Audio recording of Julia Foster (b. 1969) and Heather Pugh (b. 1968)

The interview begins with biographical details and then recollections of coming for interview to David Lock Associates and first impressions. Early days at work were in a much smaller office than today (2009) where everybody sat together: much easier to get to know people and get settled in and a good proportion of the staff were young. They discuss later how sometimes everybody mucked in to get a job completed and that in those early days they were probably ‘punching above their weight’ in terms of the number of people they had in the office and the number of projects they were working on. The firm grew responsively to the amount of work that was coming in until about 2007 and they could not recruit enough people to cope with the work. They also discuss the differences in recruiting staff for Milton Keynes versus London offices.
As young graduates they were given a lot of support from senior staff but it meant having to put up with having ones work severely torn apart and not everybody could cope with that, but it did result in a good training in how to operate effectively. HP tended to work on new settlement projects and JF on regeneration. HP talks about really getting aware of David Lock through accompanying him on Public Enquiries where he performed very effectively.
There is a discussion about the ‘new settlement’ philosophy generally and how it has evolved and the way in which David Lock Associates has moved on as a practice in developing this philosophy. There’s discussion about David Lock Associates’s philosophy on regeneration and how it is closely related to their philosophy on developing new communities, namely it’s about positive master planning for good place making. David Lock Associates has promoted ‘New Urbanism’, described in the book ‘Responsive Environment’ by Paul Morraine a former director at David Lock Associates and this is discussed in some depth, including the spread to the mainstream caused as a result of David Lock’s time as Adviser to the DoE.
They discuss the almost unique character of David Lock Associates in earlier days of combining planning and design, which they think partly came from embracing New Urbanism. They believe they were one of the first practices to have planners with a good design understanding. In relation to design they mention that the firm’s position has always been ‘you can do something better for the same amount of money if you try harder’ and discuss how good design makes a scheme more profitable and more successful.
David Lock Associates’s approach has not been adversarial but to build up a good relationship between consultant, client team and the local authority. They claim this approach is unusual.
The firm’s ‘family’ and social character is discussed and how important that was to them in the early years, where work life and social life were inter-connected. David Lock, they believe, has been crucial in establishing and sustaining this and they would like to ensure it remains after David retires.
Asked about projects they have particular pride in, JF mentions the area of Brierley Hill and Merryhill shopping centre in the West MiDavid Lock Associatesnds where they succeeded in securing designation of the location as a new strategic town centre at regional level. HP mentions her work for O & H Properties at Hampton in Peterborough where she and the client’s initially junior partners have grown together and are now senior in their respective firms.
Finally they discuss how the problem of managing the succession planning of those people that are approaching retirement and hold ownership of the David Lock Associates company has led to the idea of making David Lock Associates an Employment Benefit Company.