Scotland’s planning system is under pressure — but the solution might not be in more reform. It could be in recruitment.
With the housing crisis worsening and developers warning of costly delays in planning approvals, the Scottish Government is making a generational bet: that the planning system can be rejuvenated by attracting young people and mid-career changers into the profession.
Speaking during a visit to the £29 million Water Row development in Govan, Public Finance Minister Ivan McKee unveiled the National Planning Skills Commitment Plan — a new framework aimed at strengthening the pipeline of planning professionals and speeding up development timelines.
“We want to do things as fast as possible,” McKee told Project Scotland. “You’ve got to do things correctly, but those things don’t necessarily need to be in conflict.”
The initiative already boasts backing from more than 100 leaders across 60 organisations, spanning universities, architecture firms, housing associations, developers, and local authorities. Its goal: to inject new energy, skills, and tech-savvy innovation into a profession many now see as a pinch point in Scotland’s housing and infrastructure delivery.
Speed vs. Standards: Can both co-exist?
Planning delays are one of the most commonly cited barriers to development in Scotland, and recent interventions from senior ministers suggest the government is shifting its tone.
Where previous messages have focused on policy refinement — such as NPF4 or Local Development Plan cycles — this latest push signals an acknowledgement that capacity within the profession itself may be part of the problem.
McKee stressed that Scotland doesn’t need to choose between quality and efficiency: “If we do it right, we can still do it in a reasonable timeframe and respond to what the industry wants — which is faster decisions so they can move forward with developments.”
But to do that, Scotland needs more planners — and fast.
A pipeline in crisis
The numbers back up the concern. According to the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), the number of planners working in the public sector fell by more than 20% between 2010 and 2023. At the same time, the private sector nearly doubled its planning workforce.
That imbalance has led to mounting pressure on local authorities, which are often understaffed and under-resourced, causing long waits for decisions on applications. Developers say these delays are slowing housing completions and increasing build costs.
But McKee insists the new skills strategy can help reverse that trend.
“We’ve already got fantastic young people coming into the profession,” he said. “They’ve got the energy, the interest, the tech skills — we just need to make sure they see planning as a career in the first place.”
Making planning careers visible — and viable
That’s one of the main challenges the National Planning Skills Commitment Plan is trying to solve: visibility.
McKee admitted that many young people simply don’t know what planning is, or how impactful it can be. “When you articulate it in terms of the impact it can have on neighbourhoods, people, societies — it becomes really attractive,” he said.
The programme includes:
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Hands-on learning opportunities with ongoing developments
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Webinars and recruitment support
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Industry-backed mentorships and early career pipelines
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Collaboration between educators, employers, and government
In Govan, students studying urban regeneration projects — including Water Row — were invited to hear the announcement and share their insights. Many are already examining the social impact of planning decisions and the transformational power of well-designed public space.
Re-skilling mid-career professionals
While the plan is aimed at younger recruits, McKee said it is also open to those changing careers, particularly from adjacent sectors like construction, civil engineering, and architecture.
“Anyone that’s looking at planning and thinking they’d like a change absolutely can,” he said. “They bring great experience through their previous career — and we need that kind of practical insight.”
The programme will also work with employers to identify transferable skills, easing the transition for experienced professionals into the planning workforce.
Bridging the public-private divide
McKee also acknowledged that private sector growth — while important — must be balanced by robust public sector capacity. “The private sector is increasingly aware of the need for balance,” he said. “You need both sides working together to get the system moving.”
That’s part of why the Commitment Plan is designed to promote cross-sector collaboration, aligning efforts across local government, education providers, and commercial developers.
In the longer term, the goal is to create a more resilient planning profession capable of handling larger volumes of complex applications while embracing emerging technologies and community engagement techniques.
Looking ahead: System-wide accountability
The Water Row site, now complete, stands as a case study in what well-executed planning can deliver — stylish, energy-efficient homes, new commercial space, and seamless transport links thanks to the Partick Bridge connection. The development is one of Scotland’s National Developments under the Clyde Mission framework.
Still, McKee made it clear that more needs to be done to understand why some developments with planning permission still haven’t broken ground.
“There’s a lot of focus on where the other blockages are in the system,” he said. “It’s about looking at the whole chain and seeing where we need to address challenges so we can get more units coming out the other end.”
Changing the culture around planning
While policy reform has dominated the debate around planning in Scotland, this new approach — focused on people, skills, and long-term workforce development — may prove just as important.
If the plan works, Scotland could see a new generation of planners reshaping neighbourhoods, delivering homes faster, and ensuring the planning system doesn’t remain a bottleneck in the nation’s broader development goals.
And for now, the hope is that Water Row’s success won’t just be a showcase — but a starting point.
