Sam Stafford was in Manchester recently and took the opportunity to catch up with friends of the podcast Charlotte Leach, Katie Wray, Claire Petricca-Riding and Paul Smith.

Their conversation, recorded at Reform Radio, was a good old fashioned 50 Shades-style ramblechat. They started with the local elections and then from Reform got on to planning reform and back again and before they knew it an hour had passed by.

Some accompanying reading.

Housing and Planning Minister speech to UKREiiF 2026

Farcical scenes during planning meetings put Bristol’s economic future at risk

I Promised You A Miracle

Why NPPFs fail #1 - planning by committee

Some accompanying viewing.

This Country

Detectorists

Some accompanying listening.

Boards of Canada - Constants are Changing

Any other business.

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Sam is grateful to Richborough, Town Legal and Tyler Grange for supporting the podcast; to Vistry for sponsoring the 50 Shades mugs; and to Mike Dunbar and Adrian Meehan for recording and editing this episode.