The association representing housebuilders in England and Wales has called on the Government to do more to tackle the staffing shortage in planning authorities.

Analysis by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) estimated that 80% of planning authorities are now operating below full capacity, with an additional 2,200 planning officers needed across England and Wales to close the staffing gap.

The Government has proposed the recruitment of 300 local authority planners, but the HBF said this would account for less than 15% of the current shortfall.

HBF chief executive Neil Jefferson called for ‘meaningful action to increase capacity at a scale commensurate with the importance of the challenge'.