Planning Application Backlog Continues

24 Jan 23

It’s perhaps not surprising that 15% of planning officers are looking to move out of planning, while a recent survey found that nearly six in ten councils in England are currently reporting difficulty in recruiting planning officers.

What are the innovative solutions to resolve this?

In June 2022, we discussed “Clearance Week” – where LPA officers cut off from all customer contact for a week or so, to focus entirely on determining overdue applications. Despite such drastic measures, planning officers are still faced with increasingly challenging conditions.

A recent RTPI Survey of planning officers in Wales found that 75% felt overstretched in their work, with under-resourcing, unmanageable workloads, and an inability to recruit and retain staff all highlighted as having a negative impact on the profession. Many officers also reported experiencing ‘relentless’ and ‘vitriolic’ complaints.

What can be done about this? Planning budgets have been a target for spending cuts as Council’s have prioritised funding for social care, health and education. LPA net spending per person on planning between 2009 and 2021 dropped by 59%, the highest of any service, according to calculations by the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Given that Planning is crucial to delivering the government’s levelling up objectives, several commentators (including the RTPI) now argue that LPA planning budgets should be protected from further cuts, with planning application fees increased to cover costs. The need for adequate resourcing was also highlighted in the Scottish Parliament’s December Report on the National Planning Framework 4.

Iceni Projects recently took part in the RTPI Chief Planners of the Future Programme, where we observed and learnt about the challenges LPAs face. What was evident is that planning officers are genuinely struggling under rising workloads, and that new ways of working, better resourcing and systems are needed to allow planning departments to work effectively.

The LB of Redbridge has introduced innovative changes to resolve its own planning resource crisis, including the use of artificial intelligence for time-consuming planning functions such as answering common emails via a Chatbot and dealing with application validation. Similarly, both Milton Keynes and LB Southwark are trialling automation for householder and permitted development applications.

The private sector also has a role to play in this as well. Iceni has increasingly been approached and appointed to act for local authorities on large-scale projects, typically funded through a developer funded PPA, and we’d expect this to become a more common occurrence.

But are these practical solutions for all LPAs? And are there any other solutions which could be considered? It is evident that the system is not working, and more needs to be done to support local authority planners to do the important work essential for vital development to come forward.