The Trowers Podcast

Devolution Dissected returns with the second episode of our two-part series, diving deeper into the shifting dynamics of local government.Amardeep Gill, Head of Public Sector at Trowers & Hamlins, and Partner Paul McDermott are once again joined by Evie John and Chris Naylor from Inner Circle Consulting to explore the realities of local government reorganisation.Together, they unpack the behavioural and cultural shifts needed to lead change, address the importance of financial sustainability and the need for purpose in leadership.

Devolution Dissected returns with a brand-new two-part series, continuing the conversation on the evolving landscape of local government. Nearly four months on from the release of the Devolution White Paper, Amardeep Gill, Head of Public Sector at Trowers & Hamlins, is once again joined by fellow partner Paul McDermott, along with guests from Inner Circle Consulting, Evie John and Chris Naylor.In the first episode, they explore the challenges and opportunities presented by the devolution process, including the importance of balancing process with strategic thinking and whether the government is delivering on its role in the devolution process.

In the last episode in our Procurement Week 2025 podcast series, Partner Katie Saunders and Alan Heron, Director of Procurement at Places for People, discuss how procurement frameworks have evolved over the years. They explore the role of frameworks in public procurement, the challenges faced, and the importance of transparency and social value. The conversation also delves into the introduction of open frameworks and the rigorous process of achieving gold standard accreditation, highlighting the need for continuous improvement and accountability in the procurement process.

Partner Louis Sebastian and Craig Naughton, Commercial and Procurement Lead at WM5G, discuss the implications of the Procurement Act 2023 on tech contracts. They assess the challenges of innovation within public procurement, the importance of flexibility in contract management and the role of AI in enhancing procurement processes. Together they highlight the need for comprehensive market intelligence, effective supplier management and the significance of addressing intellectual property concerns.

Partner Amardeep Gill speaks to Lisa Forsyth, Managing Director at Max Associates, about the evolving landscape of leisure procurement contracts. They explore the historical context of leisure procurement, the significance of concession contracts and the introduction of the competitive flexible procedure.

In our next Procurement Week podcast, Dr Rebecca Rees and Andrew Van Doorn, Chief Executive of HACT, discuss the significance of social value in public procurement, especially in light of the new Procurement Act 2023. They explore the importance of understanding social value as an impactful measure, the necessity of partnerships, and the role of pre-market engagement. The conversation also addresses the limitations of procurement in achieving social value, the true costs associated with it and the need for assurance and evaluation to ensure authenticity and effectiveness in delivering social value outcomes.

To mark the launch of the Procurement Act 2023, Partner and Head of Public Procurement, Rebecca Rees speaks to Lindsay Maguire, Deputy Director for Procurement Reform Implementation at the Cabinet Office, to discuss its implications for public procurement in the UK. They explore the cultural and behavioural changes necessary for successful implementation, the benefits of increased flexibility and transparency, and the importance of the National Procurement Policy Statement. They also reflect on the future of procurement and the metrics for success in the new regime.

In the final episode of our series examining the Devolution White Paper, Amardeep Gill, Partner and National Head of Trowers & Hamlins' Public Sector team, is joined by Partner Paul McDermott, Evie John, Managing Director of Place, and Chris Naylor, Managing Director of Transforming Services at Inner Circle. This episode delves into the central themes of local government reform, the challenges around fostering inclusive economic growth through local growth plans and critically examines whether the system has the capacity to handle these ambitious reforms.

In the third episode of our series dissecting the Devolution White Paper, Amardeep Gill, Partner and National Head of Trowers & Hamlins' Public Sector team, is joined by Partner Paul McDermott, Evie John, Managing Director of Place, and Chris Naylor, Managing Director of Transforming Services at Inner Circle. This episode examines the financial aspects of the Devolution White Paper, including its proposals to simplify local authority funding through models such as integrated financial settlements.

