Make Planning Make Sense

Our guest for this episode is Sangeeta Shenoy, Director at Veretec.

Sangeeta is an architect who specialises in delivery, which means she brings a fresh perspective on the key challenges facing both the planning system and the built environment sector as a whole.

We discuss:

• Planning’s powerful influence on viability
• Trust in the sector
• And what we can do to Make Planning Make Sense

If you like today’s episode, share it with your fellow Planimals and please do follow the show! And remember, we’re ultimately here for you. Whenever you have a complex project that needs excellent planners on the team, please get in touch.

Be sure to follow for new episodes fortnightly. Make Planning Make Sense is hosted by Aaron Zimmerman MRTPI, presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.

Our guest for this episode is the one and only Catriona Riddell.

Catriona explains the forthcoming Spatial Development Strategies, including how they will benefit applicants. We do a bit of punditry about what the Burnham government will be like for the sector. And we have a lovely bonding experience over our mutual exasperation with the draft London Plan.

If you like today’s episode, share it with your fellow Planimals and please do follow the show! And remember, we’re ultimately here for you. Whenever you have a complex project that needs excellent planners on the team, please get in touch.

Be sure to follow for new episodes fortnightly. Make Planning Make Sense is hosted by Aaron Zimmerman MRTPI, presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.

I'm not mad, I'm disappointed. The draft London Plan is DOA. We can revive it if the Plan becomes outcome-orientated, takes leadership where needed, and becomes aware of time and sector capacity as key constraints.

If you like today’s episode, share it with your fellow Planimals and please do follow the show! And remember, we’re ultimately here for you. Whenever you have a complex project that needs excellent planners on the team, please get in touch.

Be sure to follow for new episodes fortnightly. Make Planning Make Sense is hosted by Aaron Zimmerman MRTPI, presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.

Over the summer holidays, we're sharing select episodes from our archive that are worth another listen during the draft London Plan consultation period. We'll be back on 17 September with our full analysis.

Special thanks to Will Powell for this great conversation.

Our summer favs:

• S01 E05 Less than substantial charm (Part 1) (feat. Laurie Handcock)
• S01 E06 Less than substantial charm (Part 2) (feat. Laurie Handcock)
• S01 E09 This is not viable (feat. Richard Ashdown)
• S01 E10 Daylight/sunlight/gaslight (feat. Neil Cawood)
• S01 E12 The SMEs are not alright (feat. Paul Higgs)
• S01 E13 Small and medium enterprises, big picture energy (feat. Alex Uregian)
• S01 E16 Something's gotta give (feat. Paul Willis)
• S01 E24 Agent, operative, principal, spy (feat. Dr Nancy Holman and Dr Alan Mace)
• S02 E05 Carbon impact, in fact (feat. James Mickelburgh)
• S02 E08 Forgiving ourselves the guilt of imperfection (feat. Marko Salopek)
• S02 E15 Fix the exit, fix the entry (feat. Will Powell)

Check out these episodes wherever you listen, and see you again on 17 September!

If you like today’s episode, share it with your fellow Planimals and please do follow the show! And remember, we’re ultimately here for you. Whenever you have a complex project that needs excellent planners on the team, please get in touch.

Be sure to follow for new episodes fortnightly. Make Planning Make Sense is hosted by Aaron Zimmerman MRTPI, presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.

Over the summer holidays, we're sharing select episodes from our archive that are worth another listen during the draft London Plan consultation period. We'll be back on 17 September with our full analysis.

Special thanks to Marko Salopek for this great conversation.

Our summer favs:

• S01 E05 Less than substantial charm (Part 1) (feat. Laurie Handcock)
• S01 E06 Less than substantial charm (Part 2) (feat. Laurie Handcock)
• S01 E09 This is not viable (feat. Richard Ashdown)
• S01 E10 Daylight/sunlight/gaslight (feat. Neil Cawood)
• S01 E12 The SMEs are not alright (feat. Paul Higgs)
• S01 E13 Small and medium enterprises, big picture energy (feat. Alex Uregian)
• S01 E16 Something's gotta give (feat. Paul Willis)
• S01 E24 Agent, operative, principal, spy (feat. Dr Nancy Holman and Dr Alan Mace)
• S02 E05 Carbon impact, in fact (feat. James Mickelburgh)
• S02 E08 Forgiving ourselves the guilt of imperfection (feat. Marko Salopek)
• S02 E15 Fix the exit, fix the entry (feat. Will Powell of Downing)

Check out these episodes wherever you listen, and see you again on 17 September!

