Planning plays a crucial role in delivering a wide range of valuable outcomes – addressing the climate and biodiversity emergencies, economic development and supporting communities across Northern Ireland.
However, it is widely recognised that Councils, along with the wider public sector, are struggling to meet expectations and unlock the value planning has to offer. RTPI NI recognises that addressing this at the current time is not straightforward and there is a need to consider a range of solutions.
We would like to better understand the well-being of planners in Northern Ireland, and RTPI NI is exploring the issues, impacts, causes and potential solutions to support the profession deliver the planning system.
We want to better understand the pressures being faced and undertake a health check of the profession in Northern Ireland. We want to drill down to understand where the pressures are, and how this is affecting those working in the system. We want to learn about good practice which is being used to address issues and possible action which could assist in relieving pressures.
We are asking planners across the profession in Northern Ireland to tell us of your experiences of working in the planning system today. We want to understand more clearly the pressures you are facing. The survey is aimed at the whole profession in Northern Ireland (RTPI and non-RTPI members) - across all sectors and geographies - to understand experiences of working in planning in 2023 in Northern Ireland.
We will use the results from this Conversation to develop our own work programme and inform DfI and other relevant stakeholders, so they can also address issues raised.
The survey can be accessed here. Please complete the survey by Monday 16th October 2023 at the latest.
Please do respond, as the more evidence we have, the more value and impact this will have.
