“Buy land, they're not making it anymore." Attributed to Mark Twain altho’ apparently he never said it. Enough to explain endless land value capture debates. Latest is the new report from CaCHE. I got bored on holiday and wrote a review (I know how to enjoy myself) lichfields.uk/blog/2026/ap...

Interactive maps, charts, some commentary on new strategic planning geographies and an oblique reference to a letter from Caroline Spelman: your new @lichfieldsuk.bsky.social blog. lichfields.uk/blog/2026/fe...

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....

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... (£)

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.

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... (£)

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

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...

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 (£)

Interested in 'grey belt'? Like a good flow chart? Enjoy wallowing in how to interpret national planning policy? Yes? Well, your cup runneth over. Here's @jenniebaker.bsky.social of @lichfieldsuk.bsky.social with an explanation of how it all works. lichfields.uk/blog/2025/ja...

Day one of the first local plan examination of 2025, at Enfield. Among the topics today: Green Belt release and general conformity with London Plan.

Happy New Year

Merry Christmas

The Govt’s intention to remove ‘hope value’ in CPO (as reported in @thetimes.com raises issues flagged in my 2023 blog: lichfields.uk/blog/2023/ju.... Times article here: www.thetimes.com/article/a81b... (£)

One of the blessed reliefs of the Planning Mag consultancy survey - compared to that for the lawyers - is that it doesn’t ask clients what they think of us…. www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1897...

Return of the perennial ‘use it or lose it’ debate in today’s @thetimes.com means a dust off for my 2021 blog (pre LURA and CMA report) on the challenging practicalities of the concept: lichfields.uk/blog/2021/ma.... Original Times piece: www.thetimes.com/article/a2dc... (£)

This link _ lichfields.uk/reforms-to-t... - takes you to the @lichfieldsuk.bsky.social online resource for the new NPPF including an interactive map and quick take on the new Standard Method. This will be supplemented by considered new commentary over the next few days.

On the final approach towards a new NPPF this week and the press coverage begins. Here’s me talking cobblers about grey belt in @thetimes.com www.thetimes.com/article/ae07... (£)

There were lots of twists and turns leading to the SofS's (reissued) decision on Turnden. Who better to recount the tale than @lichfieldsuk.bsky.social's very own Simon Slatford who was part of the team wot won it. New blog: lichfields.uk/blog/2024/no...

Thursday evening saw the London Office of @lichfieldsuk.bsky.social transformed into a cocktail bar (temporary, ancillary and thus without requiring planning permission) whereupon a great evening was spent with a selection of lovely clients over early festive drinks. Thanks to those who attended.

Pleased to see the @lichfieldsuk.bsky.social new towns heat map get another outing, this time in The Planner, with this piece cantering through some of the issues involved in location, designing and delivering the next generation of New Towns: www.theplanner.co.uk/2024/11/20/n...

Belated post of the (actually quite timely) @lichfieldsuk.bsky.social take on Budget 2024. Not the usual consultancy regurgitation: it has charts and everyfink lichfields.uk/autumn-budge...

Malaga. A city rooftop bar on a balmy evening is IMHO a high point of civilisation

Autumnal view from Ally Pally. One never tires of it.

Splendid view from OXO tower last night celebrating a project milestone, courtesy of a grateful (and generous) client who hosted the (extensive) advisory team. Great to share reflections on the journey of a project that began in 2018.

Back at Mid Sussex for Day 1 of District Plan EIP. It’s 8 years since we spent weeks in the same chamber debating Objectively Assessed Need at the Core Strategy EIP (low point: a Saturday spent in a cacophonous soft play centre on the North Circular writing a Note to the Inspector on market signals)

Argh. No, BBC, bringing 261,471 long term empty homes into use does not mean “the housing crisis would be solved at a stroke”. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Looking forward to presenting at Tuesday's Compulsory Purchase Association AGM on the topic of new towns and land assembly as part of the Tony Johnson Memorial Lecture www.compulsorypurchaseassociation.org/cpa-agm-2024...

Some random thoughts from Rachel Clements and myself in this Lichfields blog on whether the proposed changes to the NPPF match the Labour manifesto commitment to 'reform and strengthen' the presumption in favour of sustainable development. lichfields.uk/blog/2024/oc...

Not so clever(ly) www.planningresource.co.uk/article/1890...