Welcome to our first ever festive edition of Planning After Dark - and we’ve gone full Christmas chaos. Santa Catriona arrives in a jingling hat and squeaky leather trousers, Jackie brings the political fire, Alex attempts to keep order, and for the first time ever, we welcome three extremely brave expert gents into the PAD Pod mayhem.

Joining us for mince pies, gossip and serious policy chat are:

• Jonathan Bower, Partner and Head of Planning at Womble Bond Dickinson,
• Paul Clark, co-founder of Stories Partners and newly crowned PAD Pod superfan, and
• Michael Keaveney, Director of Land & Development at Grainger and LinkedIn’s unofficial housing truth-teller.

In this bumper Christmas special, we unwrap everything from the real subsidy required to build social rent homes, through to local plan fight clubs, the rise of celebrity planning lawyers, temporary accommodation pressures, and the surprising connection between Womble Bond Dickinson and Granger (yes, really).

There’s Number 10 gossip, investment-sector honesty, a deep dive on viability, a passionate defence of planners, and, naturally, a brief strip-tease reveal of un-official Planning After Dark merch.

And, in true PAD Pod style, Alex hands out bottles of “champagne-ish” fizz complete with custom Château PAD Pod labels.

Chaotic, candid and Christmassy: it’s the perfect end to 2025.

As mentioned in the episode, to find out more about Making Social Rent Homes Viable, head to homesforpeopleweneed.co.uk.

Get in touch! Message us at ask@planningafterdark.co.uk

Planning After Darkis the bold and insightful podcast where three powerhouse women in planning and development - Alex Notay, Catriona Riddell, and Jackie Sadek - shine a light on the industry’s biggest challenges, trends, and, yes, even a bit of behind-the-scenes gossip.

From navigating the complexities of development to debating the future of our cities, Planning After Dark is the no-holds-barred discussion you won’t want to miss.

Powered by Cratus Group, new episodes drop monthly on all major streaming platforms.

In this whirlwind episode of Planning After Dark, the PAD Pod Girls return with stories from across the planning universe, from South African sustainability summits to strategic planning in Glasgow, and even a Surrey conference where teenagers declare the county “for old people.”

Alex brings sunshine, steak and an 8:30am hangover from her trip to South Africa, Cartriona reflects on the joys (and accents) of planning back in Scotland, and Jackie battles through rail summits, parliamentary receptions and a national mood flatter than a stalled housing market.

Together they take on the big beasts:

• Decarbonising ageing homes and the new Homes Without Harm report
• The eternal agony of land value capture (“45 years of pain!”)
• Local government reform and the fear of doom loops
• Planning reform ping-pong between Commons and Lords
• Devolution power plays, Burnham’s billion-pound boldness & tourism taxes
• The Hokey Cokey Budget and a sector desperate for something - anything - to lift

There’s praise for unsung heroes (hello, Matt Pennycook), a shout-out to the Nicky Gavron Memorial Award, and a teaser for the Christmas special featuring an all-male lineup brave enough to face the PAD Pod Girls.

It’s half therapy session, half planning masterclass, with a lot of laughs and plenty of straight-talking commentary - just what thousands of loyal listeners keep coming back for. Onwards and upwards!

Get in touch! Message us at ask@planningafterdark.co.uk

Planning After Darkis the bold and insightful podcast where three powerhouse women in planning and development - Alex Notay, Catriona Riddell, and Jackie Sadek - shine a light on the industry’s biggest challenges, trends, and, yes, even a bit of behind-the-scenes gossip.

From navigating the complexities of development to debating the future of our cities, Planning After Dark is the no-holds-barred discussion you won’t want to miss.

Powered by Cratus Group, new episodes drop monthly on all major streaming platforms.

In the second of a two-part special of Planning After Dark, Catriona, Jackie, and Alex have plenty to catch up on - and a big announcement to celebrate. Alex shares her exciting news about becoming the next Chief Executive of the Housing Forum, and the trio dive into what that means for the sector at a time of huge change.

From Munich to Guildhall, the team unpacks what they learned at Expo Real and London Real Estate Forum - where global investment, housing delivery, and building safety dominated the agenda. They discuss the latest from Parliament and the Party Conferences, including Labour’s “Build Baby Build” slogan, the New Towns Commission, and what’s next for planning reform and devolution.

And, as always, it’s not all policy and politics - they explore why “fun” should be a leadership strategy, why housing delivery needs fresh thinking, and what makes this sector worth getting out of bed for (even after a late night).

Get in touch! Message us at ask@planningafterdark.co.uk

Planning After Darkis the bold and insightful podcast where three powerhouse women in planning and development - Alex Notay, Catriona Riddell, and Jackie Sadek - shine a light on the industry’s biggest challenges, trends, and, yes, even a bit of behind-the-scenes gossip.

From navigating the complexities of development to debating the future of our cities, Planning After Dark is the no-holds-barred discussion you won’t want to miss.

Powered by Cratus Group, new episodes drop monthly on all major streaming platforms.