A new survey from the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has revealed the pipeline for replacing retiring planners is not sufficient
The survey found that 20% of planners leaving the profession in the next three years do not have a clear pipeline to replace them.
This poses a threat to the government’s target of building 1.5m new homes, says the institute.
The survey also found that many planners are over-worked
Of the 2,500 planners surveyed, it was found that while 15% plan to retire and 5% intend to leave the profession completely, 58% say that they are frequently overstretched in their roles, and 66% say their teams do not have the capacity to meet demand.
If 20% of planners leave the profession in the next three years, the issue of over-working will only get worse for those remaining. And without sufficient planners, the UK will struggle to develop housing and the required infrastructure.
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.”
Apprenticeship age restrictions will also make the situation worse
In August, the RTPI penned a letter to the housing minister, Matthew Pennycook, warning that new age restrictions planned for Level 7 apprenticeships will likely only damage the pipeline of qualified planners.
The letter also suggests some other solutions, including:
• The development and introduction of a L6 Town Planner apprenticeship
• Increased promotion of the L4 Town Planning Assistant apprenticeship to local authorities as a route into the profession at school-leaver level
• Further funding from Government for bursaries or scholarships to support those from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds to embark on planning study and a planning career.
• Explore flexibilities in the Growth and Skills Levy to support the planning sector through initiatives such as work experience in local authorities and a funded career changers’ initiative.
• Planning sector access to the Strategic Priorities Grant, which we understand is targeted towards priority provision at higher education institutions and which supports future skills needs and the Industrial Strategy.
At the time, Dr Victoria Hills said: “We are extremely disappointed by the decision to restrict levy funding for Level 7 apprenticeships to those aged 16–21.
“This will have a profound impact on the Chartered Town Planner apprenticeship, at a time when the public sector is already facing critical skills shortages. Without urgent action, the profession, and the communities it serves, will continue to suffer from a critical shortage of professional town planners.”
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