Changes must be made in council planning departments if the UK’s housing targets are to be met, says Peter Randall, property expert.

Kent property expert RPC Land and New Homes has called for action after a critical report said some local authority planning departments were understaffed, under-trained and ultimately undermining efforts to deliver housing targets.

A report by the Communities and Local Government Committee said long-term failures in the system were caused by an overall shortage of skilled employees. The report concluded that although these problems had been long identified, little progress in rectifying them had been made and housing and regeneration targets were being threatened as a result.

Peter Randall, managing director of RPC, which has offices across Kent, said: "There is undoubtedly a real shortage of qualified people in some planning departments across the South East and it’s causing real headaches. The existing staff are under increasing pressure to perform to Government targets and this will inevitably lead to frustration in the system.

"The Government must look at how it can attract and retain more people within the planning industry as they will play a major role in delivering the three million new homes planned to be built before 2020.

"More training needs to be given to planning officers and elected council members as they are the ones who vote on approving or turning down applications.

"This latest report echoes what has been known for a long time within the industry and it is high time real action was taken and not just have lip service paid to it. More needs to be done to speed up the planning process."

A lack of communication and feedback on applications as well as Government targets on the speed of decision-making has not helped planning departments unclog the system.

Mr Randall added: "The Government has a very clear strategy on the number of new homes it wants built per year yet the planning system they are using to deliver it is outdated and cumbersome. An increased amount of development, staff shortages and red tape mean planning departments are too busy to liaise with developers over applications and the only feedback they get is when an application is determined.

"This often then leads to another application and a further clogging up of the system. Councils are also rewarded for making decisions in a set time, which incentivises them to make a quick decision although not necessarily a correct one."

Visit www.rpcland.co.uk or call Peter Randall on 01732 363633.