The SCOPE

Hosted by Stantec UK

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Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-GB

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

9 recent

August 6, 202632 min

How to scale, fund, and maintain nature-based solutions for a resilient future

Can nature-based solutions become critical infrastructure for climate resilience? In this episode of Stantec's SCOPE podcast, Graham Munday is joined by Professor Neil Entwistle, Head of Science at Rebalance Earth, and Mike Morris, Technical Director in our Water business. The discussion examines how restoring peatlands, wetlands, rivers, and catchments can reduce flood risk, improve water quality, strengthen climate resilience, and support long-term infrastructure performance. The guests also discuss the growing role of private finance, pension funds, natural capital investment, and collaborative catchment management in scaling nature-led solutions across the UK.

June 24, 202626 min

From devolution to delivery. What does it mean for UK infrastructure?

In this episode of Stantec's SCOPE podcast, we explore the opportunities and challenges that devolution brings for place leaders and private sector partners. Judith Barker, executive director of Place and Economy for Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority, joins our Roger Evans, Public Sector & Frameworks lead for a candid discussion on the realities of infrastructure delivery. Listen for a clear view of how devolution is changing the way infrastructure is planned and delivered, what makes a pipeline credible, and why investing in programmes rather than standalone projects can lead to better long-term outcomes.

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 Stantec's SCOPE podcast, 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.

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 Stantec's SCOPE podcast, Trevor Payne, Director of Estates at the University of Oxford, and Bryan Murray from Stantec explore how universities can future-ready their estates. From smarter use of space and real time data, to adaptable design, sustainability and climate resilience, they discuss practical ways estates teams can deliver better outcomes — now and for the long term.

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 in this Stantec SCOPE podcast are Angela Vico Correas, director at studioNWA, Roy Andrade, technical director at Sweet Projects and Timo Hendy, technical director at Stantec.

May 1, 202530 min

Data centres and net zero communities

As data centres become more noticeable in the community, we have a timely discussion about their value and how data centre operators are engaging with their host communities. In this Stantec SCOPE podcast episode, our guests Emma Fryer, director public policy Europe at CyrusOne, Stephen Meleady, MEP director and data centres sector lead at Stantec, and James Donagh, development economics director at Stantec, delve into the stats and share their views and examples of how the industry is adapting as it grows.

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? With recognised expertise in the realm of the Act, joining this Stantec SCOPE podcast 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.

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 Stantec SCOPE podcast are Owen Edwards, building control specialist, Jay Morton, director at architects, Bell Phillips, and Victoria Checkley, structural and civil engineering director with Stantec.

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 in Stantec's SCOPE podcast, 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.