Paul Smith
@pmsmith.bsky.social
Developer, land promoter, planner, surveyor, cyclist, YIMBY. MD of The Strategic Land Group, director at LPDF, advisor to PricedOut and columnist for Housing Today.
I write longer things on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/longwall
I write longer things on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/longwall
Pinned
Paul Smith
@pmsmith.bsky.social
· Oct 18
Why we're failing to increase the density of our urban areas and how we can fix it
Brooklands, Sir Patrick Abercrombie, Auckland and Croydon
open.substack.com
This is Brooklands, in Greater Manchester.
It's where Sir Patrick Abercrombie used to live.
And it can teach us something about why our suburbs aren't denser, and how we can fix it.
Find out here.
👇👇👇
open.substack.com/pub/longwall...
It's where Sir Patrick Abercrombie used to live.
And it can teach us something about why our suburbs aren't denser, and how we can fix it.
Find out here.
👇👇👇
open.substack.com/pub/longwall...
Reposted by Paul Smith
Getting planning permission is difficult, expensive, time consuming, risky - and stressful.
That’s why so many landowners choose to work with us.
Get in touch today for a free, no obligation consultation about your land.
That’s why so many landowners choose to work with us.
Get in touch today for a free, no obligation consultation about your land.
November 22, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Getting planning permission is difficult, expensive, time consuming, risky - and stressful.
That’s why so many landowners choose to work with us.
Get in touch today for a free, no obligation consultation about your land.
That’s why so many landowners choose to work with us.
Get in touch today for a free, no obligation consultation about your land.
The Illuminations are good this year.
November 22, 2025 at 7:52 PM
The Illuminations are good this year.
Keep expecting Rob Hatch to tells us that England are bringing Pogačar on to bowl.
November 22, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Keep expecting Rob Hatch to tells us that England are bringing Pogačar on to bowl.
Another piece about buckaroo building.
Despite house prices being as high as ever, the cost of building new homes is now so high - from both base build cost inflation and a growing regulatory burden - development isn’t viable across large swathes of the country.
news.sky.com/story/figure...
Despite house prices being as high as ever, the cost of building new homes is now so high - from both base build cost inflation and a growing regulatory burden - development isn’t viable across large swathes of the country.
news.sky.com/story/figure...
Why developers are worried about 'jaws of death' in England's housing market
"Build, baby, build" sums up the government's housing policy. But the private housebuilders who are expected to contribute most of the new homes say mounting costs, regulations, and taxes may leave th...
news.sky.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Another piece about buckaroo building.
Despite house prices being as high as ever, the cost of building new homes is now so high - from both base build cost inflation and a growing regulatory burden - development isn’t viable across large swathes of the country.
news.sky.com/story/figure...
Despite house prices being as high as ever, the cost of building new homes is now so high - from both base build cost inflation and a growing regulatory burden - development isn’t viable across large swathes of the country.
news.sky.com/story/figure...
Definitely wouldn’t have guessed Monty Panesar would be the early break out star of The Ashes.
November 20, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Definitely wouldn’t have guessed Monty Panesar would be the early break out star of The Ashes.
Somebody just offered me their seat on the tram so I will be drinking beer tonight and will be taking no further questions at this time.
November 18, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Somebody just offered me their seat on the tram so I will be drinking beer tonight and will be taking no further questions at this time.
When Jimmy Anderson got Michael Clarke with *that* ball at Trent Bridge in 2013, Clarke was singing the Jimmy chant as he walked into the dressing room.
From this:
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricke...
From this:
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricke...
November 18, 2025 at 8:01 AM
When Jimmy Anderson got Michael Clarke with *that* ball at Trent Bridge in 2013, Clarke was singing the Jimmy chant as he walked into the dressing room.
From this:
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricke...
From this:
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricke...
November 16, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Reposted by Paul Smith
If you're ever upset about the state of US land use policy, just spend 30 seconds reading anything about the UK. Automated NIMBYism!
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
AI-powered nimbyism could grind UK planning system to a halt, experts warn
Tools that help people scan applications and find grounds for objection have potential to hit government’s housebuilding plans
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:32 PM
If you're ever upset about the state of US land use policy, just spend 30 seconds reading anything about the UK. Automated NIMBYism!
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
You might all think that Bluesky is superior to X, but the number of ladies in bikinis that have followed me in the last two weeks says otherwise.
November 11, 2025 at 9:21 PM
You might all think that Bluesky is superior to X, but the number of ladies in bikinis that have followed me in the last two weeks says otherwise.
Reposted by Paul Smith
Love being reminded to do this every year. It's a win/win all round
November 11, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Love being reminded to do this every year. It's a win/win all round
Here’s the next episode in my 50 Shades podcast series about planning systems elsewhere, to coincide with World Town Planning Day.
This time I spoke to Melissa Neighbour about the Australian approach - the perfect excuse to use this photo of a snoozy koala.
open.spotify.com/episode/7BEz...
This time I spoke to Melissa Neighbour about the Australian approach - the perfect excuse to use this photo of a snoozy koala.
open.spotify.com/episode/7BEz...
