Housing delivery risks being further constrained by a worsening shortage of local authority planners, despite government efforts to increase resources and accelerate development.
Nine in ten local planning authorities across England and Wales are operating below the staffing levels they need, according to new research from the Home Builders Federation (HBF) and Paragon Bank.
The findings raise further questions over whether the planning system has sufficient capacity to deliver the government’s target of 1.5 million new homes during this Parliament.
The Planning on Empty report, based on Freedom of Information responses from councils, found planning departments are operating at an average of just 80% of required staffing capacity.
Councils employ fewer than 36 planning staff on average but estimate they need around 44 to operate at full capacity.
More significantly, the staffing gap is widening.
Local authorities now need an estimated 2,660 additional planners to reach full capacity, up 20% from an estimated shortfall of 2,200 last year.
The figures come despite government plans to recruit 1,400 additional planners during this Parliament and almost £100m of investment in planning capacity since 2024.
Planning delays hit development
The staffing shortage is already affecting the speed at which developments move through the planning system.
Only around one in five major planning applications are determined within the statutory 13-week period, according to the report.
Separate HBF research found Section 106 agreements now take an average of 515 days to complete, creating another potential bottleneck between planning approval and development.
Recruitment and retention remain significant problems for councils. Planning officers and senior planners account for almost half of vacancies within planning departments, while average staff turnover stands at 11%.
More than half of councils consequently use agency workers to plug staffing gaps, increasing pressure on local authority budgets.
The workload facing planning departments is also growing.
Councils must deal with requirements including Biodiversity Net Gain alongside existing planning, viability and infrastructure obligations. HBF argues this is limiting the resources available to process applications and administer developer contributions.
Staff shortages can also affect councils’ ability to allocate and spend Section 106 contributions. Local authorities have repeatedly cited insufficient staffing and resources as barriers to managing those funds effectively.
Reforms increase pressure
The findings come as ministers seek to accelerate housing delivery through changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
Higher housing targets, changes around development near transport hubs and additional strategic planning and viability requirements will place further demands on planning departments.
HBF supports the direction of the planning reforms but argues that councils will struggle to implement them without additional resources.
The organisation is calling for sustained government funding to help councils recruit and retain permanent planning staff.
It also wants additional resources to accompany future planning reforms and annual publication of data covering the capacity and performance of local authority planning departments.
Neil Jefferson, chief executive at HBF, said: “Planning reform will only succeed if local planning authorities have the staff and resources to deliver it. Our research shows planning departments are operating with significant staffing shortages, making it harder for councils to process applications efficiently.
“At the same time, planning teams are being asked to manage an increasing number of responsibilities, placing even greater pressure on already stretched departments and slowing the delivery of new homes.
“If the government is to achieve its ambition of building 1.5 million homes, it must match planning reform with sustained investment in local planning authority capacity and skills.”