In the second episode of our four-part series on the Devolution White Paper, Amardeep Gill, Partner and National Head of Trowers & Hamlins' Public Sector team, returns with Partner Paul McDermott, Evie John, Managing Director of Place, and Chris Naylor, Managing Director of Transforming Services at Inner Circle. In this episode, the discussion dives into the devolution framework and examining strategic authorities and their evolving role. They also explore whether London is finally receiving its fair share of devolved powers and what this means for the broader devolution agenda.

In the first episode of our four-part series exploring the Devolution White Paper, Amardeep Gill, Partner and National Head of Trowers & Hamlins' Public Sector team, is joined by Partner Paul McDermott, Evie John, Managing Director of Place, and Chris Naylor, Managing Director of Transforming Services at Inner Circle. Together they share their initial thoughts on the Devolution White Paper and assess its winners and losers following its release.  

Partner and Head of Energy and Sustainability, Chris Paul speaks to Rhys Harrington-Jones, Sales Director at Zest, the only B Corp EV charge point operator in the UK. Together they discuss the current legislation around electric vehicle charging, the challenges facing new builds and retrofit properties and provide advice for landlords on the various ways they can supply EV charge points, including lease models and concession models.

In this post-Election result podcast, Head of Employment Rebecca McGuirk and Partner Nicola Ihnatowicz discuss Labour's New Deal for Working People and the potential impact on employers. They cover key proposals such as the extension of unfair dismissal rights, changes to parental leave, reforms to worker status, the potential ban on exploitative zero hours contracts, trade union reforms and the potential implementation timeline for these changes.

Partner Patrick Morris speaks to Sam Fox, Head of Research and Analytics at Ellandi, the UK's leading investment manager of destination and local shopping centres, about the concept of data-led regeneration and its importance in helping to create vibrant and successful town centres. They explore how data can be used to understand the needs and preferences of different user groups, such as residents, workers, tourists, and domestic tourists.

Partner Karie Akeelah and Ahmed Ismail, Managing Director at FTI Consulting, discuss the impact of Net Zero goals on the construction industry and the potential construction claims that may arise. They assess the challenges of implementing Net Zero, such as the need for clear standards, compliance measures and the changes that may be required in construction contracts to address sustainability requirements. They also explore potential claims related to additional costs, delays, greenwashing, and insurance. The conversation highlights the importance of collaboration, clear standards, and government support in achieving Net Zero goals in the construction industry.

Partner Natalie Singh is joined by George Flynn and James Tarrant, Directors at Savills Financial Consultants to discuss the funding market in the affordable housing finance sector over the past 12 months and predictions for the next 12 months. They also touch on ESG and sustainable finance, as well as the challenges of decarbonisation and how innovative funding solutions, such as unsecured borrowing, could be potential options for the future.

In the final episode of the series, Alison Delaney and Yetunde Dania discuss the Care Leavers Covenant with Zahra Printer, former chair of the advisory board, and Matthew Gordon, CEO of Spectra. They explore the origins and purpose of the Covenant, which supports care leavers aged 16-25 in living independently. The conversation highlights the importance of empathy and ambition for the involvement of businesses with the Covenant and shares success stories and milestones achieved so far. The episode concludes with reflections on the impact of the Covenant and the future of supporting care-experienced individuals.

Partner Sam Folley speaks to Carl Buckingham, Head of Partnerships at Envevo and Paul Wood, Director of Vantage Building Consultancy to discuss the opportunities and challenges of electric vehicle (EV) charging in logistics properties. The conversation covers the major opportunities for EV charging in logistics properties, including the value proposition for tenants, future-proofing assets, and sustainability benefits. They also discuss the need for more edge-of-city hubs and last mile hubs to support EV charging and the importance of collaboration and stakeholder engagement in the EV and logistics sectors.

Partner Chris Paul, Head of the Energy and Sustainability team at Trowers is joined by Antoine Pellet, Head of Retrofit Credits at HACT, to discuss how the retrofit credit model works and how it can be beneficial for landlords. Antoine provides insight on the wider social benefits involved with retrofitting and how HACT look to grow the model in the future.

