FOI request (FOIR-768312711)

Planning Services

Requested Tue 25 November 2025
Responded Thu 18 December 2025

Please could you answer the following questions related to your planning services.

1. Development Management

a. How many full-time equivalent planning staff (not including administration staff) do you have on the establishment in your 'development management team' or equivalent team?

b. How many full time equivalent vacancies are there currently in your 'development management team'? How many temporary staff or consultants are currently employed in your development management (or equivalent) team?

2. Planning Policy

a. How many full-time equivalent planning staff (not including administration staff) do you have on the establishment in your 'planning policy team' or equivalent team?

b. How many full time equivalent vacancies are there currently in your 'planning policy team'. How many temporary staff or consultants are currently employed in your planning policy (or equivalent) team?

3. Planning Enforcement

a. How many full-time equivalent planning staff (not including administration staff) do you have on the establishment in your 'planning enforcement team' or equivalent team?

b. How many full time equivalent vacancies are there currently in your 'planning enforcement team'. How many temporary staff or consultants are currently employed in your planning enforcement (or equivalent) team?

4. Expert Planning Advisors

a. Does your local council have in-house expert planning advisors to deal with issues such as ecology, heritage and design?

b. Does your local council ever have to access external expert planning advice on such issues as ecology, heritage and design? If so, what areas do you have to request external advice on?

5. Entry Level Planners

a. Do you fund entry level planning staff to undergo university courses or apprenticeships?

b. If yes, how many entry level planners have you provided such funding for in the last 5 years?

6. Case Loads

a. What was the average annual case load that planning officers in your planning enforcement/development management teams were carrying in the financial years a) 2020/21 b) 2022/23 c) 2024/25?

7. Local Plan

a. Does your council have an up to date local plan? If it does, when was it last formally approved?

---

Response

1. Development Management

a. 8x FTE planning officers

b. No vacancies in terms of planning officer positions

2. Planning Policy

a. 4x FTE

b. No vacancies

Temporary staff = 1 (part-time), and Consultants = 0 as of 12/12/25 (last fixed term consultant finished 11/12/25, next FTE consultant due to start 05/01/26 for 6 month period)

Expert advisers in the Planning Policy team = 0, and Entry Level Planners = 1 (first in last 5 years)

3. Planning Enforcement

a. 2x FTE

b. 0x FTE

4. Expert Planning Advisors

a. Yes

b. Yes, ecology as it pertains to biodiversity net gain

5.Entry Level Planners

a. Yes

b. 1x FTE - Development Management

6. Case Loads

a. Information not held.

7.Local Plan

a. Hastings Borough Council does not have an up-to-date Local Plan. A new Plan is in production.