The SCOPE

​Can nature-based solutions become critical infrastructure for climate resilience? 

In this episode of Stantec's SCOPE podcast, Graham Munday is joined by Professor Neil Entwistle, Head of Science at Rebalance Earth, and Mike Morris, Technical Director in our Water business.

​The discussion examines how restoring peatlands, wetlands, rivers, and catchments can reduce flood risk, improve water quality, strengthen climate resilience, and support long-term infrastructure performance. 

The guests also discuss the growing role of private finance, pension funds, natural capital investment, and collaborative catchment management in scaling nature-led solutions across the UK.

In this episode of Stantec's SCOPE podcast, we explore the opportunities and challenges that devolution brings for place leaders and private sector partners. 

Judith Barker, executive director of Place and Economy for Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, joins our Roger Evans, Public Sector & Frameworks lead for a candid discussion on the realities of infrastructure delivery.

Listen for a clear view of how devolution is changing the way infrastructure is planned and delivered, what makes a pipeline credible, and why investing in programmes rather than standalone projects can lead to better long-term outcomes.

How can the planning system support the delivery of large‑scale new communities over decades of change without undermining trust and certainty?

In this episode of Stantec's SCOPE podcast, Graham Munday is joined by James Scott (Urban&Civic), Michael Parkinson and Alex Jones (Stantec) to explore how flexible planning consents can unlock large-scale development. 

Together, they discuss why traditional planning approaches struggle to keep pace with long-term change, and how greater flexibility can support the delivery of new communities and strategic sites.

University estates are under pressure. Budgets are tight. Campuses are ageing. Student expectations are rising. 

In this episode of Stantec's SCOPE podcast, Trevor Payne, Director of Estates at the University of Oxford, and Bryan Murray from Stantec explore how universities can future-ready their estates. 

From smarter use of space and real time data, to adaptable design, sustainability and climate resilience, they discuss practical ways estates teams can deliver better outcomes — now and for the long term.

The pace of change and growth in the development of data centres is significant, but how much scope is there to improve their sustainability credentials? 

Operational efficiency and power usage can deliver big wins. But what about material choices? How do good intentions make it to reality? Is there an argument that design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) could be adopted more widely? 

Putting the sustainability arguments to the test in this Stantec SCOPE podcast are Angela Vico Correas, director at studioNWA, Roy Andrade, technical director at Sweet Projects and Timo Hendy, technical director at Stantec. 

As data centres become more noticeable in the community, we have a timely discussion about their value and how data centre operators are engaging with their host communities.

In this Stantec SCOPE podcast episode, our guests Emma Fryer, director public policy Europe at CyrusOne, Stephen Meleady, MEP director and data centres sector lead at Stantec, and James Donagh, development economics director at Stantec, delve into the stats and share their views and examples of how the industry is adapting as it grows.

With the UK’s grid capacity stretched and an ever-growing need for data centres, what choices do we have to power them? 

What impact will grid connectivity reforms have? How can we scale alternative forms of power generation? And could data centres even help to address power loads and support decarbonisation? 

Sharing their views are Amy Turner, power connections lead at SEGRO, Jon Clark, associate at construction consultancy RLB, Peter Sibley, divisional director for nuclear at Stantec, and Jesal Chandi, senior utilities consultant at Stantec. Hosted by Graham Munday at Stantec.

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The future is localised energy generation and storage - a smart grid.

But what is a smart grid? How does it work? Who benefits? And who do tenants pay for their energy?

What does a smart grid look like in both a residential and commercial development? And how does it balance the demands for EV charging?

To help answer these questions and more, we are joined by Ben Bowler, a renewables, storage, and e-mobility director with Stantec, and Henry Leivers, chief operating officer for SNRG, a next generation infrastructure company. Our guests are in conversation with Graham Munday from Stantec.

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A logistics warehouse or an R&D facility doubling up as a mini-power plant. It's not fantasy. It's the future.

In a changing energy landscape, what do commercial occupiers expect from their premises, and how do they determine their power requirements? Who funds the localised provision of energy? 

What will large commercial parks look like in the future, and how can developers respond?

In this episode, we are joined by Ben Bowler, a renewables, storage, and e-mobility director with Stantec, Octavia Peters, head of strategic growth at SEGRO, and Leah Holmes, a power procurement specialist with Stantec. Our guests are in conversation with Graham Munday from Stantec.

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From competence to culture change, there's a lot to absorb around the Building Safety Act.

So, what is meant by the level of detail required being proportionate to risk? What's the impact of a greater focus on detailed design upfront? Why can't you find Gateway 2 and 3 referenced in the Act? And why is it important to be able to show all your workings-out, just like you did at school?

Offering a sweeping view on the Building Safety Act in this Stantec SCOPE podcast are Owen Edwards, building control specialist, Jay Morton, director at architects, Bell Phillips, and Victoria Checkley, structural and civil engineering director with Stantec.