Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 6
6
Rejected
Local planning authorities are under-resourced, with restricted apprenticeships hindering future planner recruitment.
Recommendation
Local planning authorities across England are frequently under-resourced and stretched to deliver on local priorities. The Government’s funding for 300 new planning officers demonstrates that it recognises this problem, but this announcement equates to less than one planning officer on average for each local authority in England. At the same time, the Government is restricting access to apprenticeships to train the next generation of public sector planners, despite the Government’s ambition for more young people to pursue degree-level apprenticeships. The establishment of Strategic Authorities and the reintroduction of strategic planning in England is an opportunity to address these resourcing challenges. The Government must ensure that all levels of local government are collaborating effectively on shared planning matters. The private sector stands to benefit from a better resourced and more streamlined planning system, so developers should also make an additional contribution towards the staffing of Strategic Authorities. (Conclusion, Paragraph 47)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government does not intend to implement third-party adjudication for unresolved issues regarding section 106 planning obligations, believing non-statutory guidance and policy will have a more immediate impact.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government · verbatim extract
Rejected
The Government notes the Committee’s recommendation to reinstate funded Level 7 planning apprenticeships for students over 21. Current apprenticeship levy arrangements prioritise younger entrants and lower-level qualifications to support early career development. We continue to monitor the impact of these arrangements on the planning profession. However, the Government considers that funding planning apprenticeship routes alone does not guarantee that learners will work in, or remain in, local planning authorities. In contrast, the Government is delivering a comprehensive Planning Capacity and Capability Programme aimed specifically at the public sector, which directly increases the number of planners in LPAs, targeting high-calibre applicants, funding salary bursaries and supporting accredited postgraduate training. The Department is investing £46 million in 2025–26, alongside a further £48 million committed at the 2025 Budget to be allocated across this Parliament, to strengthen planning teams, open new routes into the profession for graduates and experienced professionals, and provide targeted training and leadership support through initiatives such as Pathways to Planning, Public Practice, and wider support from PAS. We agree that strategic authorities will play a critical role in delivering spatial development strategies and recognise the need for specialist skills. To support SDS production, the Government has identified a funding package. We expect to make some initial payments in March and to confirm the full package in the summer. The Department is working with partners to explore how skills sharing and resource coordination can operate effectively within this new strategic context, alongside ongoing investment in LPA capacity and leadership. Local authorities are, however, independent bodies and are responsible for determining how best to structure and resource their own planning services, including for s106 negotiations. Workforce and leadership models will rightly vary according to local needs, scale and ambition. Sector-wide training opportunities will be provided to authorities as part of the PAS s106 support package (see response to recommendation 3).
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