The new NPPF – why planning is becoming harder and less predictable

By Paul Smith 2026-10-05T06:00:00

Paul Smith Strategic Land Group-Photoroom 1

The value of more permissive policies are limited when the system is in flux. We need a system with clear rules and predictable processes, argues Paul Smith

As Odysseus recounted his too-long journey home, telling tales of lotus-eaters and the cyclops, the no-good-choice between Charybdis and Scylla, the magic of Circe and the wrath of Helios, he may at least have been relieved he hadn’t been trying to secure planning permission for new homes.

Applicants are continually presented with new obstacles to overcome, from ever rising planning application fees, systemic inefficiencies, a wave of AI-generated objections, local planning authorities deciding not to bother with a local plan or refusing to accept amendments to planning applications. The planning journey is becoming harder, less predictable and less financially rewarding.

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