Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Accepted in Part
Reinstate planning apprenticeships and invest in specialist officers for Strategic Authorities and LAs.
Recommendation
The Government must take a more strategic approach to boost the skills and capacity of local planning authorities, starting with reinstating access to funded Level 7 planning apprenticeships for students over the age of 21. The Government must invest in dedicated planning officers for Strategic Authorities and set out its plans for doing so in response to this Report. Each Strategic Authority planning team should include specialist planning skills units to support local authorities, to allow for more effective resource sharing between authorities. This must include a Section 106 62 support service in each Strategic Authority, with a remit to share expertise and advise local planning authorities on Section 106 negotiations. (Recommendation, Paragraph 48)
Government Response Summary
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, but did not commit to the requested Level 7 apprenticeships.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
47. The Government is committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housing in a generation. 48. The revised NPPF published in December 2024 is already clear that LPAs should assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community, including those who require affordable housing, and reflect this in planning policies. This includes setting out the mix of affordable housing required on major development, which should reflect identified local needs. 49. In December 2024, we updated the framework to make clear that authorities should consider the particular needs of those who require Social Rent homes, and specify the minimum proportion of Social Rent homes required of developments. The Government has since updated the Planning Practice Guidance (PPG) in December 2025 on viability to support this position. 50. As part of the consultation on the revised NPPF which launched in December 2025, we are seeking views on whether requiring a national minimum proportion of Social Rent homes would better support delivery of Social Rent. In addition, our draft policies on developer contributions and viability consider instances where developer contributions are reduced below the requirements set out in relevant plan, and encourage the appropriate use of review mechanisms to maximise policy compliance over time. More broadly, our proposed changes – including to standardised inputs into viability assessments – aim to promote greater clarity about expected contributions, including those related to affordable housing, and the limited circumstances in which site-specific viability assessments may be justified.