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
January 20, 2026 at 5:49 PM
What a headline this is.
January 19, 2026 at 12:28 PM
What a headline this is.
Some thoughts on the increasing use of AI to object to planning applications, and what we might be able to do about it.
open.substack.com/pub/longwall...
open.substack.com/pub/longwall...
January 16, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Some thoughts on the increasing use of AI to object to planning applications, and what we might be able to do about it.
open.substack.com/pub/longwall...
open.substack.com/pub/longwall...
A friend came for dinner tonight and brought her Ukrainian bandura, an instrument I’d never heard of before, so here’s a video of her playing it for no reason other than it’s wholesome content for the New Year.
January 3, 2026 at 8:14 PM
A friend came for dinner tonight and brought her Ukrainian bandura, an instrument I’d never heard of before, so here’s a video of her playing it for no reason other than it’s wholesome content for the New Year.
Our New Years Eve tradition is watching an accountancy lecturer from Stockport play guitar sing in an unexplainable Irish accent.
What’s yours?
What’s yours?
December 31, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Our New Years Eve tradition is watching an accountancy lecturer from Stockport play guitar sing in an unexplainable Irish accent.
What’s yours?
What’s yours?
Omaze Million Pound House Draw prizes in London and the Lake District.
December 31, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Omaze Million Pound House Draw prizes in London and the Lake District.
The post that absolutely no-one has been waiting for - all the books I finished in 2025.
What should I read next year?
What should I read next year?
December 30, 2025 at 7:40 PM
The post that absolutely no-one has been waiting for - all the books I finished in 2025.
What should I read next year?
What should I read next year?
It’s great to appear in Housing Today’s list of their best comment pieces of 2025.
This year, they’ve picked my column from September explaining why the low level of planning approvals isn’t a reason to panic about planning reform - at least not yet.
🔗 www.housingtoday.co.uk/comment/now-...
This year, they’ve picked my column from September explaining why the low level of planning approvals isn’t a reason to panic about planning reform - at least not yet.
🔗 www.housingtoday.co.uk/comment/now-...
December 24, 2025 at 8:38 AM
It’s great to appear in Housing Today’s list of their best comment pieces of 2025.
This year, they’ve picked my column from September explaining why the low level of planning approvals isn’t a reason to panic about planning reform - at least not yet.
🔗 www.housingtoday.co.uk/comment/now-...
This year, they’ve picked my column from September explaining why the low level of planning approvals isn’t a reason to panic about planning reform - at least not yet.
🔗 www.housingtoday.co.uk/comment/now-...
Although I should say that both ticket machines are broken and it’s working to the sort of schedule that would see Londoners combust.
December 18, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Although I should say that both ticket machines are broken and it’s working to the sort of schedule that would see Londoners combust.
On the day that the Leeds tram is cancelled, I’m riding the tram into my office in the centre of Manchester, a city that has grown far faster than the UK average in recent years, a period that coincides with the “big bang” expansion of the network.
December 18, 2025 at 8:48 AM
On the day that the Leeds tram is cancelled, I’m riding the tram into my office in the centre of Manchester, a city that has grown far faster than the UK average in recent years, a period that coincides with the “big bang” expansion of the network.
🎅🏻 Can Steve Reed save Christmas?
More planning reform is on the way. If government chooses the most impactful options, the changes could make a big difference.
But there’s a real risk they could be a damp squib too, all headlines and little impact.
www.housingtoday.co.uk/comment/plan...
More planning reform is on the way. If government chooses the most impactful options, the changes could make a big difference.
But there’s a real risk they could be a damp squib too, all headlines and little impact.
www.housingtoday.co.uk/comment/plan...
December 10, 2025 at 8:57 AM
🎅🏻 Can Steve Reed save Christmas?
More planning reform is on the way. If government chooses the most impactful options, the changes could make a big difference.
But there’s a real risk they could be a damp squib too, all headlines and little impact.
www.housingtoday.co.uk/comment/plan...
More planning reform is on the way. If government chooses the most impactful options, the changes could make a big difference.
But there’s a real risk they could be a damp squib too, all headlines and little impact.
www.housingtoday.co.uk/comment/plan...
Worst kids Christmas card competition ever.
December 9, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Worst kids Christmas card competition ever.
Sometimes, it doesn't matter what planning policy says, the politics will trip you up.
900 homes, half of which would be affordable, plus a primary school and an 80-bed care home in an authority with just a 12 month supply of deliverable housing land.
Refused because 🤷♂️
900 homes, half of which would be affordable, plus a primary school and an 80-bed care home in an authority with just a 12 month supply of deliverable housing land.
Refused because 🤷♂️
December 8, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Sometimes, it doesn't matter what planning policy says, the politics will trip you up.
900 homes, half of which would be affordable, plus a primary school and an 80-bed care home in an authority with just a 12 month supply of deliverable housing land.
Refused because 🤷♂️
900 homes, half of which would be affordable, plus a primary school and an 80-bed care home in an authority with just a 12 month supply of deliverable housing land.
Refused because 🤷♂️
Amazing lights at RHS Glow tonight.
November 30, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Amazing lights at RHS Glow tonight.
Digital planning latest.
November 30, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Digital planning latest.
The Illuminations are good this year.
November 22, 2025 at 7:52 PM
The Illuminations are good this year.
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
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...