The Welsh Government has said a new bursary scheme will see 12 new planners recruited to mid and west Wales to help with growing planning backlogs amid ‘acute’ recruitment challenges.

A new Mid and West Wales Rural Planners bursary scheme, costing £321,400 over three years will deliver up to 12 additional qualified planners in rural areas, where recruitment challenges are most acute, the Welsh Government said.

The new scheme will support both new graduates and existing staff in Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Eryri National Park and Powys to study for RTPI-accredited postgraduate qualifications while remaining in their communities.

Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, Siân Gwenllian, said: "Good planning services are the backbone of thriving communities.

“They shape where homes are built, where businesses grow and how we protect our natural environment, but too many rural areas in Wales are struggling to recruit and retain the planners they need.

"That is why I joined a roundtable at the Royal Welsh Show this week with rural council leaders, including the leaders of Ceredigion and Powys, to hear directly about the pressures they face.

“These bursary schemes are a direct response to what we heard — investing in local talent, supporting Welsh-speaking graduates and growing the planning workforce from within the communities it serves."

Ceredigion County Council will lead delivery of the rural scheme.

Cllr Bryan Davies, Leader of Ceredigion County Council, said: "The launch of the Mid and West Wales Planning Workforce Development Programme demonstrates what can be achieved when rural authorities come together to solve shared challenges.

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“Ceredigion has been proud to lead the development of this regional initiative, working with our partners to create new opportunities for local people to build professional careers in planning while remaining in rural Wales.”