RTPI probes private sector growth

Domenic Donatantonio, PlanningResource, 10 June 2008

In all, local authority employees now represent 43 percent of RTPI membership, down from 54 percent in 2000.

The RTPI wants to know if the exodus is part of a natural evolution within town planning or if planners are moving into the private sector to escape negative experiences working for local authorities.

The study will also investigate if professionalism within the public sector is being threatened by difficulties in retaining and recruiting qualified planning staff.

RTPI policy director Rynd Smith said: The figures seem to indicate that our members are moving away from traditional local authority town planning roles in favour of jobs in the private sector.

We are receiving anecdotal feedback from RTPI members employed by local authorities that suggests many are becoming dissatisfied with their jobs.

As well as frustration at a lack of professional development and limited career progression opportunities there is also an element of resentment at a number of significant wage cuts which have resulted from recent job evaluation processes.

Many also feel that they have become rubber-stamp bureaucrats as a result of an emerging target culture which values speed over quality decision making.
 
The RTPI’s Job Evaluation and Public Sector Performance Survey is available on its website here.

The results will be published in July.