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 AI-generated
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.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted in Part
35. 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. 36. 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. 37. 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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