A business-led project to cut planning bottlenecks has hit a new milestone as the first cohort of student planners enters university.
The British Chambers of Commerce set up the Planning Skills Fund in 2024, in partnership with Aviva, and the Royal Town Planning Institute.
The aim is to increase skills and capacity in Local Planning Authorities across the UK, removing a major blocker to infrastructure development and economic growth.
Established with a £500,000 donation from Aviva, the Fund provides scholarships to help more people achieve planning qualifications. It also supports the upskilling of planners working in local authorities to help unlock local growth.
A total of 18 universities are involved in the programme with nine graduates starting their studies this year
On completion of their studies, the graduates will be connected with jobs in local planning authorities UK-wide.
A reception was held at Aviva’s London office, last night, to celebrate the milestone in the fund’s progress and congratulate the students on their enrollment.
Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said:
“This initiative is a clear demonstration of what can be achieved by business to tackle the problems holding our economy back. The UK needs hundreds more skilled planners to help speed up the planning process and deliver growth right across the country. This initiative demonstrates how businesses can be part of the solution, working alongside government investment in more planning capacity.
“Businesses tell us that the slow, grinding process for securing planning permission is holding back much-needed investment and halting growth. The fund is a concrete step to support local authorities and unlock our planning system.”
David Epstein, Managing Director of Aviva Capital Partners, said:
“We are investing in homes, jobs and regeneration across the UK, building the London Cancer Hub in Sutton, housing in Birmingham and large-scale regeneration in Norwich.
“Increasing the number of planners and enhancing specialist planning expertise in the local planning system will give businesses like us the confidence to invest more quickly and decisively. This will help drive economic growth, deliver real benefits to communities nationwide and help the UK get ready for the future.”
Simon Creer, Director of Communications at the RTPI, said:
“Planning is without doubt a vital and rewarding career – offering the opportunity to help shape communities and drive sustainable growth. The BCC’s Planning Skills Fund plays a fantastic role in supporting the next generation of planners, helping to build the skills and capacity our country needs to deliver the homes, infrastructure, and places of the future.”
Planning student, Alex Bartholomew, said:
“I am truly grateful for this scholarship from the British Chambers of Commerce, as without it, I likely would have put off pursuing further education for many years due to prohibitive costs. This scholarship will help increase the number of planners in the UK and elevate the industry to reach more people and inspire them to take up planning as a career.”
Planning student, Dewi Evans, said:
“This scholarship has made possible not just my studies, but a new path — and the confidence to pursue it wholeheartedly. In just under a year, I hope to secure employment as a graduate planner, where I can begin applying what I have learned to tangible projects. Over time, I want to contribute to designing cities that enhance nature, foster community wellbeing, and anticipate future changes.”
Planning student, Hayley Stevenson, said:
“I am very excited to be part of this first cohort and to contribute to the success of the programme. For me, planning is about influence, impact, and inclusivity. Planners have the opportunity to shape the very structure of our communities, influencing how people live, work, study, and connect with one another.”
To put a single student through the scheme costs £15,000. Any businesses who wish to contribute to the fund to help unblock the UK’s planning system can contact the BCC for more information by emailing – [email protected]