New findings from a survey of more than 2,500 planners by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) reveal that 20% of respondents in the United Kingdom expect to leave the profession within the next three years – with no clear pipeline to replace them.
The findings highlight a significant threat to the Government’s “Build, Build, Build” agenda and its target of delivering 1.5 million new homes, with a significant proportion of planners looking to retire or move away from the profession.
The RTPI’s updated State of the Profession report paints a worrying picture for communities across the UK. Without sufficient planning capacity, ambitious housing targets risk leading to fragmented, piecemeal developments that lack the necessary infrastructure – from schools and GP surgeries to transport links – to support growing populations.
Perhaps worse still for the Government’s housing targets, a shortage of qualified planners could bring the system to a standstill, with insufficient staff to process planning applications or ensure developments meet local needs.
Adding to the concern, recent Government plans to restrict the Level 7 planning apprenticeship scheme to applicants aged 16–21 could deepen the recruitment crisis. According to the RTPI, this change could prevent up to 200 new planners from entering the profession each year.
In September, the RTPI and 33 other organisations — including the National Trust, the RSPB and Home Builders Federation – wrote to the Housing Minister warning that these reforms would further undermine an already fragile workforce.
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.”
