously though if you have not enjoyed it then please do not leave a review, but do please feel free to let Sam know why via samstafford@hotmail.com or the 50 Shades WhatsApp Community. Feedback on 50 Shades episodes is always welcome.
If you have enjoyed to the extent that you feel compelled to share the podcast on one your social platforms then, if you tag Sam, you will be entitled to an exclusive and much-sought after 50 Shades of Planning mug.
50 Shades of Planning is the podcast by planners and for planners and so if you would like to use it as a platform for sharing anything you think that the sector needs to be talking about then you are also very welcome to get in touch with Sam.
If you enjoy the episode do please consider bolstering Sam's fragile self-esteem by leaving the podcast a nice rating and a nice review wherever you listened to it. Obviously though if you have not enjoyed it then please do not leave a review, but do please feel free to let Sam know why via samstafford@hotmail.com or the 50 Shades WhatsApp Community. Feedback on 50 Shades episodes is always welcome.
If you have enjoyed to the extent that you feel compelled to share the podcast on one your social platforms then, if you tag Sam, you will be entitled to an exclusive and much-sought after 50 Shades of Planning mug.
50 Shades of Planning is the podcast by planners and for planners and so if you would like to use it as a platform for sharing anything you think that the sector needs to be talking about then you are also very welcome to get in touch with Sam.
If you enjoy the episode do please consider bolstering Sam's fragile self-esteem by leaving the podcast a nice rating and a nice review wherever you listened to it. Obviously though if you have not enjoyed it then please do not leave a review, but do please feel free to let Sam know why via samstafford@hotmail.com or the 50 Shades WhatsApp Community. Feedback on 50 Shades episodes is always welcome.
If you have enjoyed to the extent that you feel compelled to share the podcast on one your social platforms then, if you tag Sam, you will be entitled to an exclusive and much-sought after 50 Shades of Planning mug.
50 Shades of Planning is the podcast by planners and for planners and so if you would like to use it as a platform for sharing anything you think that the sector needs to be talking about then you are also very welcome to get in touch with Sam.
If you enjoy the episode do please consider bolstering Sam's fragile self-esteem by leaving the podcast a nice rating and a nice review wherever you listened to it. Obviously though if you have not enjoyed it then please do not leave a review, but do please feel free to let Sam know why. Feedback on 50 Shades episodes is always welcome.
If you have enjoyed to the extent that you feel compelled to share the podcast on one your social platforms then, if you tag Sam, you will be entitled to an exclusive and much-sought after 50 Shades of Planning mug.
50 Shades of Planning is the podcast by planners and for planners and so if you would like to use it as a platform for sharing anything you think that the sector needs to be talking about then you are also very welcome to get in touch with Sam via samstafford@hotmail.com or the 50 Shades WhatsApp Community.
If you enjoy the episode do please consider bolstering Sam's fragile self-esteem by leaving the podcast a nice rating and a nice review wherever you listened to it. Obviously though if you have not enjoyed it then please do not leave a review, but do please feel free to let Sam know why. Feedback on 50 Shades episodes is always welcome.
If you have enjoyed to the extent that you feel compelled to share the podcast on one your social platforms then, if you tag Sam, you will be entitled to an exclusive and much-sought after 50 Shades of Planning mug.
50 Shades of Planning is the podcast by planners and for planners and so if you would like to use it as a platform for sharing anything you think that the sector needs to be talking about then you are also very welcome to get in touch with Sam via samstafford@hotmail.com or the 50 Shades WhatsApp Community.
If you enjoy the episode do please consider bolstering Sam's fragile self-esteem by leaving the podcast a nice rating and a nice review wherever you listened to it. Obviously though if you have not enjoyed it then please do not leave a review, but do please feel free to let Sam know why. Feedback on 50 Shades episodes is always welcome.
If you have enjoyed to the extent that you feel compelled to share the podcast on one your social platforms then, if you tag Sam, you will be entitled to an exclusive and much-sought after 50 Shades of Planning mug.
50 Shades of Planning is the podcast by planners and for planners and so if you would like to use it as a platform for sharing anything you think that the sector needs to be talking about then you are also very welcome to get in touch with Sam via samstafford@hotmail.com or the 50 Shades WhatsApp Community.
If you enjoy the episode do please consider bolstering Sam's fragile self-esteem by leaving the podcast a nice rating and a nice review wherever you listened to it. Obviously though if you have not enjoyed it then please do not leave a review, but do please feel free to let Sam know why. Feedback on 50 Shades episodes is always welcome.
If you have enjoyed to the extent that you feel compelled to share the podcast on one your social platforms then, if you tag Sam, you will be entitled to an exclusive and much-sought after 50 Shades of Planning mug.
50 Shades of Planning is the podcast by planners and for planners and so if you would like to use it as a platform for sharing anything you think that the sector needs to be talking about then you are also very welcome to get in touch with Sam via samstafford@hotmail.com or the 50 Shades WhatsApp Community.
If you enjoy the episode do please consider bolstering Sam's fragile self-esteem by leaving the podcast a nice rating and a nice review wherever you listened to it. Obviously though if you have not enjoyed it then please do not leave a review, but do please feel free to let Sam know why. Feedback on 50 Shades episodes is always welcome.
If you have enjoyed to the extent that you feel compelled to share the podcast on one your social platforms then, if you tag Sam, you will be entitled to an exclusive and much-sought after 50 Shades of Planning mug.
50 Shades of Planning is the podcast by planners and for planners and so if you would like to use it as a platform for sharing anything you think that the sector needs to be talking about then you are also very welcome to get in touch with Sam via samstafford@hotmail.com or the 50 Shades WhatsApp Community.
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