The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Scotland has released a report titled ‘Resourcing the Planning Service,’ which brings to light the severe resourcing challenges Local Planning Authorities in Scotland are facing.
The report emphasises the crucial role of planning in achieving a zero-carbon economy and creating sustainable communities.
However, it warns that constrained resources and limited ambition can lead to poor-quality development and delays, thereby diminishing confidence in the planning system and local authorities.
The key findings of the RTPI Scotland report are concerning. It reveals that planning has seen the most significant reduction in funding across Local Authority departments in Scotland, with a cut of 28.6% since the 2010-11 financial year.
The number of public sector planners is at its lowest in five years. Even the increase in planning fees in April 2022, when adjusted for inflation, might not have significantly improved cost recovery.
The workforce is predominantly over the age of 50, and there is a noticeable lack of graduating planners from Scottish planning schools to meet workforce requirements.
Dr. Caroline Brown, director of Scotland, Ireland and English Regions at the RTPI, commented on the issue: “The Scottish Government must resource the nation’s planning authorities to ensure that services are operating with an optimum level of staff with the required skill set, providing appropriate funds so that planning teams can undertake the additional duties introduced by NPF4.”
