The Mayoral Moment: Place, Power and Political Bravery
In this special episode of Planning After Dark, Catriona and Jackie are joined in the studio by two local government leaders looking towards the next chapter of English devolution – with Alex joining remotely from Bristol.
Their guests are Lorna Fielker, former Leader of Southampton City Council and Labour mayoral candidate for Hampshire and the Solent, and Bridget Kendrick, Leader of Mole Valley District Council and a prospective Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate in Surrey.
They begin with the personal stories behind their routes into local government – from doorstep campaigning and council casework to taking on leadership roles during periods of significant financial and organisational pressure. Lorna reflects on putting Southampton City Council back on a more stable financial footing, while Bridget discusses Mole Valley’s work on homelessness prevention and the realities of delivering more with increasingly constrained council resources.
From there, the conversation turns to one of the PAD Pod’s favourite subjects: devolution and mayors.
What difference does a directly elected mayor actually make? Why does a single political figurehead matter when councils already work together? And could the mayoral model provide the leadership, powers and investment framework needed to bring housing, transport, infrastructure, skills and economic growth together more effectively?
Lorna and Bridget discuss how their own views on the mayoral model have developed, while Catriona makes the case for combining strategic planning with the funding and delivery powers available through mayoral strategic authorities.
There is also a wider debate about how places attract investment, why some areas struggle to articulate their economic identity and whether the word “growth” itself has become part of the problem. From Surrey’s gaming and technology sectors to Southampton’s regeneration ambitions, the panel considers how stronger place leadership could help areas tell a clearer story about what they offer and where they want to go.
Housing, infrastructure and political bravery inevitably enter the conversation too. How do leaders make difficult decisions when social media suggests one thing but conversations on the doorstep suggest another? And how can mayors build public support for development by connecting new homes with transport, jobs, services and investment in place?
Finally, Lorna and Bridget look ahead to what they would want to achieve through mayoral leadership – from housing, transport and skills to employment, culture and creating opportunities for the next generation.
Plus: bins, imposter syndrome, the Devotini, karaoke trauma and two extremely strong 1980s song choices.
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Planning After Dark is 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.
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