The Home Builders Federation (HBF) has welcomed the recommendations of a new report from the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Cymru - Public Sector Planning Resources in Wales - highlighting severe resource pressures across Wales’ public sector planning services.
Commissioned by the Welsh Government, the research confirms that Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) are struggling to provide timely advice or offer Planning Performance Agreements (PPAs).
The report sets out seven key recommendations to strengthen planning capacity, including establishing a Planning Improvement Service for Wales, improving data collection, developing a recruitment and retention strategy, and promoting digital planning tools, including AI.
The findings come as the Welsh Government’s latest estimates of additional housing need, published on 12 February, shows that the number of new homes delivered in Wales each year needs to double.
HBF supports the report’s recommendations and urges the incoming Welsh Government to act on the recommendations with urgency following the elections in May.