Planning has become more complex in recent years and, for this reason, a strategy to ensure learning and deveopment for the staff of the 31 planning authorities across the country was finalised earlier this year between the OPR, the County and City Management Association and the Local Government Management Agency: Local Authority Planning Sector Learning and Development Strategy.
The local government sector has now established a Planning Services Training Group, chaired by AnneMarie Farrelly, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council to drive the implementation of the strategy and build on a growing range of shared services approaches to training for the sector, overseen by the Local Authority Services National Training Group (LASNTG).
With a central funding commitment from the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage, in line with actions under the Housing for All action plan, momentum on the training strategy is building.
To ensure dedicated resources are in place, the LASNTG – through Tipperary County Council – is seeking suitable individuals to work on the development and implementation of the training programme for planning staff with a range of stakeholders, including the OPR. This is an excellent opportunity for suitable candidates looking for a new challenge in planning that will benefit the sector as a whole.