Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her proposals for local government restructuring on (a) planning capacity and (b) the number of planners working in local authorities.

There has not yet been a direct assessment of the potential impact of proposals for local government restructuring on planning capacity or planning workforce numbers. This will be a matter for local councils to consider as they develop their proposals for reorganisation.

As set out in the published criteria for proposals, unitary structures must prioritise the delivery of high quality and sustainable public services to citizens; proposals should show how new structures will improve local government and service delivery and should avoid unnecessary fragmentation of services. Following submission, we will consider all proposals carefully before taking decisions on how to proceed. To support with capacity related to local government reorganisation, the government intends to provide some funding for preparing to take forward any proposal, and we will share further information later in the process.

More widely, at the Budget, the government announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system to support capacity and capability in local planning authorities, including through the recruitment and training of 300 graduate and apprentice planners and the development of skills needed to implement reforms and unlock housing delivery.