Local authority staffing gaps causing breakdown in planning process and hindering housing delivery

The delivery of thousands of new homes is being severely delayed as local authority planning departments struggle with severe staffing shortages, new research reveals.

The Planning on Empty report is based on a Freedom of Information (FOI) survey which received responses from 134 local planning authorities (LPAs) and asked questions regarding local planning department vacancies, use of agency workers, and staff turnovers.

The survey shows that 80% of LPAs are operating below full capacity, with many unable to keep up with the rising demand for housing applications.

An estimated 2,200 planning officers are needed across England and Wales to address the gap, with local authorities facing high turnover rates and reliance on costly agency workers.

The Government has recognised the issue and has proposed recruiting 300 additional local authority planners to help address the crisis. However, given the estimated shortage the new ‘graduate and apprentice’ planning officers announced in the Budget represent less than 15% of the current shortfall.

This staffing crisis has resulted in a significant backlog of planning applications, slowing the approval of vital housing projects. Delays in decisions on housing applications are already hampering the Government’s housing targets, with major decisions on planning applications being made outside the statutory 13-week timescale in the majority of councils.

The shortages are resulting in a ‘gumming’ of the planning process, leading to delays of several years in many cases from the granting of outline permission to the start of the actual construction. These delays are particularly impacting SME builders, who without sites to get onto to build are unable to operate, with HBF’s recent survey of smaller house builders found that over half (51%) were waiting more than a year for planning permission.

Additionally, HBF’s recent research into Section 106 developer contributions reveals that billions of pounds of unspent developer contributions are sitting idle across the country. Local authorities have cited a lack of resources as a key reason for their inability to allocate and monitor these funds effectively.

HBF is calling for an urgent increase in government support to address this shortage. Specifically, it is urging an expansion of the Planning Delivery Skills Fund to recruit more planning officers and enhance local authority resources. Without sufficient staffing and resources, the Government’s ambition to deliver 1.5 million homes in this Parliament will be at risk, further exacerbating the UK’s ongoing housing crisis.

Neil Jefferson, Chief Executive at HBF, said: “The severe shortage of planning officers is directly undermining the Government’s ability to meet its housing targets, causing significant delays to housing projects when the country is in desperate need of more homes.

“Housing delivery offers immense economic and social benefits to communities, yet these advantages are being held back due to inadequate planning resources. It is frustrating to see local authorities unable to cope with the demand, particularly when the Government is looking for ways to boost infrastructure investment.

“Local authorities often cite infrastructure needs as reasons to block new developments, yet millions in unspent developer contributions remain in council accounts, unutilised. This is an issue that needs to be addressed urgently.

“While we understand the challenges councils face, we must ensure these funds are used effectively and swiftly to benefit local communities, support essential services, and ultimately drive growth across the country.”

Find the research in full at www.hbf.co.uk/research-insight/planning-on-empty