FOI release

Training, Qualifications, and Professional Competence of Planning and Highways Officers

Case reference FOI2025/02459

Received 12 December 2025

Published 6 January 2026

Request

I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act regarding the professional background and competencies of officers within the Planning and Highways Departments at Herefordshire Council. Specifically, I would like to know:

• What training, qualifications, or professional memberships planning officers and highways officers are required to hold.

• Whether any of these qualifications or training programmes include competence in assessing boundary matters, land ownership issues, or interpreting title plans.

• Whether any officers within these departments hold qualifications or professional status that would make them competent to act in a capacity similar to a solicitor when dealing with boundary related issues arising during planning applications.

• If the Council provides any internal guidance or specialist training to officers on boundary assessment, land ownership disputes, or legal interpretation of property boundaries. I would like information in relation to the following roles. Highways officers who work for the planning department. Planning officers who work for the planning department. This information is requested to better understand the scope of professional expertise applied during the planning process.

Response

A: It is necessary to point out before responding that the Highway Officers that comment on planning applications do not work for the planning department, they are statutory consultees in the planning process and comment on behalf of the local highway authority. The local planning authority ultimately decides whether or not to take on the advice given by the local highway authority when making decisions on planning applications.

Specifically, I would like to know:
• What training, qualifications, or professional memberships planning officers and highways officers are required to hold.

A: Regarding Planning Officers, please see attached Job Descriptions and Personal Specifications detailing the requirements for the following roles:

Planning Officer / Graduate (same) (5 x posts)
Senior Planning Officer (7 posts)
Principal Planning Officer (5 posts)
Development Manager (2 x DM posts and 1 (FTE) Enforcement post)

Please note that these are only updated when jobs become available. Signatures have been withheld because they consists of the personal information of third parties in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulations. The definition of personal data under the data protection legislation is "any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person". This includes an individual who can be directly or indirectly identified from the information. There is a reasonable expectation that an individual's right to the privacy of their data in these circumstances is upheld. If the council released identifiable personal data it would not be processing this information in a fair and lawful manner as required by the legislation. Disclosure would cause some distress with regards to an unexpected loss of privacy. As such this information has been withheld under Section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Please take this letter as a refusal notice under S17 of the Act.

Regarding Highways Officers, no specific qualifications are required as there are a wide number of qualifications that could be deemed appropriate and experience is often more relevant/valuable.

• Whether any of these qualifications or training programmes include competence in assessing boundary matters, land ownership issues, or interpreting title plans.

A: Regarding Planning Officers, not specifically. Degree courses may include elements but this would be dependent on the Degree the officer took.

Regarding Highways Officers, this area is mainly down to experience and often the Council’s legal team would be consulted if it was a complex issue.

A: Regarding Planning Officers, boundary related issues are limited to service of the correct notice on the application form. Other issues are considered as Civil. Officers, through experience and education, use this knowledge to make assessments relating the validation requirements and service of certificates. The team will defer to the Legal Services team for advice where complex / necessary.

Regarding Highways Officers, complex issues would be referred to the Council’s legal team for comment. Boundary disputes can also be referred to the Land Registry. Nobody within the immediate Highway team that deals with planning applications is a qualified solicitor or similar.

• If the Council provides any internal guidance or specialist training to officers on boundary assessment, land ownership disputes, or legal interpretation of property boundaries.

I would like information in relation to the following roles.

Highways officers who work for the planning department.

Planning officers who work for the planning department.

This information is requested to better understand the scope of professional expertise applied during the planning process.

A: All officers are trained / advised as part of their continuing professional development on the matters relating to the validity of the application and correct service of the notices. There is no formal internal guidance.

Documents

This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.

You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.