From Politics to Property Development

About this episode

Today, Paul sits down with former Wandsworth councillor and Pocket Living land director and the Managing Director and founder of Urban Sketch Nick Cuff. Drawing on his rare mix of political and development experience, Nick explains what a genuinely pro‑development culture looks like, and why most UK councils are not pro-development. They discuss the realities of making small urban sites work, the unintended damage caused by rigid space standards, and why current affordable housing expectations and late‑stage reviews are driving capital out of UK development. If you’re a developer, architect or planning professional trying to get dense urban schemes to stack up in today’s market, this frank, practical conversation will give you plenty to think about. KEY TAKEAWAYS Pro‑development councils are built, not found - leadership, culture and officer relationships matter as much as policy wording if you want schemes to move. Small urban sites can deliver serious value, even 100% “affordable” products, when density, smart design and tenure innovation are combined well. Rigid space standards and one‑size‑fits‑all unit mixes are killing viability and ignoring how real households