Three-quarters of Local Planning Authority officers in Wales felt overstretched in their work, according to a Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) survey of 209 planners in Wales
Overstretched planners face under-resourcing, harassment and internet trolling as obstacles in their work, according to the Royal Town Planning Institute report.
Social media has worsened the issue, claims the report, creating an environment of insults and misinformation. 58% of overstretched planner respondents said social media had an effect on their well-being.
Respondents described hostile and aggressive phone calls and emails from the public. The survey found that the ‘relentless’ complaints and criticism are often vitriolic and personal.
Working within these conditions is taking its toll on the profession, which is struggling to recruit and retain staff. Around 10% of respondents said they were looking to move out of planning. That figure jumped to 15% when respondents were working for Local Planning Authorities.
Anonymised comments from respondents reflect reports of abusive customers
“I can’t really express how difficult planning is as a career at the moment. It used to be enjoyable and now it feels like walking through treacle.”
“It is not a case of just not doing the cases when you physically don’t have enough time in the week to do the work, it is being bombarded by hostile and aggressive phone calls and emails from people in the queue – they don’t know they’re in the queue, and they don’t understand you as an individual officer have 1.5 people’s workloads you are expected to deliver, and they are the third person who has called to abuse you today. They expect you are sitting around ‘twiddling your thumbs’ not processing their application because you are a public sector lazy employee.”
“If you’re alone at home a small easy question for a colleague can become a really big deal. Dealing with the nasty calls or emails is also more challenging because you’re on your own when you’re at home.”
“The main negative is the relentless complaints and criticism from the public – often vitriolic and personal. ‘Thank you’ from senior management and Councillors helps, but ultimately the current situation with the public makes it a thankless task and pretty depressing.”
Planners feeling overstretched are encouraged to reach out for support
The RTPI has launched a well-being helpline across the UK as the first step in responding to this desperate situation and aiding overstretched planners. The Planner, the Institute’s official magazine, will broaden this research out to the UK through its annual careers survey.
Susan Bridge, president of the RTPI in 2023, said: “We don’t believe this issue is limited to Wales, as we are hearing the same concerns across the UK.
“Our helpline will be the first step to assisting our members, however, it is widely recognised that Local Planning Authorities and the wider public sector are struggling to meet expectations. More must be done to provide adequate resourcing to the planning system, alleviating the pressure on planners.”
Roisin Willmott, director of RTPI Cymru said: “We launched our survey last summer out of concern for the well-being of planners in Wales. Our findings are troubling but expected. Continued budget reductions are leading to unmanageable workloads, insufficient staff, and overstretched workers, which will ultimately leave an indelible mark on our planning system.
“We’re encouraging all those involved to consider the report and take action to ensure the planning system and profession are able to do the vital work asked of it.”
