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Town planner

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Town planners plan and design buildings, parks and roads to make places attractive, sustainable and convenient for people to use

As a town planner or planning officer, you'll be involved in the management and development of cities, towns, villages and the countryside. Your aim will be to balance the conflicting demands of housing, industrial development, agriculture, recreation, transport and the environment, in order to allow appropriate development to take place. It is a highly interdisciplinary profession that allows you to interact with many different sectors and people.

Regeneration within towns and cities forms an important part of planning and part of your role will be to take into account the often competing views of local businesses and communities.

If you work within a rural area, you'll need to ensure that development is sustainable and that the right balance of development is achieved to preserve the countryside. You'll also aim to make a positive contribution towards tackling the effects of climate change.

Responsibilities

As a planner, you'll need to:

  • cover a broad area of work using many different skills
  • choose whether to specialise in a particular area, such as protecting the historical environment or urban design, or to work across a variety of areas
  • develop creative and original planning solutions to satisfy all parties
  • consult with stakeholders and other interested parties
  • negotiate with developers and other professionals, such as surveyors and architects
  • research and design planning policies to guide development and provide essential advice
  • assess planning applications and monitor outcomes as necessary, while checking that laws and regulations are adhered to
  • research and analyse data to help inform strategic developments, such as increases in affordable housing provision
  • design layouts and draft design statements
  • use information technology systems such as computer-aided design (CAD) or geographical information systems (GIS)
  • attend and present at planning boards, appeals and public inquiries, providing insights and suggesting improvements where required
  • keep up to date with legislation associated with land use
  • promote environmental education and awareness
  • help disadvantaged groups express their opinions about planning issues and proposals, and visit sites to assess the effects of proposals on people or the environment
  • coordinate available resources to meet planning targets
  • write reports, often of a complex nature, which make recommendations or explain detailed regulations. These reports may be for a range of groups, from borough councils to regional assemblies, or members of the public.

Salary

  • Starting salaries for graduate or assistant planners are typically in the range of £20,000 to £25,000.
  • With experience, in roles such as principal planner and team leader, salaries can reach £35,000 to £50,000.
  • Chief planning officers, heads of departments and directors can earn salaries of more than £55,000. In some instances, they can reach up to £100,000.

Becoming a chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) may enable you to earn a higher salary. Salaries vary depending on the size and location of the employing organisation and the sector.

Public sector employment often includes a generous holiday entitlement and pension scheme. Other benefits may include essential car user allowances, flexible working hours, home-based working and job share opportunities.

The private sector has greater flexibility to offer performance-related pay, profit share and other additional benefits, although annual leave entitlement and pension schemes may be less generous than in the public sector.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours vary according to the sector and individual work levels, but you can generally expect a regular 9am to 5pm pattern.

More senior positions require additional commitment. There may be considerable contact with the public, politicians and pressure groups, which may on occasion involve evening or weekend meetings.

Career breaks and job shares are possible.

What to expect

  • The work is largely office based but you'll spend some of your time making site visits, meeting clients and attending external meetings.
  • Working as a self-employed or freelance independent consultant can be an option once you've gained enough experience. Having a specialism can help you stand out from competitors, but it's important to have a diverse enough client base to maximise opportunities for income.
  • Jobs are available in most areas of the UK as every local authority employs planners. Planning consultancies are also located throughout the UK.
  • You may need to travel within a working day but overnight absence from home is rarely necessary. Overseas work may be required occasionally with some consultancies.

Qualifications

You can get into town planning with a degree in any subject but specific degrees in planning are available. To become a chartered town planner you will need to complete a RTPI accredited degree, either at undergraduate or postgraduate level, completing either a combined qualification or a spatial qualification and a specialist qualification.

