Report warns staff shortages and funding pressures are leaving planners stuck in “firefighting mode”

PLANNING departments across Wales are struggling to cope after more than a decade of funding cuts, with staff shortages and increasing workloads leaving services stuck in “firefighting mode”, according to a new report.

The research, published by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Cymru, says real-terms funding for local authority planning teams fell by 43% between 2009 and 2024, despite growing legislative complexity and policy demands.

The Welsh Government’s own Planning Division has also reduced significantly, falling from around 60 planners in 2015 to 33 in 2024.

Pressure across the system

The report highlights widespread staffing pressures across Wales. It found that 73% of local planning authorities have at least one unfilled vacancy, while all respondents said they were focused on managing immediate pressures rather than delivering long-term improvements.

Researchers estimate there is an immediate need for 161 planners, 15 specialist officers and five business support staff simply to address known vacancies and upcoming retirements. Around 95 planners aged over 55 are expected to retire soon, and 42% of the public-sector planning workforce could retire within the next ten to 20 years.

RTPI Cymru warns that skills shortages, low morale and limited capacity are already affecting the ability of planning services to respond effectively to housing, infrastructure and economic development needs.

Funding and reforms

The Welsh Government has acknowledged the resourcing challenge and announced measures in 2025, including a £9m investment across planning bodies and increases in planning fees aimed at moving towards full cost recovery. Funding has also been provided to support graduates entering the profession through the Pathways to Planning scheme.

However, the report cautions that without ring-fencing, higher planning fees could be absorbed into wider council budgets rather than reinvested directly into planning departments.

RTPI Cymru has made several recommendations, including creating a national Planning Improvement Service, developing a workforce recruitment and retention strategy, and exploring new approaches to specialist service delivery.

Calls for sustained investment

Mark Hand, Director of RTPI Cymru, said: “It is encouraging to see renewed investment in planning after years of decline, but this report makes clear that the system remains under severe strain and significantly more investment is needed.

“After more than a decade of underfunding, planners are still being forced to firefight rather than plan proactively for Wales’s future. If we are serious about delivering homes, infrastructure and sustainable places, sustained additional funding is essential.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said the findings confirmed that Wales does not currently have enough planners and specialists to provide an efficient service in every case, but stressed that similar challenges are being faced across the UK.

They added that implementing the recommendations would require “concerted and collaborative action across the public sector, professional bodies, and academic institutions”.

An anonymous respondent from a Welsh local authority told researchers the core issue was not the planning system itself but “chronic underfunding, under-resourcing and under-investment”.

The report argues that addressing those underlying problems will be essential if Wales is to deliver new homes, infrastructure and sustainable communities in the years ahead.

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL has launched a new online system designed to make it easier for council housing tenants to report repairs and manage their housing information.

The service, called Pembrokeshire Housing Online, allows tenants to update their contact details, notify the council of any changes, and book routine housing repairs at any time of day.

The council says the system aims to give residents greater control over their housing needs, while improving communication between tenants and housing officers. Text message updates will also be used to confirm appointments and send reminders about planned visits.

Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr Michelle Bateman said: “These changes to Housing Online offer tenants the opportunity to manage their housing repairs more easily and ensure key contact details remain current, helping the effective sharing of information between the tenant and the Council about appointments.”

The council has stressed that emergency repairs must still be reported by telephone. Residents should call 01437 764551 between 9:00am and 5:00pm, or 0345 601 5522 outside those hours, including weekends and bank holidays.

Housing Online can be accessed via the council website.

Residents with a current housing register application are also being urged to update their email preferences through their PCC My Account to continue receiving weekly property adverts by email.

Anyone with questions about the new portal can contact the council by phone on 01437 764551 or by email at [email protected].

A NEYLAND pensioner who continued to play loud music despite numerous warnings has been fined after being convicted of breaching a Community Protection Notice.

Complaints had been made about Beryl John, of Gothic Road, with neighbours reporting persistent noise nuisance. Pembrokeshire County Council officers gathered evidence using the NoiseApp system, which demonstrated that the noise was causing a detriment to nearby residents. This led to a Community Protection Warning (CPW) being issued.

However, the behaviour continued. The council said John also behaved abusively towards council officers and Dyfed-Powys Police, resulting in the warning being escalated to a formal Community Protection Notice (CPN).

Despite the notice, John failed to comply, and the council brought proceedings before the court.

John did not attend Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (Feb 5) and was convicted in her absence.

Magistrates imposed a £1,000 fine, along with a £400 victim surcharge and £1,000 prosecution costs.

The court heard that if the anti-social behaviour continues, the council may return to court to seek a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), breaches of which can result in community penalties or even imprisonment.

Cllr Jacob Williams, Cabinet Member for Planning and Regulatory Services, said: “The council works with partners such as Dyfed-Powys Police and housing associations to tackle anti-social behaviour like this, which so greatly affects the quality of residents’ lives.

“As with all cases of this nature, it is a shame that things had to come before the court, but the defendant had many opportunities to avoid matters escalating simply by improving their conduct, and hopefully that will now happen.”