Matthew Spry
@mspry.bsky.social
Senior Director and Head of London Office at Lichfields, planning and development consultancy | Non Executive Director at Repton Property Devts | Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences | Muswell Hill resident | Empty vessel
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...
February 17, 2026 at 8:00 AM
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...
More insight at the Lichfields online resource lichfields.uk/national-pol...
January 9, 2026 at 11:19 AM
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...
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....
December 23, 2025 at 8:52 AM
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...
Original blog including more details of the analysis is here: lichfields.uk/blog/2025/de...
December 19, 2025 at 5:44 AM
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...
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.
December 16, 2025 at 9:10 PM
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... (£)
July 13, 2025 at 9:22 PM
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. 🤷♂️
a man is covered in bees on his face and body
ALT: a man is covered in bees on his face and body
media.tenor.com
June 25, 2025 at 8:03 AM
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...
June 19, 2025 at 4:01 PM
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... (£)
June 6, 2025 at 8:41 PM
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
June 4, 2025 at 6:24 PM
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:
June 2, 2025 at 12:11 PM
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... (£)
May 29, 2025 at 4:29 AM
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...
May 20, 2025 at 8:41 AM
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...
More here: lichfields.uk/content/insi...
May 19, 2025 at 8:51 AM
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...
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...
Cultivating Success: Planning for Wine Tourism and the Visitor Economy
Our latest Insight Focus explores how the industry can capitalise on this momentum. It examines the role of planning in supporting growth, including navigating planning policies, permitted development...
lichfields.uk
May 14, 2025 at 4:57 PM
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.
May 12, 2025 at 5:00 AM
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.
March 26, 2025 at 8:30 PM
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... (£)
March 7, 2025 at 10:50 PM
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...
Council narrowly approves 420-home ‘grey belt’ scheme on farmland
www.planningresource.co.uk
February 19, 2025 at 4:17 PM
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
February 17, 2025 at 10:15 PM
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...
Lichfields promotes eight planners including five new directors
www.planningresource.co.uk
February 15, 2025 at 10:29 AM
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...
February 15, 2025 at 10:26 AM
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.
February 4, 2025 at 5:37 PM
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.
BREAKING | The universe could undergo a 'catastrophic change' that could alter absolutely everything, quantum machine shows
Universe could undergo a 'catastrophic change' that could alter absolutely everything
The universe could undergo a catastrophe that would change absolutely everything, scientists have shown using a quantum machine.
www.independent.co.uk
February 4, 2025 at 12:04 PM
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…
January 29, 2025 at 4:22 PM
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…