Local Services ‘increasingly threadbare’ – including planning

Planning departments are facing the worst workforce shortages, with eight out of 10 experiencing recruitment and retention issues, new research has revealed ahead of the budget.

The District Councils’ Network (DCN) has warned that workforce shortages at the local level caused by strained budgets could undermine the Government’s housebuilding plans.

In a survey of England’s district councils, the DCN found that 84% of planning departments were struggling to recruit and retain staff.

The poll, which had responses from 80 local authorities, also revealed that building control (49%) and housing and homelessness services (31%) faced personnel shortages.

The DCN’s research also revealed the scale of extra spending caused by wage increases.

The organisation’s members on average had to budget an additional £881,000 each in extra pay for 2024-25 – an increase in 5.2% across the district council sector as a whole.

They have also budgeted for further rises of 3.3% in 2025-26 and 3.1% in 2026-27.

Cllr Jeremy Newmark, DCN’s finance spokesperson, commented that cuts have left services ‘increasingly threadbare’ which has meant the burden on remaining staff has grown.

‘Local government is about place leadership and driving change in communities and it should offer prospective staff a rewarding career – but at the end of the day unless we get adequate funding that allows departments to function properly and staff to be paid fairly we will see more of our workforce leave to more lucrative roles elsewhere.’

Source: LocalGov