In the penultimate episode in our Together We Care series we focus on the role businesses can play in improving the opportunities and experiences of care experienced people. Hosts Alison Delaney and Yetunde Dania are joined by Dame Sharon White, Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, and Sara Bailey, Senior Partner at Trowers & Hamlins, who share both their personal stories and how they have been influenced to support care experienced individuals. During their conversation they also explore the initiatives and programs their respective organisations have implemented to build happier futures for care leavers with the conversation highlighting the importance of businesses being actively involved in their local communities, the benefits of supporting care experienced individuals and how other businesses can make a positive impact by getting involved.

Partner Katie Saunders discusses the role of public sector housing in the regeneration of communities in Manchester and the North West with Jacque Allen, the Chief Executive of Your Housing Group, and Mike Gaskell, the Chair of the Board of Your Housing Group. They reflect on the impact of housing organisations in the North West in providing homes and creating a sense of place and belonging in neighbourhoods. They also discuss the changes and interventions in the housing sector over the years, the challenges faced by housing providers, and the need for a properly funded housing strategy and long-term planning.

In this episode, Alison Delaney and Yetunde Dania discuss the topic of adoption with the father of three adopted children, Simon. They explore his decision to adopt, the process involved, and some of his experiences of being a parent to adopted children. Simon also discusses the support available and offers advice to those considering adoption.

Partner Fiona Thomson speaks to Bob Tattrie, Managing Partner at Trebor Developments about the current opportunities in the industrial and logistics development industry. They discuss the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and recent economic challenges as well as well as how to resolve issues such as land availability, finance costs and discrepancies between supply and demand.

The third instalment in our Together We Care series focusses on fostering. Hosts Alison Delaney and Yetunde Dania are joined by Carol Akotiah, who in 2016 took the decision to become a foster parent. Throughout the episode, Carol talks about her motivation to foster, the process involved and also reflects on her joyous experience of being a foster parent.

Following the publication of the Procurement Act 2023, Partner and Head of Public Procurement, Rebecca Rees speaks to Ian Makgill, Founder of Spend Network, about public procurement, data and artificial intelligence. They look at the transparency reforms under the Act, how Spend Network use and analyse all the data that comes through the procurement lifecycle and the role artificial intelligence will play in shaping the future of public procurement.

In the second instalment in our Together We Care series, a Trowers & Hamlins and Little Bird People Development collaboration, Yetunde Dania and Alison Delaney speak to author, journalist and social worker, Rebekah Pierre. Rebekah opens up about her experience of growing up in residential care and how this has led her to advocate for young people in the care system. She also shares her thoughts on what employers can do to support care experienced people to help them have successful careers.

In the final episode in our three-part series looking into local government governance, Partners Amardeep Gill and Scott Dorling conclude their conversation with Professor Catherine Staite, Professor of Public Management at the University of Birmingham, by discussing the changes that need to happen in order to better protect the sector from future failures. They discuss whether a lack of transparency has been a common theme in recent failures and what the top priorities should be for local government going forward.

In the second episode in our series exploring local government governance, Partners Amardeep Gill and Scott Dorling continue their conversation with Professor Catherine Staite, Professor of Public Management at the University of Birmingham. Catherine shares her views on the best ways councils can properly reflect on their governance systems to see if they are working as effectively as possible and also the role of Overview and Scrutiny in preventing failure.

In our new Governance Podcast series, Partners Amardeep Gill and Scott Dorling will be speaking to Professor Catherine Staite, Professor of Public Management at the University of Birmingham, where they will be examining what good governance looks like for local authorities and the lessons that can be learnt. In the first episode they discuss whether it is possible to identify some of the common themes coming from the recent local government failures and what the key signs are that a system isn't working.

Welcome to our new podcast series 'Together We Care', a Trowers & Hamlins and Little Bird People Development collaboration. In this series we will be speaking to a number of different individuals about their personal experiences of the care sector in order to gain a broader understanding from the voices of care experienced people, foster carers, adopters and businesses. This podcast series is about inclusion, social mobility, acceptance, and how businesses can better understand and play an active role in supporting people who are care experienced. In the first episode, co-hosts Yetunde Dania, Head of Trowers & Hamlins' Birmingham office and Alison Delaney, Founder and Director of national award winning management consultancy, Little Bird People Development, share personal stories of being fostered and adopted at young ages to where they are now. 

