What steps is the Minister taking to assist local planning authorities that have a shortage of planning officials?
Answered by Minister for Climate Change | Answered on 20/07/2023
Decisions taken by successive UK Conservative governments, including the decade of austerity have seen budgets stretched to their limits. Since 2008-09 local planning authorities have had their budgets cut resulting in a UK wide shortage of planning officials. In Wales, one of the practical steps we have taken is to establish Corporate Joint Committee arrangements which allow local authorities to voluntarily pool functions, including planning functions, to create critical mass.