Hitting The High Notes is town 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 planning permissions or projects that helped to shape them as professionals. And, so that we can get to know people a little better personally, for every permission or project Sam asks his guests for a piece of music that reminds them of that period of their career.

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, you will have to make do with YouTube videos and a Spotify playlist, links to which you will find below.

Sam's guest for this episode of Hitting The High Notes is Anna Rose. After eschewing a career in fashion, Anna worked as a legal advisor at the National Farmers Union before joining Rugby Borough Council and working her way to become Head of Planning & Culture. After a spell as Service Director at Milton Keynes Council, Anna (@EPlanna) has since 2017 been the Head of the Planning Advisory Service (@pas_team) at the Local Government Association. Sam and Anna's conversation takes in the relationships and skills required to plan strategically and deliver major new development; leadership and systems thinking; and LPA recruitment practices.

Anna's song selections.

Fluorescent Adolescent - Arctic Monkeys

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma9I9VBKPiw

Human - The Killers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIZdjT1472Y

Try – P!NK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTCDVfMz15M

Zombie – Jamie T

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PU4d5Iogd4

Tilted – Christine & The Queens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptu3TFmF0Jo

If I Got It (Your Love brought It) – Aaron Frazer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlNBg35ItSo

Anna's Spotify playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4NqDjMStSYGn3tlmBEYPR0?si=uGKpLS7mSSSyoTI3Sj8QuQ

Some accompanying reading

The Planning Advisory Service

https://www.local.gov.uk/latest-news-pas

Houlton, Rugby

https://houltonrugby.co.uk/

MK Futures 2050

https://www.mkfutures2050.com/

PAS' 'Return To Work' project

https://www.local.gov.uk/return-to-work-planning

50 Shades T-Shirts!

If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning Podcast 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