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Podcast episode 177: Hitting the High Notes - Richard Schofield

Episode 177 of the podcast is available now via this link or from the usual podcast platforms.

This is another episode in the Hitting the High Notes series, which, if you have not listened to one before, is town planning’s equivalent, nee rip off, of Desert Island Discs. During these episodes I chat to preeminent figures in the planning and property sectors about the planning permissions or projects that have helped to shape them as professionals and, so that we can get to know people a little better personally, for every permission, project or stage of their career, I also ask my guests for a piece of music that reminds them of that period.

Unlike Desert Island Discs you will not, I am afraid, 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 me in hot water, so, when you have finished listening, you will have to make do with YouTube videos and a Spotify playlist, links to which you will find in the episode description.

This episode features a conversation that I recorded at PodFirst studios in Nottingham back in January this year with Richard Schofield. Richard began his career in planning as a policy officer in local government, becoming the Head of Planning at Bassetlaw. As you will hear, having got a local plan adopted and in need of a fresh challenge, Richard joined the Planning Inspectorate, becoming Chief Planning Inspector, before departing for a now extended secondment within the Chief Planner’s Department in MHCLG.

Over the course of an hour or so, as well as talking through his career to date, Richard touches upon the case for national development management policies, how to adopt a local plan in thirty months, and the best way to wind up an inspector at an inquiry.

I neglected to get a photo of the two of us in the studio to accompany this and my Instagram post about this episode, so here is a photo from Richard's interview in the March 2025 edition of The Planner, a link to which you will also find in the episode description.



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