Planning Skills Delivery Fund
For year one of this fund (2023/24), we are inviting local authorities to submit proposals to address one or both of the following:
Backlog funding – the rise in the number of planning applications that are under consideration by local planning authorities following the pandemic is creating a backlog. This is slowing down decision-making resulting in a lowering of quality of service and increased uncertainty for both developers and the community relating to the delivery of development. Local planning authorities with large backlogs of planning applications are therefore invited to consider the causes of their backlog and identify ways in which the backlog can be cleared.
We are looking for local planning authorities to understand the nature and scale of their planning applications backlog including the number of live (undetermined) applications and whether they have a build-up of unvalidated applications. To ensure that backlogs do not return following the award of funding and implementation, we are looking for applications that clearly demonstrate how this funding would clear the backlog by addressing the root causes.
We encourage deliverable proposals with the overall objective of clearing planning application backlogs. Examples could include hiring additional planning officers to work on minor or householder applications, discharging conditions or validating applications. Local planning authorities will need to be mindful of their performance statistics when addressing their backlog and seek extension of time agreements where appropriate.
Skills funding – where there are skills gaps in local authorities, this can cause delays to both plan-making and decision-making. To ensure that local authorities are able to work effectively both now and in advance of the introduction of the proposed planning reforms, we are inviting local authorities who have identified skills gaps to bid for support.
We are looking for local authorities to identify which planning specialism(s) they are seeking expertise in, which could include transport planning, urban design, strategic planning, conservation, heritage, landscape, ecology, minerals and waste and viability assessment. Proposals should be clear on how the specialist resource would deliver skills support and knowledge transfer to achieve identified planning outcomes.
For both types of funding, we expect to issue grants of up to £100,000 per local authority to be used for initiatives which are over and above work that the authority already intends on undertaking. Where more than one local authority is submitting a joint application, the total funding available will be capped at £100,000 per local authority. For example, a local authority submitting an application on behalf of three local authorities can apply for up to £300,000.
Applications that have an element of match funding from the local authority and / or demonstrate collaboration between authorities are particularly encouraged, but are not compulsory.
The intention of the year one application process is to focus on projects and change that could be delivered within 6 months.