Planning After Dark

In this latest episode of Planning After Dark , the PAD Pod Girls are reunited following a busy few weeks across the planning, housing and regeneration world. Fresh from UKREiiF, Women of Influence celebrations, housing conferences and strategic planning events, Jacqui Sadek, Alex Notay and Catriona Riddell discuss the mood across the sector and ask whether the industry is finally seeing reasons f...

Recorded live from UKREiiF 2026 in front of a packed audience, the PAD Pod team takes on the big questions facing planning, housing and development right now. With special guests Paul Clark and Gavin Winbanks joining Alex Notay and Jackie Sadik (while Catriona Riddell battles serious FOMO from afar), this special live episode explores what happens when political turbulence collides with ambitious...

In this special episode of Planning After Dark , Jackie, Alex and Catriona are joined by Mayor of Newham Rokhsana Fiaz for a wide-ranging, moving and very PAD Pod conversation about leadership, legacy and local government. Rokhsana reflects on her eight years as Mayor, from stepping into Newham’s executive mayoral model and challenging old political cultures, to putting people at the heart of incl...

Planning After Dark turns one!  And in this anniversary special the PAD Pod marks the occasion with a lively and wide-ranging conversation on the biggest planning stories of the moment. Jackie, Catriona and Alex reflect on a whirlwind first year of the podcast before diving into MIPIM, inward investment and the UK’s patchy international presence, asking what the sector still isn’t getting right ab...

In this special International Women’s Day episode of Planning After Dark , Catrina Riddell, Jackie Sadek and Alex Notay are joined by Helen Godwin , Mayor of the West of England. Helen shares the story behind her journey into politics – from writing letters to MPs as a teenager to leading one of the UK’s most economically dynamic regions. The conversation explores the realities of political leader...

In this episode of Planning After Dark , Alex and Catriona are joined by Gavin Winbanks , founder of Whitehawk Green (stepping in for Jackie) for a wide-ranging conversation on planning reform, inward investment and why the UK so often struggles to move from strategy to delivery. Recorded amid political and geopolitical noise, the discussion opens by asking whether the biggest changes to planning,...

Happy New Year and welcome to 2026. In this opening episode of the year, join Catriona, Alex and Jackie for a frank, funny and thoughtful stocktake of 2025 - a year of big promises, heavy lifting and hard-earned foundations - and a look ahead to what 2026 could mean for planning, housing and place leadership. The conversation begins with a temperature check on 2025: landmark funding announcements,...

Welcome to our first ever festive edition of Planning After Dark - and we’ve gone full Christmas chaos. Santa Catriona arrives in a jingling hat and squeaky leather trousers, Jackie brings the political fire, Alex attempts to keep order, and for the first time ever, we welcome three extremely brave expert gents into the PAD Pod mayhem. Joining us for mince pies, gossip and serious policy chat are:...

In this whirlwind episode of Planning After Dark , the PAD Pod Girls return with stories from across the planning universe, from South African sustainability summits to strategic planning in Glasgow, and even a Surrey conference where teenagers declare the county “for old people.” Alex brings sunshine, steak and an 8:30am hangover from her trip to South Africa, Cartriona reflects on the joys (and...

In the second of a two-part special of Planning After Dark , Catriona, Jackie, and Alex have plenty to catch up on - and a big announcement to celebrate. Alex shares her exciting news about becoming the next Chief Executive of the Housing Forum, and the trio dive into what that means for the sector at a time of huge change. From Munich to Guildhall, the team unpacks what they learned at Expo Real...

In this first-part-of-two episode, the trio unpack the Deputy Prime Minister’s dramatic resignation and Steve Reed’s arrival at MHCLG, complete with early tie reviews and cautious optimism for continuity. They dissect the ripple effects of the reshuffle - from local government reform and devolution to the new faces shaking up the planning world - and take a detour through fashion faux pas, Nick Wa...

We’re back from summer and straight into the deep end - breach births, dry robes, and the chaos of English devolution.  Alex, Catriona and Jackie take on the new Devo Bill, the surprise appointment at Homes England, and whether London’s housing woes mean the GLA has had its day. Cambridge gets a grilling for its ever-expanding layers of governance, and we cast a sceptical eye over the latest “buil...

After a brief break, the Planning After Dark gals are back and they’ve got a bumper episode to unpack. Katrina, Jackie, and Alex dive into everything from the optimism at UKREiiF and housing conferences, to the heat of their live podcast (literally), planning law spats, and why spatial development strategies seriously need a rebrand. With reflections on Labour’s first year in office, planning refo...

In this lively and thought-provoking episode, the PAD Pod trio - Jackie Sadek, Catriona Riddell , and Alex Notay - take listeners on a whirlwind tour of the latest developments in planning, regeneration, and local government. Fresh from conferences and committee rooms, the hosts unpack the current state of play across the sector. From select committee evidence on the Planning and Infrastructure Bi...

In this jam-packed episode of Planning After Dark , Alex Notay, Catriona Riddell, and Jackie Sadek kick things off by righting some wrongs - shouting out the influential women in planning they regret missing last time, from Pat Brown to Janice Morphet.  Then it’s off to the South of France (metaphorically, and soggily) for a no-holds-barred MIPIM roundup: leaky carpets, invisible ministers, and a...

In the debut episode of Planning After Dark , Catriona Riddell, Alex Notay, and Jackie Sadek dive straight into the hot topics shaping the built environment. From the enduring impact of the Raddix Big Tent report to the looming Planning and Infrastructure Bill, they dissect the forces at play in planning, investment, and local government. They also take on MIPIM and discuss the power of branding i...

In this special episode of Planning After Dark , hosts Alex Notay, Catriona Riddell, and Jackie Sadek are joined by Nick Kilby from Cratus Group, who dives into their winding career journeys, the state of the planning profession, and what needs to change.  The discussion covers everything from the 2008 financial crash’s lasting impact to the courage (or lack of it) in policymaking. Expect sharp in...