What does the Budget mean for delivering on planning commitments? The need for skilled talent and strategic change

By Nathan Spilsted

Beyond the headlines of the recent Budget touting a ￡40 billion tax increase, there's a pressing question that demands our attention: how prepared are we to deliver on the promise of rapid, game-changing investment in UK infrastructure and housing?

The Labour government’s ambitious agenda, featuring promises of 1.5 million new homes and a greener, revitalised infrastructure, is undoubtedly a critical step forward. But ambition alone won’t pave the way—execution will. Execution hinges on having the right skills and workforce in place.

The recent budget may have seen The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves promise increased investment, but it falls short of providing the radical changes needed to ensure that our sector is equipped to meet the scale of this investment. We need a stronger emphasis on developing the skills required to address longstanding productivity and growth challenges that have held back the UK’s construction and planning sectors for years.

Facing the Skills Challenge in Construction and Planning

As it stands, the construction workforce is shrinking and ageing, with an increasing shortage of skilled workers. This skills gap, already exacerbated by post-Brexit constraints and the aftermath of the pandemic, directly threatens the timeliness and quality of planned capital projects. Furthermore, the public sector is experiencing a severe shortage of Town Planners, with many Local Authorities struggling to keep pace with the demands of local plans, planning applications, and post-approval conditions. In effect, this shortage stalls the very projects that should be driving growth.

To truly deliver on its promises, the government must address these workforce issues head-on. Without investing in a skilled, robust workforce, we risk inevitable delays in planning approvals and construction schedules—delays that could ultimately hinder making up the shortfall of 1m+ homes and much-needed infrastructure.

Time for Game-Changing Investment in Skills

Turning around these entrenched issues will take significant time and investment. It’s not enough to merely bolster capital funding for construction projects; we must also focus on nurturing a skilled talent pipeline. Proposed initiatives are a start, but they’re insufficient. Take, for example, the recent announcement of 300 planning apprenticeships and graduate placements—roughly one position per Local Authority. For Planners, who are already under immense strain, this is a drop in the ocean.

To truly make a difference, we need to scale these programs substantially, aiming for at least three to four times the current intake. Such an investment could shift the trajectory, enabling Local Authorities and Contractors alike to build on the good work they are doing to support the government’s ambitious targets effectively.

Our Commitment to Talent Development

At CJFA, we’re committed to playing our part in addressing this skills gap. We aim to inspire and develop the next generation of construction professionals through initiatives such as introducing our co-sponsored mini-digger simulators into schools, working with?Civil and Remediation, and supporting postgraduate talent. Programmes like these are essential in helping young people gain hands-on experience and encouraging them to pursue careers in a field so vital to the UK’s future and the promises laid out in this 2024 Autumn Budget.

While government initiatives are crucial, the private sector, educational institutions, and public bodies must all collaborate to create a skilled workforce that can meet the demands of the future. Each organisation’s contribution—no matter how small—makes a difference in closing the skills gap and setting the stage for a greener, more prosperous UK.

We’ve recently made some investments ourselves within our teams and working with many of our Public Sector clients, to better understand the importance of Placemaking and regeneration and develop capability across Planning disciplines, GIS and insights from big-data. Most recently we have completed a UK first in Digital infrastructure Master-planning – which should be at the forefront of any sites allocation process to ensure ubiquitous connectivity is provided not as an after thought, but as a right. Collectively these are only small contributions to the National challenge, but collaboratively working alongside the wider public and private sector we can start making progress.

A Call for Long-Term Solutions

Delivering on the UK’s infrastructure and housing promises will require more than short-term fixes . To ensure sustainable growth and productivity, the government must prioritise the development of skilled talent in planning and construction. Without a substantial commitment to skills investment, the risk of delayed or even unfulfilled housing developments looms large.

It’s time to make bold, transformative investments in workforce development. The UK needs a well-trained, resilient workforce to support the infrastructure projects of today and tomorrow. We have the vision—now we need the people to make it happen.

For further information

If you would like an informal discussion on the above and how we could help you gear-up for this challenge, please feel free to reach out to our Specialist Planning and Placemaking Team.

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Nathan Spilsted is Associate Director of Planning and Regeneration at CJ Founds Associates Ltd.