The SCOPE

Hosted by Stantec UK

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Latest episode

May 2026

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About the show

Welcome to The SCOPE. A podcast series addressing important issues influencing the sustainable future of real estate, infrastructure, the environment, and communities. The SCOPE, brought to you by Stantec, offers insight into the breadth of subjects exercising the minds of real estate developers, investors, public bodies, and everyone involved in the built environment. It combines industry leading voices with our own specialists for an engaging digest over a ‘commutable’ length. Stantec is a global leader in sustainable engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting. The diverse perspectives of our partners and interested parties drive us to think beyond what’s previously been done on critical issues like climate change, digital transformation, and future-proofing our cities and infrastructure. We innovate at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships to advance communities everywhere, so that together we can redefine what’s possible.

Listen to episodes

11 recent

May 18, 202631 min

Why flexible planning consents are essential for development at scale

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 The SCOPE, 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.If you've enjoyed listening to The SCOPE, please rate us and consider writing a review.

April 15, 202627 min

Readying university estates for the next generation

University estates are under pressure. Budgets are tight. Campuses are ageing. Student expectations are rising. In this episode of The SCOPE, Trevor Payne, Director of Estates at the University of Oxford, and Bryan Murray from Stantec explore how universities can futureready their estates. From smarter use of space and realtime data, to adaptable design, sustainability and climate resilience, they discuss practical ways estates teams can deliver better outcomes — now and for the long term.If you've enjoyed listening to The SCOPE, please rate us and consider writing a review.

May 1, 202525 min

Designing sustainable data centres

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 are Angela Vico Correas, director at studioNWA, Roy Andrade, technical director at Sweet Projects, Timo Hendy, technical director at Stantec, and Stephen Meleady, MEP director and sector lead for data centres at Stantec. Hosted by Graham Munday at Stantec.If you've enjoyed listening to The SCOPE, please rate us and consider writing a review.

May 1, 202525 min

Powering the UK’s data centres – the need for new ideas

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.If you've enjoyed listening to The SCOPE, please rate us and consider writing a review.

May 1, 202530 min

Data centres and net zero communities

techUK described the data centres market as “the backbone of the UK economy”. But as data centres move beyond traditional locations into semi-rural or urban locations, public perception becomes even more important. How can we quantify their value? How are data centre operators engaging with their host communities? And how are bigger sites enabling a more creative approach to design? While there’s an obvious opportunity to recycle the vast amounts of heat that data centres produce, this hasn’t yet taken off in the UK. What’s missing? How do we see this progressing? Here to answer all these questions and more are Emma Fryer, director public policy Europe at CyrusOne, James Donagh, development economics director at Stantec, and Stephen Meleady, MEP director and data centres sector lead at Stantec. Hosted by Graham Munday at Stantec.If you've enjoyed listening to The SCOPE, please rate us and consider writing a review.

November 26, 202427 min

Smart grids - what are they?

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.If you've enjoyed listening to The SCOPE, please rate us and consider writing a review.

November 26, 202425 min

Competence and the Building Safety Act

Competence is a key word in the positioning and requirements of the Building Safety Act.How is the industry proving competence? If you're responsible for selecting suppliers or products, how are you assured of their competence?What does this mean to the process of design - why is performance-based design the future? And how is the industry adapting to the changes required from the Building Safety Act?With recognised expertise in the realm of the Act, joining this episode are Professor Jose Torero from UCL - an expert witness for the Grenfell Inquiry, Bea Young, director at WW+P architects, and James McNay, fire safety director with Stantec. Our guests are in conversation with Graham Munday from Stantec.If you've enjoyed listening to The SCOPE, please rate us and consider writing a review.

November 26, 202425 min

Understanding the Building Safety Act

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 episode are Owen Edwards, building control specialist, Jay Morton, director at architects, Bell Phillips, and Victoria Checkley, structural and civil engineering director with Stantec. Our guests are in conversation with Graham Munday from Stantec.If you've enjoyed listening to The SCOPE, please rate us and consider writing a review.

November 26, 202425 min

Culture change and the Building Safety Act

The Building Safety Act brings ethics, responsibility, and competence to the fore. It demands a change in culture from the construction industry.So, how does this industry embrace culture change? What can we learn from other sectors that have undergone behavioural and cultural change? And crucially, where are we now - is a nervous industry a competent industry?Tackling this brief are James McNay, fire safety director with Stantec, and Jessica Neuberger, partner at international law firm, Eversheds Sutherland, in conversation with Graham Munday from Stantec.If you've enjoyed listening to The SCOPE, please rate us and consider writing a review.

February 21, 202442 min

What obstacles do Local Authorities need to overcome to secure a net zero mobility future?

The SCOPE is a podcast exploring climate change as a force on, and result of, the built environment. Our guests are Monika Büscher, professor of Sociology at the Department of Sociology, and associate director in the Centre for Mobilities Research at Lancaster University, Greg Marsden, professor of Transport Governance, Institute for Transport Studies, Keith Mitchell, director of Transport and Place, Stantec and Richard Wenham, chair, England’s Economic Heartland.Following the launch of Bridging the Gap, an extensive report examining the most viable routes towards transport decarbonisation, the group discuss key takeaways for local authorities and the systemic, societal shifts needed in the years ahead.