Written question WQ96079
- Asked by
- Julie MorganLabour
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 3 days
Question
How many planners are needed in Wales to meet the Welsh Government's priorities and ensure the running of an effective planning system, and are current numbers sufficient?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning
Planning services are finding it hard to meet expectations due to significant financial and staffing pressures. I have recently commissioned the Royal Town Planning Institute to undertake a piece of work on ‘workforce planning’ which will be published in the summer. It will provide a detailed picture of the capacity, resource and skills situation across public sector planning services. To increase the pipeline of new entrants entering the planning profession, I have recently provided funding through the Pathways to Planning project to support local planning authority staff obtain a planning qualification.