This episode is another in the Hitting The High Notes series, which is planning’s equivalent of Desert Island Discs. In these episodes Sam Stafford chats to preeminent figures in the planning and property sectors about the six projects that helped to shape them as professionals. And, so that we can get to know people a little better personally, for every 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, you will have to make do with You Tube videos and a Spotify playlist, links to which you will find below.
This episode features a conversation that Sam recorded with Hashi Mohamed at Soho Radio Studios in London towards the end of July 2023.
Regular listeners will recall that Hashi featured in episode 78, which was the recording of a conversation that he and friend of the podcast Simon Ricketts had had on Clubhouse about Hashi’s book ‘A Home of One’s Own’.
Sam's conversation with Hashi also takes in ‘A Home of One’s Own’, as well as Hashi’s other book, ‘People Like Us - What It Takes to Make It in Modern Britain’. In addition to the politics of housing and social mobility, you will also hear Hashi talk about his remarkable arrival in this country and a career in the law that has seen him become one of Planning Magazine’s top-rated junior barristers. His ‘Three A’s’ are top tips for any professional and listen out too for the best planning inquiry tale you will hear bar nun.
Sam also marks this 100th episode with some extended bonus waffle at the end, which was recorded whilst he was sunning himself in southern Spain.
Hashi’s song selections
Unforgettable - Nat King Cole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFyuOEovTOE
You’ll Never Walk Alone - Gerry & The Pacemakers
Shaking of the Sheets – Steeleye Span
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I16WqxSMCu0
Changes - Tupac
Still D.R.E - Dr Dre
A change is gonna come – Sam Cooke
Hashi’s Spotify playlist
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6LIyBa2ifAY9EClQMdvrom?si=a8d8417838c3488e
Some accompanying listening.
Analysis: Housing, Planning and Politics
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0014ptp
Analysis: Adventures in Social Mobility
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p04zrkxv?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile
Gettin’ In The Way – Cooper T
Some accompanying reading.
Raising the bar: Hashi Mohamed’s journey from child refugee to top lawyer
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jan/12/hashi-mohamed-child-refugee-barrister-people-like-us
Hashi’s books
https://www.hashimohamed.com/the-book
The housing theory of everything by Sam Bowman, John Myers and Ben Southwood
https://worksinprogress.co/issue/the-housing-theory-of-everything
50 Shades T-Shirts!
If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning you will have heard Clive Betts say that...
'In the Netherlands planning is seen as part of the solution. In the UK, too often, planning is seen as part of the problem'.
Sam said in reply that that would look good on a t-shirt and it does. Further details can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html
50 Shades of Planning
50 Shades of Planning was Sam Stafford’s attempt between April 2019 and October 2024 to explore the foibles of the English planning system and it's aim was 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.
Sam is on Bluesky (@samuelstafford.bsky.social) and Instagram (@samuel__stafford), and his blogs can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com (from where you can also sign up for his newsletter).
The 50 Shades platforms were expressions of Sam's personal opinions, which may or may not represent the opinions of his past, present or future employers.
The 50 Shades of Planning Podcast and YouTube channels were produced in partnership with Cratus Group.
Why Fifty Shades? Well, planning is not a black and white endeavour. There are at least fifty shades in between....
