HOMES for Scotland (HFS) has secured five new ‘Future Planners’ bursaries totalling £25,000 to help attract talent from a variety of disciplines into the profession.
The funds will be used to assist with course fees and living expenses as well as providing mentoring opportunities.
The bursaries will be administered by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and augment the 30 already available via Scottish Government grant funding to students on RTPI-accredited Planning Masters courses across Scotland’s three planning schools (University of Glasgow, University of Dundee and Heriot-Watt University) for the 2025/26 academic year.
The organisations behind the donations are Brodies, Mac Mic Group, Miller Homes, Persimmon Homes, and Taylor Wimpey.
HFS director of planning Kevin Murphy said, “At a time when the Scottish planning system has never been under greater pressure it is important to help support the next generation of planners into what are critical careers. In what is our 25th anniversary year, HFS is delighted to have facilitated these five new bursaries with the generous support of members and to be part of the solution to addressing what is a vastly under-resourced function.”
RTPI Scotland director Dr Caroline Brown added, “At the RTPI, we’re working hard to ensure a continuing pipeline of qualified planners are entering the workforce. The ‘Future Planners’ bursary scheme present an excellent opportunity for students from varied backgrounds to play an important role in shaping the future of planning in Scotland.
“We would like to express our sincere thanks to Homes for Scotland and its supporting members. Such partnership is essential if we are to address not only the skills shortage in the planning system but also the housing emergency and ensure Scotland has the homes of all types and tenures required to meet the needs of its population.”
