Mr Matthew Pennycook MP
Minister of State (Minister for Housing and Planning)
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Fry Building, 2 Marsham Street
London, SW1P 4DF 

23 September 2025

Dear Minister,

An open letter on the need for an immediate capital investment into planning education

On 30 July, the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) wrote a letter to you highlighting the significant impact that changes in funding for Level 7 apprenticeships will have on planning education and the subsequent number of planners entering the profession.

We have significant concerns about the planning system’s capacity to support and deliver the Government’s programme of planning reform and growth agenda, whilst facing an expected loss of 200 planners a year due to these changes. The RTPI presented you with a short-term solution of a capital investment of £6.8 million to support Planning Schools to recruit and train approximately 400 apprentice planners over the remainder of this Parliament. This proposal is yet to be taken forward by the Ministry, with the viability of the Level 7 Chartered Town Planner apprenticeship route, as well as planning courses across the board, becoming more tenuous by the day. We ask that this happens as a matter of urgency.

As organisations concerned with the use, management and development of land, we recognise the vital role that planners play in supporting the delivery of homes, communities, infrastructure, nature recovery, and net-zero ambitions. But the planning sector is facing a capacity crisis. Whilst we understand the Government has committed to recruiting an additional 300 planning officers, research by Unison suggests an additional 600 planners on top of that figure are in fact needed. The Home Builders Federation goes further in its estimations, calculating an existing shortage of over 2,200 planners in local authorities. In addition, the British Property Federation has called for 3,000 additional planners to support the development ambitions of both commercial and residential investors. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s own Local Authority planning capacity and skills survey 2023 demonstrates the constraints within the system, with over 90% of planning departments reporting some difficulty with recruitment. As you know, Local Planning Authorities play a crucial role in the consenting of critical infrastructure, housing and nature recovery.  

The previously announced 300 new planning officers does not appropriately address the existing capacity gap, let alone the reduced workforce pipeline numbers due to the Level 7 funding changes, and the expected increase in demand.

There are increasing concerns about the viability of Chartered Town Planner Level 7 apprenticeship courses, given the expected reduction in student numbers due to age restrictions on funding. Planning Schools are making decisions imminently on continuing apprenticeship provision beyond 2026, with over half of England’s Planning Schools affected by these changes.

The £6.8 million investment from the Ministry will help support Planning Schools to continue to provide Level 7 courses to students over the age of 21, maintain the 200 a year number of apprentices entering the Planning workforce for the remainder of this Parliament, and support the viability of planning courses.

Unless immediate, significant intervention is made, we are anticipating a net-loss of planners within the next 12-18 months, which will hamper the successful implementation of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the Government’s programme of planning reform, and in turn, the delivery of the Government’s growth ambitions. A well-trained, resourced planning system, with built-in capacity, is essential for progressive sustainable development that enhances economic, social and environmental standards.

We urge you to take immediate action to ensure stability in the capacity of the planning system during a crucial time for the built environment sector.

Yours sincerely,

CC:    The Rt Hon Pat McFadden MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Department for Work and Pensions

The Rt Hon Baroness Smith of Malvern, Minister of State (Minister for Skills), Department for Work and Pensions

Joanna Averley, Chief Planner for England, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government