Cuts to planning staff could undermine economic recovery in North West, RTPI claims

The research was carried our by Arup on behalf of the RTPI and found an average decrease of 37 per cent in planning policy staff and 27 per cent in development management staff.

The report claims that these reductions are impacting delivery and development, with many services ‘surviving on the goodwill and professional integrity of the officers’. It claims that in its current state the system is not sustainable, suggesting that further reductions could lead to a cycle of decline in the area.

Joanne Harding, chair of the North West region of the RTPI, said: “Planning authorities across the North West are doing everything they can to improve the quality of their service, despite very significant funding cuts. We need greater reinvestment in planning services from sources such as the New Homes Bonus and other related income. This would help put planning services on a more stable footing at a critical time for the North West.”

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