PAS PSDF Mop Up Workshop Presentation 2024 .pptx

This is the slide deck of what PAS learnt supporting councils awarded Planning Skills Delivery Funds

1. Planning Skills Delivery Fund MOP UP Session June 2024

2. Year 1 Bidding Bidding window 24 July 2023 - 11 September 2023. Marketed as 25% skills and 75% backlog, and only for 2023/24 The Planning Advisory Service held two virtual events on the 16th and 17th August. The events consisted of both information giving on the PSDF and the opportunity for discussion and questions. Applications were be considered against the following criteria. ​Evidence of need ​Outputs of the proposal ​Outcomes of the proposal ​Costs and value for money ​Deliverability

3. 111 local authorities receiving funding for backlogs - £8,374,475 36 local authorities receiving funding for skills - £2,218,505 63 local authorities received funding for skills for next financial year 2024/25 - £3,701,051 £29million so £14million for Yr2 Not a stand-alone silver bullet Nor ideal (timings and treasury rules etc) 43% success rate – I like those lottery odds What we know about the fund award s

4. MOU process has been slower than desired 2023/24 monies all handed out 2024/25 some still left Round 2 is £14mill – Summer?? Guidance could change £100k per council per PSDF round = MAX? Backlog remains? What we know about the fund award s

5. We held 4x online workshops (2x Backlog and 2x Skills) 117 LPAs Backlog Lots of agency, consultants, contractors and overtime Retaining people, hiring people and seed funding for new posts Acting on root causes of backlog and/or specialist resources Skills Almost all is urban design (design codes) or ecology (BNG) Joint applications, match funding, collaboration and start- u ps for longer-term projects What we know about the bids

6. 60 - 65% of people are 4/5 excited about their PSDF project People are excited!

7. Confidence levels – Have they changed? We asked about confidence levels in Jan/Feb - Backlog less confident than skills - Confidence increased

8. Perhaps because these are longer fixes?

9. Backlog Risks What potential risks have you highlighted that you may encounter during this project and spending period, and what are you proposing to mitigate them? Staff Instability: Internal challenges such as staff churn, recruitment delays, and HR/finance processes. Resource Constraints: Concerns regarding skills shortage, reliance on external stakeholders, and high agency staff costs pose risks to project delivery and quality. Uncertainty and Expectation Management: Lack of clarity on timescales, funding, and spend timeframes from government perceptions contribute to project uncertainty. Consultation and Decision-Making Challenges: Problems with consultees, local elections influence, and poor application quality.

10. Skills Risks What potential risks have you highlighted that you may encounter during this project and spending period, and what are you proposing to mitigate them? Staffing Challenges: recruitment, retention, and the availability of suitable staff, including recruitment delays, difficulties in recruiting, officers leaving, and heavy reliance on others. Procurement and Resource Allocation: Concerns regarding procurement delays, lack of funds, and the cost of consultants Capacity and Skills Deficit: Lack of capacity and available skills, as well as difficulties in recruiting suitable personnel, IT delivery challenges, and technology not delivering. Strategic and Legal Considerations: Legal issues, and the need for councillor buy-in, emphasising the importance of strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement

11. In Person Events 5x events in March (London, South East, Midlands, North West, South West) 103 officers from 81 councils Established an online network to share presentations, MoU’s and monitoring work – 126 officers Workshops focused on sharing learning with 18 presentations from LPAs Roundtable exercises on ‘will it fix the problem’ and ‘improving the bidding’ Generated an axis of effort

12. Axis of Effort Most bids were for a backlog or skills project. A handful were straight ‘bums on seats’ or training courses. Almost everyone had a project in-train or the idea of a project being scoped out but not yet actioned Funding came along at the right time and/or kick started the project Some put in low effort to the bid (2hrs max) while some put in considerably more and had fully developed project plans. Axis of effort conclusion – doing a light touch doesn’t appear to have harmed chances of funding award

13. Consistent Reflections

14. Reflections on how to improve PSDF Streamlined Processes and Timelines: Definitive timelines for bid submissions, decisions, and funding disbursement. Streamlining the bidding process with shorter bid documents. Providing longer lead times for bid preparation and implementation. Clarity on what constitutes a backlog and how success is measured. Efficiency and Timeliness: Quicker turnaround times for funding decisions and payments. Upfront clarity on how the money will arrive Certainty and early decisions to avoid spending at risk. Clearer communication on spending deadlines and available timeframes. Alignment with Local Authority Needs: Recognition of the need for sustainable resources and upskilling. Consideration of broader changes in planning regulations before funding decisions.

15. Justin Turvey - Head of Place Development, Epsom & Ewell Borough Council Mark Chaplin, Placemaking Team Leader, Ashford Borough Council Emma Fawcett, Planning Policy Officer, Rushcliffe Borough Council

16. Any questions about anything you heard so far? Don’t worry we will talk about Yr 2 next

17. Unknowns about PSDF When will Yr 2 happen? Will multiyear or linked projects be supported? Will backlog still be included? (EOT removal impacts backlog) Will 100k per council per funding round remain? Clarity on can we get 100k if awarded skills 24/25 already. Being clear on what you want councils to provide – don’t over complicate it. Simplicity is best. Word count is good. Ability to download form and submission. A good lead-in timeframe (3-4month) and keeping to dates for awards

18. What we have heard from DLUHC ‘As part of our ongoing efforts to evaluate and enhance the effectiveness of the Planning Skills Delivery Fund (PSDF), we have recently launched the quarterly monitoring survey for year one of the programme. Your insights are crucial in helping us understand the impacts of the PSDF, particularly in clearing backlogs of planning applications and addressing planning skills gaps to help inform the design of future interventions to enhance planning capacity and capability. Please access and complete the survey through the following link: https://consult.levellingup.gov.uk/planning-capacity-and-capability/ea752234 . The deadline to respond is 5pm on 17 June 2024.   As you will be aware, a general election has been called, which requires us to defer any future decisions about PSDF delivery to the new Government. We will announce any further updates on the fund in due course and appreciate your patience while we work through this.’