In Hitting the High Notes episodes Sam Stafford chats to preeminent figures in the planning and property sectors about the six planning permissions or projects that helped to shape them as professionals. And, so that Listeners can get to know people a little better personally, for every project or stage of their career Sam also asks his guests for a piece of music that reminds them of that period. Think of it as town planning’s equivalent of Desert Island Discs.

Unlike Desert Island Discs you will not 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 Sam 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 below.

Sam's guest for this episode is Mike Best who many planners, especially in the West Midlands, will know from his twenty years at Turley.

Their conversation was recorded at Birmingham Podcast Studios in July 2024 and takes in Mike's early career in Local Government at Rotherham and Coventry and his move into consultancy with Jones Lang Wootton as was. Taking in retail parks, racecourses and regeneration, the projects that Mike talks Sam through highlight the breadth of the planning profession.

Some accompanying listening.

Mike’s Spotify playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3U6RUbhmrcUOzqBe7NvF6F?si=L-6LiPRWQ2m1zwgoIgiyCw&pi=e-3vODKymtRKed&nd=1&dlsi=df762b96aa044203

Ignoreland – REM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03gauuHIgME

A Design for Life – Manic Street Preachers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfEoVxy7VDQ

Limelight – Rush

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgj2br-teu4

The Whole of the Moon – Waterboys

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBW8Vnp8BzU

Twice If You’re Lucky – Crowded House

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcKh-VeFxX0 

Inner City Life – Goldie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-P98B2skts

Some accompanying reading

Mike’s Blog

https://mikesbestlaidplans.wordpress.com/

50 Shades T-Shirts!

If you have listened to Episode 45 of the 50 Shades of Planning you will have heard Clive Betts say that...

'In the Netherlands planning is seen as part of the solution. In the UK, too often, planning is seen as part of the problem'.

Sam said in reply that that would look good on a t-shirt and it does. Further details can be found here: http://samuelstafford.blogspot.com/2021/07/50-shades-of-planning-t-shirts.html

Any other business.

Sam is on Bluesky (@samuelstafford.bsky.social) and Instagram (@samuel__stafford). His blog contains a link to his newsletter.