Regen.net,
24 July 2008
There is a major risk that the Government's regeneration, housebuilding and environmental targets will be missed because of a serious shortage of planners, a group of MPs has warned.
This shortage is compounded by a "significant and growing" skills gap within the local government planning system, it said.
House of Commons' Communities and Local Government select committee report, called Planning Matters - labour shortages and skills gaps, argued the problem had been apparent for more than ten years, but little had been done to address it.
Committee chair Dr Phyllis Starkey said: "What is perhaps most surprising, and frustrating, is the fact that these shortages have been in evidence for well over a decade, but despite numerous reviews nothing has been done."
The report called for the Government to:
- promote planning as a career and raise its status within local government
- provide more conversion courses to aid mid-life professionals moving into planning
- and carry out long-term assessments so shortages in planning and other fields can be anticipated
Peter Roberts, chair of the Academy for Sustainable Communities (ASC), described the situation as "worrying".
"As a sector, we need to work together to bridge these gaps," he added.
The report is available here
