UK planning staff shortages threaten new homes pipeline as councils struggle to keep pace

A staffing crisis across local authority planning departments is putting further pressure on the UK’s housing delivery ambitions, with new research showing that nine in ten planning authorities in England and Wales are operating below full staffing capacity.

The findings come from the Home Builders Federation (HBF) and Paragon Bank’s “Planning on Empty” report, based on Freedom of Information responses from councils covering the 2025/26 financial year. The report examines staffing levels, vacancies, turnover and the use of agency workers within local planning departments.

Planning departments operating at 80% capacity

According to the research, local authority planning departments are operating at an average of just 80% of their required staffing levels. Councils employ fewer than 36 planning staff on average, compared with approximately 44 needed to operate at full capacity.

The situation has deteriorated compared with the previous year. In 2025, 80% of councils surveyed were operating below full staffing capacity. That figure has now risen to 90%.

The HBF estimates that councils would need around 2,660 additional planners to return to full operational capacity, up from an estimated 2,200 a year earlier.

The shortage is particularly significant because local authorities are simultaneously being asked to implement a series of planning reforms intended to accelerate housing delivery and support the Government’s ambition to deliver 1.5 million homes during this Parliament.

Delays are already affecting housing delivery

The staffing shortage is not simply a recruitment issue. It is increasingly becoming a constraint on the wider property and development market.

HBF data shows that only around 20% of major planning applications are determined within the statutory 13-week period. The organisation also reports that Section 106 agreements take an average of 515 days to complete.

For developers, extended planning processes can mean that capital remains tied up for longer, construction programmes are pushed back and development costs increase.

The consequences can be particularly significant for smaller developers, which generally have less capacity to absorb prolonged delays in obtaining planning consent.

The problem also extends beyond the initial planning decision. Councils are responsible for a growing number of technical and regulatory requirements associated with development, adding to the workload of already stretched teams.

More responsibilities, fewer resources

Planning departments are being asked to implement increasingly complex requirements, including Biodiversity Net Gain, nutrient neutrality, flood-risk considerations, building safety requirements and wider planning reforms.

At the same time, local authorities are expected to process major residential schemes more quickly and support higher housing targets.

The HBF argues that the additional responsibilities risk placing further pressure on planning officers unless they are accompanied by sustained investment in staffing and skills.

The issue is particularly relevant as the Government continues its wider reform of the planning system. Official planning reforms have been designed to make the system faster and more predictable, while the Government has also committed significant funding to increase local planning capacity.

Government investment has yet to close the gap

The Government has committed to recruiting additional planners and has invested almost £100 million in planning capacity since 2024, according to the HBF.

However, the latest research suggests that the staffing gap is still widening.

The Government’s own planning-capacity survey has acknowledged recruitment and retention pressures within local authorities. It also identified senior development management positions as among the most difficult roles to fill. A £46 million package for 2025/26 was announced to support recruitment, training and skills development in local planning authorities.

The Government has also been experimenting with technology as part of its response. In June, ministers announced AI tools designed to help speed up routine planning decisions, with one prototype aiming to halve decision times and trials taking place in three English counties.

A potential bottleneck for the housing market

The latest figures highlight a tension at the heart of the UK housing strategy.

Increasing housing targets and reforming planning policy may create a framework for more development, but the system still depends on local authorities having enough experienced staff to process applications, negotiate planning obligations and implement the new rules.

For developers, delays can affect land values, financing costs and construction programmes. For councils, prolonged vacancies can mean greater reliance on agency staff, with more than half of respondents to the HBF survey reporting the use of agency workers.

The issue is therefore likely to remain a major concern for the property and construction sectors as the Government moves forward with its housing programme.

The HBF is calling for long-term funding for local planning departments, greater investment in permanent staff and clearer annual reporting on planning capacity and performance.

For the UK property market, the message is straightforward: planning reform can only accelerate development if there is sufficient capacity on the ground to deliver it.

Source: Home Builders Federation / Paragon Bank, Planning on Empty – 2026