If you like today’s episode, share it with your fellow Planimals and please do follow the show! And remember, we’re ultimately here for you. Whenever you have a complex project that needs excellent planners on the team, please get in touch.

Be sure to follow for new episodes fortnightly. Make Planning Make Sense is hosted by Aaron Zimmerman MRTPI, presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.Our guest this week is GUEST(S).

BLURB

If you like today’s episode, share it with your fellow Planimals and please do follow the show! And remember, we’re ultimately here for you. Whenever you have a complex project that needs excellent planners on the team, please get in touch.

Be sure to follow for new episodes fortnightly. Make Planning Make Sense is hosted by Aaron Zimmerman MRTPI, presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.

Over the summer holidays, we're sharing select episodes from our archive that are worth another listen during the draft London Plan consultation period. We'll be back on 17 September with our full analysis.

Special thanks to Paul Willis for this great conversation.

Our summer favs:

• S01 E05 Less than substantial charm (Part 1) (feat. Laurie Handcock)
• S01 E06 Less than substantial charm (Part 2) (feat. Laurie Handcock)
• S01 E09 This is not viable (feat. Richard Ashdown)
• S01 E10 Daylight/sunlight/gaslight (feat. Neil Cawood)
• S01 E12 The SMEs are not alright (feat. Paul Higgs)
• S01 E13 Small and medium enterprises, big picture energy (feat. Alex Uregian)
• S01 E16 Something's gotta give (feat. Paul Willis)
• S01 E24 Agent, operative, principal, spy (feat. Dr Nancy Holman and Dr Alan Mace)
• S02 E05 Carbon impact, in fact (feat. James Mickelburgh)
• S02 E08 Forgiving ourselves the guilt of imperfection (feat. Marko Salopek)
• S02 E15 Fix the exit, fix the entry (feat. Will Powell of Downing)

Check out these episodes wherever you listen, and see you again on 17 September!

If you like today’s episode, share it with your fellow Planimals and please do follow the show! And remember, we’re ultimately here for you. Whenever you have a complex project that needs excellent planners on the team, please get in touch.

Be sure to follow for new episodes fortnightly. Make Planning Make Sense is hosted by Aaron Zimmerman MRTPI, presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.

Over the summer holidays, we're sharing select episodes from our archive that are worth another listen during the draft London Plan consultation period. We'll be back on 17 September with our full analysis.

Special thanks to Paul Higgs for this great conversation.

Our summer favs:

• S01 E05 Less than substantial charm (Part 1) (feat. Laurie Handcock)
• S01 E06 Less than substantial charm (Part 2) (feat. Laurie Handcock)
• S01 E09 This is not viable (feat. Richard Ashdown)
• S01 E10 Daylight/sunlight/gaslight (feat. Neil Cawood)
• S01 E12 The SMEs are not alright (feat. Paul Higgs)
• S01 E13 Small and medium enterprises, big picture energy (feat. Alex Uregian)
• S01 E16 Something's gotta give (feat. Paul Willis)
• S01 E24 Agent, operative, principal, spy (feat. Dr Nancy Holman and Dr Alan Mace)
• S02 E05 Carbon impact, in fact (feat. James Mickelburgh)
• S02 E08 Forgiving ourselves the guilt of imperfection (feat. Marko Salopek)
• S02 E15 Fix the exit, fix the entry (feat. Will Powell)

Check out these episodes wherever you listen, and see you again on 17 September!

If you like today’s episode, share it with your fellow Planimals and please do follow the show! And remember, we’re ultimately here for you. Whenever you have a complex project that needs excellent planners on the team, please get in touch.

