Planning has been ‘downgraded' in more than eight out of 10 local authorities, town planners have found.

Research by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) discovered 83% of UK councils put planning two or three tiers down from the chief executive and the head of planning was a member of the top management team in only 17% of authorities.

RTPI chief executive Victoria Hills said: ‘Planning is a powerful lever to deliver almost all areas of focus within an authority's corporate strategy. We urge more council chief executives and portfolio holders to recognise this and put in the right structure.

‘Amid the challenges of Brexit and tight resources, it is all the more important that councils ensure planners are at the heart of corporate decision-making so that their effectiveness to join the dots across complex spending decisions can be maximised.

‘Our members tell us that councillors are more likely to respect planning advice from a senior officer from a chief executive's team.'