Government must address lack of skilled planning staff

During the debate on Housing Waiting Lists yesterday, Anne Main challenged the Government over it's inability to tackle the recognised lack of skilled staff in the planning system.

During the debate on Housing Waiting Lists yesterday, Anne Main, MP for St Albans, challenged the Government over it's inability to tackle the recognised lack of skilled staff in the planning system.

In its report "Planning Matters - labour shortages and skills gaps", published in July, the Communities and Local Government Select Committee, on which Anne serves, expressed deep concerns about the impact of the lack of trained planning staff, and training for Councillors expected to make planning decisions, and said that skills shortages in planning "have been evident for well over a decade".

During the debate, Anne said:

"To say that the Government have given a somewhat vague and lacklustre response to this report would be an understatement. If they are really serious about delivering their housing targets, however ambitious, and if they are really serious about cutting waiting lists for social rented housing and about speeding up build delivery, it would be logical to assume that they would be really serious about ironing out some of the obstacles or problems that appear to beset our planning delivery at a local level-obstacles and problems that have been pointed out to them by the Select Committee, most noticeably shortages of planning skills."

Upon leaving the chamber, Anne added:"The Committee's report was a damning indictment of this Government's record on encouraging skilled people to enter into the planning profession and I felt it was vital to challenge the Minister on this.

The Government says it wants us to build another 3 million homes by 2020, including more social and affordable housing, yet they are failing both to ensure an adequate planning skills strategy, and to ensure Councillors train to make the right decisions.

I disagree with these huge imposed targets, but planning has been short of staff for a decade and even delivering our current housing targets has been difficult in some areas. Whatever the figure for new-build houses we need a robust planning system to ensure good and consistent decision making.

In high house price areas like St Albans I know it can be difficult for councils to recruit and retain staff in planning departments, often leading to a high staff turnover, and drain on experience. Good planning decisions, and planning enforcement, is vital to building, protecting and enhancing our communities. This matter must be addressed.""