Nine out of ten local planning offices are understaffed, regular smoking breaks cost tradespeople £6,500 a year, and a tradesman left without a back door has £30,000 of tools stolen
Nine out of ten planning departments in England and Wales are understaffed, claims the Home Building Federation.
The shortages threaten ambitious government housing targets.
On average, local councils are operating at 80% of the staffing levels they say they need.
Planning officers and senior planners account for almost half of all vacancies.
Since 2024, the government has announced nearly a £100 million investment to increase planning capacity.
However, the HBF doubts whether those measures go far enough after the introduction of new requirements under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).
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Cigarette breaks could be costing self-employed tradespeople over £6,500 a year — that’s according to research by Northerner.
Electricians, plumbers and gas engineers are possibly losing nearer to £7,000 annually, due to their higher hourly earnings.
A spokesperson warned that tradespeople who spend time away from the job smoking reduce their number of billable hours.
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A tradesman who was left without a back door to his rented home for five months has had nearly £30,000 of tools stolen.
Colin Pitman has only had a simple metal security shutter as a back door, since the last one snapped off in high winds.
The 53-year-old described the break-in as the final straw.
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