Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 19
19
Accepted
Department introducing funding and fee reforms to address local planning authority staffing issues
Recommendation
We challenged the Department on what it was doing to tackle the root causes of LPAs’ staffing problems. It explained that several initiatives were under way, and that it would provide direct funding of around £12 million for the recruitment and retention of planners. It also told us that LPAs were allowed to increase planning fees in 2025, and that the Planning and Infrastructure Bill (which is currently being debated in Parliament) contained provisions that would permit LPAs to set their own fees to 24 C&AG’s Report, paras 2.13–2.14 25 C&AG’s Report, para 2.16 26 ILA0005 27 MHCLG, Local Authority Planning Capacity and Skills Survey 2023, January 2025 12 recover their costs. The Department believes that, in the longer term, this will allow LPAs to properly fund their own planning departments and deliver a much better service.28
Government Response Summary
The government agrees to provide the Committee with details on how the Capacity and Capability Programme will improve the pipeline of new planners and help LPAs retain experienced planners, with a target implementation date of March 2026. They will strengthen planning capacity through the Planning Capacity and Capability (C&C) Programme, including £48 million of additional investment, enabling them to fund 350 additional planners.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
4. PAC conclusion: We are unconvinced that the Department is adequately addressing staffing capacity and capability issues within local planning authorities. 4. PAC recommendation: Alongside the Treasury Minute, the Department should write to the Committee setting out, in detail, how the Capacity and Capability Programme will improve the pipeline of new planners and help LPAs to retain experienced planners. 4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: March 2026 4.2 The department is committed to strengthening planning capacity and capability across local authorities through the Planning Capacity and Capability (C&C) Programme. This programme provides targeted support to build a resilient, skilled, and diverse workforce able to meet housing and growth ambitions. It funds recruitment and retention, supports training and upskilling, and prepares local planning authorities for planning reform. 4.3 The C&C Programme focuses on three key priorities: • Expanding the pipeline of new planners through the Pathways to Planning graduate scheme and Public Practice to attract mid-career professionals. Additional funding will launch a Planning Careers Hub to open new routes into the profession and improve retention. • Retaining and developing experienced planners, including around £2.8 million in 2025-26 for the Planning Advisory Service to deliver specialist training, leadership development, and tailored guidance. • Supporting planning reform, ensuring the workforce has the skills and capacity to deliver proactive, efficient planning services and contribute to the delivery of 1.5 million homes. 4.4 At the 2025 Autumn Budget, the government announced £48 million of additional investment to strengthen planning capacity across the public sector. Of this, £28.8 million is dedicated to the C&C Programme, enabling scale-up over the next three years. This will fund 350 additional planners, on top of the original commitment to recruit 300, bringing the total to around 1,325 planners by the end of this Parliament. Wider cross-government initiatives will take the total number of planning recruits supported by the Budget to around 1,400. Engagement with sector partners continues to inform programme design and future interventions.