Partnering with Local Authorities for Planning Success

Partnering with Local Authorities for Planning Success

At Planning Portal, we’re dedicated to helping the planning sector thrive. We recognise the immense strain on Local Planning Departments and share the concerns in reports that resourcing issues stand to jeopardise our national development goals. Local Authorities are the backbone of the built environment—without proper support, our entire industry suffers.

When resources are stretched thin, stress levels rise, negatively impacting staff wellbeing and organisational performance. Consistently under-resourced, Local Authorities face growing workloads and struggle to fill roles, often turning to agencies. While this approach can effectively address short-term challenges, it may also fall short as a sustainable long-term solution. Some in the industry have reported excessive financial burdens and subpar work, as recently highlighted by Planning Resource.

We believe it’s time for change; real solutions, that work for the long term. That’s why we’re investing in Local Planning Authorities’ day-to-day. Our Planning Engagement Programme offers multi-faceted support, designed to help Local Authorities tackle backlogs and capacity challenges, enabling smoother operations, increased staff morale, and a stronger sector.

Join one of our free webinars this November to find out more.

Why Planning Portal?

We want to see Planning Departments not only meeting their service level agreements, but thriving, for the benefit of all industry stakeholders. As you know, we are already fully committed to supporting authorities - refining our service to ensure only the highest quality applications are submitted, whilst offering free training and support materials for planning staff and even facilitating a live jobs board, in partnership with RTPI’s The Planner, to connect planning professionals with key vacancies across the sector.

Invest in lasting support with the Planning Engagement Programme

With our enhanced Planning Support Programme, we are investing in ongoing capacity and workload support – from dealing with calls to right through to planning validation and assessment - helping planning departments reduce costs and supporting existing staff to improve efficiency and clear backlogs with tailored, high-quality solutions. Our goal is to empower Local Authorities by filling key roles with long-term, remote team members who integrate seamlessly into your wider team.

Transparent, results-driven solutions

Unlike traditional agencies, Planning Portal provides transparent, results-focused support - no day rates, just ongoing, practical solutions aligned with your workload and needs. This allows you to focus on strategic priorities and delivering results for your community.

Learn More – Join Our Free Webinars

Join one of our free webinars this November to learn more about the Planning Engagement Programme and discover how we can support your team.

Contact us: bhumi.sharma@terraquest.co.uk