If your degree is not accredited by the RTPI, you can still qualify for chartered status by completing an accredited postgraduate qualification. Graduates from a range of subjects are accepted onto postgraduate courses but the following subjects may be particularly relevant:

  • architecture or landscape architecture/design
  • ecology and environment
  • economics
  • engineering
  • geography
  • law
  • politics, government or public administration
  • transportation
  • urban studies/built environment.

A list of accredited courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, along with further information, is available from RTPI Accredited Qualifications.

Search for postgraduate courses in town and country planning.

If you have an HND you could consider entry at planning technician level. With relevant experience, this route can lead to a professional qualification as a technical member of the RTPI.

Skills

You'll need to have:

  • creative thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills to come up with imaginative solutions to planning problems
  • a flexible approach, initiative and the innovation to respond to changes and come up with regeneration solutions
  • strong report-writing, communication and organisational skills for liaising with colleagues, developers, architects and possibly members of the public
  • an aptitude for research and keeping up to date with developments in policy and any implications these might have
  • the ability to both work as part of a team and manage an individual caseload
  • project-management skills
  • self-motivation
  • the capacity to listen to, and negotiate with, a range of people and build up a network of contacts
  • the ability to work with accuracy and attention to detail, in order to ensure planning details are exact.

Work experience

Employers are keen for you to get some pre-entry work experience and you can do this in your vacation time, by undertaking an industrial placement year or working part time in the planning department of a local authority or consultancy. Arranging an opportunity to shadow an experienced planner can give you a good insight into the role and the chance to deal with the public and carry out relevant administrative duties.

It's worthwhile becoming a student member of the RTPI as this gives you access to its publications and library, and to membership networks and activities organised by the institute.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

Many town planners work in the public sector for a variety of employers including:

You may also work in the private sector for a firm of consultants, or once you have enough experience, establish yourself as an independent consultant. The RTPI offers information and support for doing this. A consultancy may specialise in a certain area of planning, or it may include a variety of areas and involve work with other professionals, such as architects, engineers and surveyors. For contact details of consultancies, see the RTPI's Directory of Planning Consultants.

Other employers include water, gas and electricity companies and property builders that need help with assessing building locations and submitting planning permissions. Major charities and campaigning organisations also employ planners.

With experience, you could work in a college or university, as a teacher or lecturer of planning-related courses.

Look for job vacancies at:

The following recruitment agencies specialise in planning jobs:

Professional development

If you've completed an accredited RTPI qualification and want to obtain chartered status you must take the RTPI Assessment of Professional Competence (APC).

Before you can apply for the APC, you must gain a minimum of 24 months' (full-time equivalent) spatial planning experience at the relevant professional level, at least 12 months of which must be gained while a Licentiate Member of the Institute.

While you're a Licentiate member you’ll need to complete a reflective journal for a minimum of one year (usually longer if you have no experience) and identify a suitable mentor for yourself. The reflective journal will provide evidence of your experience as a planner and how you have applied your skills and knowledge to real-life scenarios, which is required for applying for the APC. Find out more at RTPI Chartered Town Planner.

The RTPI has a virtual learning portal, which allows you to study modules online. For more information see RTPI Learn and eAcademy.

In the first few years of your career, it's useful to join the RTPI Young Planner Network, which gives you access to training, social events and resources which are aimed at those in the early stage of their careers.

Career prospects

Career structures differ between employers, but after you've gained chartered status with the RTPI your chances of moving into senior positions will increase. Career progression may become quicker at this point.

In the public sector moving from assistant/graduate planner to senior planner can take three to five years. Further promotion may be to the role of a county planning officer. Senior managerial roles typically require a substantial amount of experience, possibly around ten years or more.

If you're prepared to relocate, there are opportunities to move between local authorities. Movement between the private and public sector is also possible, for example between a local authority and a consultancy or charity. You may also decide to specialise in an area of planning such as:

  • community engagement
  • housing
  • transport
  • conservation
  • regeneration
  • sustainable development
  • waste and energy
  • urban design.

If you're interested in working abroad, see the RTPI's advice on Working Abroad and in the UK.

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