Applications are now open for professionals to join the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) in an effort to remedy the lack of skilled workers
The planning inspector recruitment process is seeking both Band 2 and 3 Inspectors, and calls on experienced professionals to help achieve the 1.5m homes target.
Those with experience in local plan preparation or examination, planning policy, strategy, consultancy, or related chartered professions, such as architecture, are being particularly encouraged to apply.
The drive is part of planning reform
As part of efforts to build 1.5m new homes by the end of the current Parliament, the government is working to reform the planning system and slash red tape that has historically delayed developments from moving forward.
The growth of the planning inspectorate workforce is a key part of this reform, as understaffing has caused many delays. Last year, figures showed that in 2024, the Planning Inspectorate made just 18,346 decisions.
It is also an awkward time for the Inspectorate, as many members of the Prospect Union working at the PINS are currently undertaking industrial action short of strike over pay disputes, as wage growth has consistently been below inflation. The action is set to continue until May.
As such, the government is offering wages of £63,859 for new Band 2 inspectors, and £77,741 for Band 3. The roles offer home-based working, flexible arrangements, part-time options, and a 28.97% employer pension contribution.
Interested applicants can find more information here for Band 2, and here for Band 3.
The current pipeline can not sustain planners
In November last year, research from the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) found that a fifth of planners will soon be leaving the profession with no replacement lined up to replace them.
Furthermore, their survey found that nearly 60% of respondents say they are frequently overstretched in their roles, and 66% say their teams do not have the capacity to meet demand.
Dr Victoria Hills, chief executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute, said: “Without the planners needed to meet homes and commercial demand, the system simply won’t function. Not only do we risk losing the expertise required to create great places, without a scaled-up pipeline, we risk losing the workforce capacity to plan and enable new development. This report is a stark wakeup call for all to note and act.”
Robbie Calvert, head of policy and public affairs at the RTPI, said: “Our report lays stark the multitude of issues our profession is currently facing, framed by a backdrop of years of severe disinvestment. For the government to meet its housing targets and its net zero ambitions as a part of the growth agenda we need to ensure that we have sufficient planners with the appropriate resources to undertake this critical work. Without such considerations, this constitutes a strategic risk for our country both in terms of driving our economic ambitions and creating great places of the future.”
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