Be sure to follow for new episodes fortnightly. Make Planning Make Sense is hosted by Aaron Zimmerman MRTPI, presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.

Over the summer holidays, we're sharing select episodes from our archive that are worth another listen during the draft London Plan consultation period. We'll be back on 17 September with our full analysis.

Special thanks to Neil Cawood for this great conversation.

Full summer reading list:

• S01 E05 Less than substantial charm (Part 1) (feat. Laurie Handcock)
• S01 E06 Less than substantial charm (Part 2) (feat. Laurie Handcock)
• S01 E09 This is not viable (feat. Richard Ashdown)
• S01 E10 Daylight/sunlight/gaslight (feat. Neil Cawood)
• S01 E12 The SMEs are not alright (feat. Paul Higgs)
• S01 E13 Small and medium enterprises, big picture energy (feat. Alex Uregian)
• S01 E16 Something's gotta give (feat. Paul Willis)
• S01 E24 Agent, operative, principal, spy (feat. Dr Nancy Holman and Dr Nancy Holman)
• S02 E05 Carbon impact, in fact (feat. James Mickelburgh)
• S02 E08 Forgiving ourselves the guilt of imperfection (feat. Marko Salopek)
• S02 E15 Fix the exit, fix the entry (feat. Will Powell of Downing)

Check out these episodes wherever you listen, and see you again on 17 September!

If you like today’s episode, share it with your fellow Planimals and please do follow the show! And remember, we’re ultimately here for you. Whenever you have a complex project that needs excellent planners on the team, please get in touch.

Be sure to follow for new episodes fortnightly. Make Planning Make Sense is hosted by Aaron Zimmerman MRTPI, presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.

Our guest for this episode is Darren Rodwell, a man who needs no introduction, who you’ll recognise as the former leader of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council.

Darren has a new book called ‘Building Communities One Brick and One Heart at a Time’, which is out now. I was most interested to talk with Darren about creating momentum in a planning system that is structurally indifferent to its outcome and how Darren was able to change the future for Londonders in his borough by building community support and forward momentum for the ambitious regeneration of Barking.

The conversation again begs the question of whether we should have a planning system that is otherwise content to be as inert as dry clay. But more to the point, in the system that we do have, Darren shows how leadership, vision, and an incredible amount of effort can still get good things done.

We’ll be back in September with our analysis of the draft London Plan and the changes it will need if it is going to succeed in its most urgent priority: delivering for Londoners.

If you like today’s episode, share it with your fellow Planimals and please do follow the show! And remember, we’re ultimately here for you. Whenever you have a complex project that needs excellent planners on the team, please get in touch.

Be sure to follow for new episodes fortnightly. Make Planning Make Sense is hosted by Aaron Zimmerman MRTPI, presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.

We've been longlisted in the Business category for the 2026 British Podcast Awards! We set off a year ago without one ounce of media experience to create a bit of content about why our work matters, the fact that we’re damn good at it, and how the sector can do better for the people of the UK. Being longlisted for a British Podcast Award is both humbling and affirming for a show we’re really proud to put out there for you. Thank you to our amazing team, guests, and listeners.

Our guest for this episode is Jay Marway MRICS PMP, Project Manager at Pulse Consult.

Jay joins us to discuss the brilliant and important topic of emotional intelligence in our sector.

The conversation gives a nod to the surface level traits of politeness and temperament, and then opens up into the rich concepts of awareness, perception, trust, and boundaries.

I hope you find the conversation timely, relatable, and relevant, but, of course, it is not health advice.

Jay and I are practitioners in the built environment sector, not the healthcare sector. I would warmly encourage anyone seeking advice on these issues to speak with a medical professional.

If you like today’s episode, share it with your fellow Planimals and please do follow the show! And remember, we’re ultimately here for you. Whenever you have a complex project that needs excellent planners on the team, please get in touch.

Be sure to follow for new episodes fortnightly. Make Planning Make Sense is hosted by Aaron Zimmerman MRTPI, presented by Centro Planning Consultancy and recorded in beautiful London, England.