In the final instalment in our Cyber Voices series, Associate Amy-Rose Hayden speaks to Vishvas Nayi, Head of Cyber Operations at CyberQ, about the biggest takeaways from National Cyber Security Awareness Month and the advice he would give to a board of directors on how best to manage cyber risks.

Welcome to Trowers & Hamlins' Cyber Voices Series, a dynamic exploration of all things cybersecurity, in celebration of National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Join us as we engage with the brightest minds, experts, and leaders in the field, offering insights, best practices, and the latest trends to help you stay safe in our digitally connected world. In the first episode, Partner Charlotte Clayson speaks to Dean Armstrong KC from Maitland Chambers about the current threats and opportunities for the UK cyber security sector.

Ahead of the 30th anniversary of the opening of our Abu Dhabi office, Resident Managing Partner, Saleem Adam spoke to Magdalena Konig, General Counsel at AIQ, on the city's move from an oil and gas town to the melting pot of AI.

In the final instalment in our three-part series exploring the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework, Partner Katharine Lewis finishes her conversation with Dr Stephanie Hime, Managing Director of Little Blue Research by looking at how the TNFD framework works compared to different environmental reporting standards and how the framework might evolve over time.

In the second instalment in our series exploring the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework, Partner Katharine Lewis continues her conversation with Dr Stephanie Hime, Managing Director of Little Blue Research, where they discuss how reporting can help organisations know how nature impacts their financial performance and the steps businesses can take to prepare for the implementation of the framework.

In the first episode in our three-part series exploring the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework, Partner Katharine Lewis is joined by Dr Stephanie Hime, Managing Director of Little Blue Research, to breakdown what the TNFD framework is, who it applies to and how it can be applied to businesses in the real estate sector, transport sector and public sector.

Over the course of the last two years, our Public Sector team has been undertaking a deep dive into the various public sector service delivery models available. In this podcast, Partner Amardeep Gill and Peter Chapman, Tax Director at KPMG, are joined by Jan Britton and Frank Wilson, the Executive Directors of Publica, a not-for-profit Teckal company owned by four local councils. Together they discuss the benefits of the Teckal model and how it has enabled Publica to effectively deliver more for the local communities, residents and businesses that they serve.

Partner David Cordery speaks to Katerina Papavasileiou, Director, ESG & Responsibility at investment manager, Federated Hermes, about Hermes' main ESG targets and the reporting standards they use to measure the performance of the Social aspect of ESG. Katerina also shares insight on the changing attitudes towards the biodiversity impact of developments and the importance of collaboration with Government when it comes to biodiversity offsetting.

Partner Lizzie Pillinger speaks to Jamie Bunce, CEO of Inspired Villages, about how the organisation has committed to ensuring that all future retirement villages will be Net Zero as well as the positive social impact integrated retirement communities can have on people of all ages in the broader community.

Partners Ayda Habboush and Darren Ashworth speak to Matt Walton, Senior Director, Development UK & Ireland at InterContinental Hotels Group, about the regenerative effect hotels can have on the economy. Together they discuss their recent work with Gloucester City Council on a £107m regeneration project, which will feature Gloucester's first 4 star hotel, as well as the important role public/private partnerships have in helping to shape truly transformative regeneration projects.

Partner Chris Paul speaks to Fred Pilbrow, Senior Founding Partner at Pilbrow & Partners, about embodied carbon in construction materials, the current lack of legislation around embodied carbon and the ways architects are tracking the environmental impact of various different materials. Fred also discusses his involvement in the M&S Marble Arch redevelopment project.

