'Paralysis' warning over planning

Planners are a vital part of the house-building process

Chronic problems with England's planning system could lead to "paralysis" of the economy, a committee of MPs has warned.

They also said that government targets for house-building in England are being threatened by a drastic shortage of council planners.

The Communities and Local Government Select Committee says the problem has been known for a decade.

The government says funding has been given to students to train as planners.

The MPs say a severe shortage of planning officers could also hinder the government's aim of building three million new homes by 2020.

The shortage, they claim, could mean that in four years almost half of senior planning posts in councils could be lying vacant.

'Drastic shortage'

The committee said: "There is a significant risk that major government targets for development and regeneration will be missed because our planning system is unable to manage either the volume or variety of tasks it will be asked to perform between now and 2020.

"Wider economic well-being and delivery of the government's environmental priorities could well be hindered simply because the system cannot cope.

"Two linked and chronic problems need to be urgently addressed to prevent this - a drastic shortage of planning officers, estimated to affect 46% of local authority posts by 2012, and a significant and growing skills gap among those planners who remain within the system."

The MPs also describe government steps to tackle the problem as limited and patchy. They are calling for a series of measures, including a national advertising campaign to recruit more graduates into the profession.

A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said: "We have taken significant action to boost planning skills including funding 513 bursaries for students to train as planners with over 300 more to follow.

"Since 2003 we have provided £605m Planning Delivery Grant to local authorities and increased planning fees so they can invest in training and staff."