November 8, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Here’s the next episode in my 50 Shades podcast series about planning systems elsewhere, to coincide with World Town Planning Day.
This time I spoke to Melissa Neighbour about the Australian approach - the perfect excuse to use this photo of a snoozy koala.
open.spotify.com/episode/7BEz...
This time I spoke to Melissa Neighbour about the Australian approach - the perfect excuse to use this photo of a snoozy koala.
open.spotify.com/episode/7BEz...
When the committee refuses your application against officer advice.
November 6, 2025 at 10:46 PM
When the committee refuses your application against officer advice.
Reposted by Paul Smith
Note absence of roads in the area of a Little Gaulish Village…
November 6, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Note absence of roads in the area of a Little Gaulish Village…
There are few things more exciting than the arrival of a book you’d forgotten you’d pre-ordered.
The Land Trap by @birdyword.bsky.social
The Land Trap by @birdyword.bsky.social
November 6, 2025 at 8:05 PM
There are few things more exciting than the arrival of a book you’d forgotten you’d pre-ordered.
The Land Trap by @birdyword.bsky.social
The Land Trap by @birdyword.bsky.social
Just discovered that Buzz Aldrin’s uncle was called Bob Moon.
November 4, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Just discovered that Buzz Aldrin’s uncle was called Bob Moon.
A really interesting new study showing that the smaller the area at which we plan for development, the more restrictive policies become.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
November 1, 2025 at 4:01 PM
A really interesting new study showing that the smaller the area at which we plan for development, the more restrictive policies become.
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
The government have just published this "package of support for housebuilding in the Capital."
October 23, 2025 at 1:12 PM
The government have just published this "package of support for housebuilding in the Capital."
New appeal stats just dropped and they're 😮
Over the last quarter:
• 76% of public inquiries allowed
• 59% of hearings allowed
• 53% of appeals for more than 10 homes allowed
Those rates are all pretty much as high as they've ever been.
Data here: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68f78d...
Over the last quarter:
• 76% of public inquiries allowed
• 59% of hearings allowed
• 53% of appeals for more than 10 homes allowed
Those rates are all pretty much as high as they've ever been.
Data here: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68f78d...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
October 23, 2025 at 12:56 PM
New appeal stats just dropped and they're 😮
Over the last quarter:
• 76% of public inquiries allowed
• 59% of hearings allowed
• 53% of appeals for more than 10 homes allowed
Those rates are all pretty much as high as they've ever been.
Data here: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68f78d...
Over the last quarter:
• 76% of public inquiries allowed
• 59% of hearings allowed
• 53% of appeals for more than 10 homes allowed
Those rates are all pretty much as high as they've ever been.
Data here: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68f78d...
A young opposition politician once compared housing policy to a game of Buckaroo! - pile on too much and the donkey throws it all off.
Have we reached that point?
I've tried to answer that in this post (and you'll find out who the politician was...)
👇 👇 👇
longwall.substack.com/p/buckaroo-t...
Have we reached that point?
I've tried to answer that in this post (and you'll find out who the politician was...)
👇 👇 👇
longwall.substack.com/p/buckaroo-t...
October 21, 2025 at 9:31 AM
A young opposition politician once compared housing policy to a game of Buckaroo! - pile on too much and the donkey throws it all off.
Have we reached that point?
I've tried to answer that in this post (and you'll find out who the politician was...)
👇 👇 👇
longwall.substack.com/p/buckaroo-t...
Have we reached that point?
I've tried to answer that in this post (and you'll find out who the politician was...)
👇 👇 👇
longwall.substack.com/p/buckaroo-t...
Stockport have responded to the intervention letter from @matthewpennycookmp.bsky.social, but this foreword makes it clear they're really not happy about it.
Some Stockport facts:
- Last plan adopted in 2011.
- 1.77 year housing land supply.
- 238% increase in affordable housing need since 2019.
Some Stockport facts:
- Last plan adopted in 2011.
- 1.77 year housing land supply.
- 238% increase in affordable housing need since 2019.
October 17, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Stockport have responded to the intervention letter from @matthewpennycookmp.bsky.social, but this foreword makes it clear they're really not happy about it.
Some Stockport facts:
- Last plan adopted in 2011.
- 1.77 year housing land supply.
- 238% increase in affordable housing need since 2019.
Some Stockport facts:
- Last plan adopted in 2011.
- 1.77 year housing land supply.
- 238% increase in affordable housing need since 2019.
Sometimes I worry about tech companies knowing everything about me.
And then I get served adverts like this asking if I ever played elite rugby.
And then I get served adverts like this asking if I ever played elite rugby.
October 16, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Sometimes I worry about tech companies knowing everything about me.
And then I get served adverts like this asking if I ever played elite rugby.
And then I get served adverts like this asking if I ever played elite rugby.
I suppose it was inevitable that planning would feature in the new season of Partridge.
October 13, 2025 at 5:49 PM
I suppose it was inevitable that planning would feature in the new season of Partridge.