Senior Partner, Sara Bailey, speaks to Pete Gladwell, Group Social Impact and Investment Director at financial services firm Legal & General, about L&G's mission to build fairer economic growth. Pete shares insights on L&G's ESHG model which incorporates health factors into the traditional ESG metric and how they look to implement it in every investment decision. He also explains why they place such importance on internal policies when looking to establish the organisation as a responsible business.

What role does the High Street have in urban regeneration? Sara Bailey, Senior Partner at Trowers & Hamlins speaks to Simon Chatfield, Head of Build to Rent at John Lewis Partnership about how John Lewis has entered the Build to Rent sector and the links it has with urban regeneration. Simon also shares insight on how the High Street is evolving and the steps that John Lewis are taking to ensure that the Social element of ESG is at the forefront of its business model in the housing sector.

Welcome to the launch of our responsible business podcast series, putting people and planet at the heart of business. In our first episode, Partner Nicola Ihnatowicz speaks to Lisa Rickman-Orpen, former Group HR Director at Audley Group, who shares insight on the crucial role employers play in driving the ESG agenda, as well as providing top tips for HR professionals who are at the outset of their ESG journey and looking to become an employer of the future.

Partner Katie Dyer speaks with Luke Cross, Director at Social and Richard Petty, Head of Affordable Housing at JLL to give an update on social housing valuations and property charging in this challenging market. Together they discuss the opportunities for housing associations to significantly increase the value of their portfolios, ensure that the valuations are as accurate as possible and meet increasing investor expectations through capturing more ESG and other data and insights on their assets and liabilities.

How does regeneration fit in with the levelling up agenda? In the latest recording from our Rethinking Regen series, Senior Partner Sara Bailey speaks to Pat Brown, Director of Central, a consultancy centred on the dynamics of cities and the process of achieving change, about the future of regeneration in London. Pat discusses her London 3.0 initiative that looks at how London can develop in the future and also shares her views on what is needed to create a successful regeneration project as well as the role of the private sector in contributing to levelling up.

What is impact investing and why is there such a demand for it? Senior Associate Nicol Ong speaks to Shabnam Mokhtar, Managing Director at SHAPE Knowledge Services, a leading consultant to the Islamic financial services industry about the benefit of impact investing on the Islamic finance market. They also discuss the challenges of measuring impact investing and how it parallels with Islamic finance.

We are rethinking regeneration. Continuing in our series we are speaking to experts who are leading the way in regen across the UK. In this episode our Partner Patrick Morris talks to Tim Atkins, Director & Strategic Advisor at TJP Consulting. Tim recently joined TJP Consulting having been Managing Director for Place & Growth at Cheltenham Borough Council for just under seven years. They talk about the Golden Valley development and the opportunities it is creating in Cheltenham, what makes a scheme regeneration, rather than redevelopment and what contributes to a successful regeneration scheme.

Partner Lizzie Pillinger speaks to Jenny Buterchi, Partner at PRP and Steve Connor, Development and Business Manager at Phoenix Housing about intergenerational living and the opportunities and challenges that it presents. Jenny and Steve discuss their experiences of delivering intergenerational living schemes and provide insight on how designs can differ for different generations.

Recorded in August 2022, Partner Elias Moubarak and Senior Associate Nicol Ong spoke to Muazzam Bin Mohamad, Head of Investment Stewardship and Norazha Ismail, former Head of Sustainability at Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) about PNB's ESG journey and its new sustainability framework which features 10 ESG commitments that aim to help PNB produce more sustainable returns. Muazzam and Norazha also provide insight on how the ESG and sustainability ecosystem in Malaysia is developing as well as the challenges organisations can face when looking to implement ESG targets.

We are rethinking regeneration. In this new series we are speaking to experts who are leading the way in regen across the UK. In this episode our Senior Partner Sara Bailey talks to Mary Parsons, Regeneration and Partnerships Director at Lovell Partnerships. With experience spanning the development, construction and regeneration industry, she has been involved in some of the largest housing-led regeneration programmes in the UK working across the private and Housing Association sectors. They talk about the evolution of regeneration, what regeneration actually is and how the private sector can contribute to the Levelling Up agenda.