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.
Some accompanying reading.
Confessions of a curious mind: An interview with Richard Schofield
Some accompanying listening
You held the World in your arms – Idlewild
Follow Your Arrow – Kacey Musgraves
Hunger in your haunt – Biffy Clyro
Some accompanying viewing.
Any other business.
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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 [email protected] or the 50 Shades WhatsApp Community.
50 Shades of Planning
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.
Sam is on Bluesky and Instagram, and his blogs can be found here.
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 [email protected] 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....
