Matthew Spry

Some @lichfieldsuk.bsky.social comment from Rachel Clements and yours truly in this Planning Mag analysis on the draft NPPF's new presumption in favour of sustainable development www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1944... £
More insight at the Lichfields online resource lichfields.uk/national-pol...

A link to all the latest @lichfieldsuk.bsky.social comment on the #NPPF consultation, with blogs on small sites, housing mix, plan making, clarity on green belt, technical standards, the revised presumption, and of course rail stations. lichfields.uk/national-pol... Merry Christmas....

Substantial harm to assets of audible importance. No benefits. Fails presumption.

The @lichfieldsuk.bsky.social analysis of the Government’s proposed policy for unlocking growth around rail stations hits @thetimes.com in this piece by Emma Duncan: www.thetimes.com/article/dd1c... (£)

Original blog including more details of the analysis is here: lichfields.uk/blog/2025/de...

Who doesn't like a draft NPPF for Christmas? The @lichfieldsuk.bsky.social elves have been busy analysing the potential of the proposed rail stations policy (lichfields.uk/blog/2025/de...) and creating a decision tree for the new NPPF presumption (lichfields.uk/blog/2025/de...). Enjoy.

My rentaquote tendency continues with a small contribution to this The Times piece on the proposed powers for Mayoral Development Orders as featured in the new English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. www.thetimes.com/article/b7ce... (£)

a man is covered in bees on his face and body ALT: a man is covered in bees on his face and body

An hour in the life of a planning consultant: a meeting to discuss the strategic case for a multi-thousand home new settlement; but before that, reviewing an appraisal of PD rights for a small apiary. 🤷‍♂️

My ramblings on LinkedIn regarding the slump in permissions featured in Planning Mag this week www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1922...

Quoted in the @financialtimes.com on the collapse in the number of planning permissions for housing and what it means for the government’s 1.5’ ambition www.ft.com/content/41e2... (£)

I don't know why I bother, but this is piss poor from the Grauniad (and IPPR, who should know better). www.theguardian.com/politics/202... The landbanking contention was disproved by CMA and the data used to derive the 1.4m figure is specifically caveated as not being appropriate for that use

Among the large bundle of material (www.midsussex.gov.uk/planning-bui...) on the challenge by Mid Sussex District Council to the Inspector's finding that its Local Plan has failed the duty to cooperate is a chronology of the hearings (www.midsussex.gov.uk/media/5vgbtr...) including this little gem:

From the shores of the Aegean I’m quoted in @thetimes.com on the proposals for reforming delegation and planning committees www.thetimes.com/article/bc14... (£)

Planning Mag write up of @lichfieldsuk.bsky.social research on application determination times: www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1918... (£). Full report here: www.lpdf.co.uk/wx-uploads/f...

New research prepared by Lichfields for LPDF and Richborough reveals a stark deterioration over the past decade in the amount of time it takes to determine outline planning applications for new homes despite a big drop in the number of applications.

More here: lichfields.uk/content/insi...

It’s wine time for the planning system: new @lichfieldsuk.bsky.social research insight on the opportunities and challenges of viticulture. Pour yourself a glass of Pinot Meunier and read some planning content that’s not about housing, big sheds or infrastructure … lichfields.uk/content/insi...

I’m quoted in The Times on the Government’s good start in its planning boost for house building, but also the timescale challenge in doing so from a low base www.thetimes.com/article/b9c8... (£) given how much longer it takes to determine planning applications now, compared to ten years ago.

OBR economic and fiscal outlook here: obr.uk/docs/dlm_upl...

It will take time for Govt reforms to boost housing supply but today’s OBR outlook gives a downpayment on those benefits in what it says about the impact of NPPF reforms for housebuilding, house prices, economic output and £3.5bn of tax. Credit to @matthewpennycookmp.bsky.social and the MHCLG team.

Planning and the search for the holy grail: I’m quoted in @thetimes.com on forthcoming reforms to determine what applications go before committees; all in the iminent Planning and Infrastructure bill www.thetimes.com/article/712c... (£)

Council narrowly approves 420-home ‘grey belt’ scheme on farmland

Decent write up of this @lichfieldsuk.bsky.social success securing a substantial 550 home ‘grey belt’ approval for L&G at Harpenden in St Albans. A success because LPA’s own LP GB study implied (wrongly IMHO) that parcels would not meet Grey Belt criteria www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1906...

My first big grey belt application gets the nod at committee on a 5:4 vote. 550 homes can now proceed. VSC case was a backstop but grey belt critical to committee vote. Rather gives a lie to the House of Lords Built Envt committee contention the policy would have no real impact

Lichfields promotes eight planners including five new directors

Planning Mag write up of the eight @lichfieldsuk.bsky.social promotions announced this month. Good reminder of what a pleasure it is to be working with such a top team. www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1905...

It’s all egregious salience in this Planning Mag piece on rogue committees. www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1905...

Must try harder on what I thought was my reasonable poker face

Delighted to host this morning's @lichfieldsuk.bsky.social seminar on the 'NPPF and all that follows': 200 clients joined us to hear an engaging discussion from a stellar panel of @matthewpennycookmp.bsky.social, Jennie Daly, Brett Leahy & Rachel Clements. Thanks to all who made the event a success.

A bit like when the December 2023 NPPF changed the rules on Green Belt review.

I record for posterity a conversation outside the Local Plan EIP during the afternoon break as the door was kindly held open for me by a member of public gallery. “Are you a developer?”, “No, I’m a planning consultant”, “I should have slammed it in your face, shouldn’t I?” 🫤 I *think* he was joking…

Interesting ideas on necessary reform to NSIP. I’m no DCO boffin but my sense is that, since its introduction, the process has absorbed - and not been resilient to - the less helpful mission creep, policy inertia, and decision making sclerosis afflictions of the ‘normal’ planning process.

Quite a range in the Govt’s announcement today, a lot of which relates to taking forward LURA provisions and content of the P&I Bill, but also some small signals on the direction of NDMPs especially regarding development around rail stations. www.gov.uk/government/n...

Planners officially smarter than surveyors, barristers and architects 🙂 but not solicitors 😟 www.thetimes.com/article/41c177b6-33b5-413f-b431-14f008bbd9a2?shareToken=80f6002afb28be0f0c2deb5eab92c573 (£)