Thirty-three leading organisations across planning, housing, energy, and nature sectors are warning the Government that cuts to apprenticeship funding could put the recruitment of new planners at risk.
The Department for Education has announced that from January 2026, Level 7 apprenticeship levy funding will only be available for 16–21-year-olds. The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has cautioned that this change could reduce the planning workforce by around 200 professionals each year.
The effects are already visible, with one RTPI-accredited school withdrawing its Level 7 apprenticeship and another pausing recruitment for undergraduate-entry courses. With approximately 70% of planning apprentices employed in local government, the funding restrictions could worsen pressures on an already overstretched system.
Major organisations including the RSPB, Energy UK, the National Trust, and the Home Builders Federation have joined the RTPI in urging Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook to provide £6.8 million in urgent funding to sustain Planning Schools.
The RTPI emphasises that planning is crucial to meeting the country’s biggest challenges, from delivering new homes and revitalising town centres to protecting nature and achieving net zero targets. Without sufficient planners, these ambitions could stall.
While ministers have committed to creating an additional 300 planning officer roles, research from unions and professional bodies indicates that between 600 and 3,000 more planners will be required to achieve the Government’s development goals.
