Reduction in the number of planning applications submitted not a reason to reduce number of planners says POS

Date: 14/1/2009

A brief piece of research undertaken for the Society gives an indication of the reduction in the number of planning applications being submitted.

Phil Kirby, President of the Planning Officers Society, has commented “this snapshot taken over a matter of days paints a variable picture around the country but the clear signal is that the number of planning applications being submitted is falling as a consequence of the economic conditions. This has a knock on impact for fee income; but local authority leaders and chief executives, rather than making cuts, should consider redeploying planners within the service, to provide the spatial planning policy framework and ensure efficient and effective development management processes are in place which will be essential to aiding the recovery when it happens.”

A NATIONAL SNAPSHOT OF THE IMPACT OF THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN WITH REGARD TO PLANNING APPLICATION NUMBERS (comparison between variable periods in 2008 and 2007)