Introduction

The main purpose of town and country planning is to make the best use of land and natural resources while conserving the environment.

There are around 10,000 planners employed in local government within the UK today. They are found in all types of councils.

Work Environment

The majority of the work is undertaken in an office. Some travel throughout the council area is necessary to attend meetings and make site visits.

Daily Activities

The planner’s job is to achieve a balance between the competing demands for land and its use. Should land be developed for housing or factories, parks, roads or farming? They consult various interested bodies and make recommendations to the planning committee.

Planners working at a county level will produce a Structure Plan that outlines the priorities for conservation, development and improvement. This document is the result of research into a range of issues concerning housing industrial, environmental and ecological needs, and sets out strategic policies and proposals.

Planners employed by district councils develop from this a detailed local plan, taking into account specific local concerns and restrictions. Unitary councils will produce a ‘unitary development’ plan, which combines the functions of Structural and Local Plans.

All applications for development are examined by planners and their implications considered. Where changes have been carried out without permission, planners can take action to enforce a satisfactory outcome.

Skills & Interests

Planners need to be interested in the environment and the effects of development on people’s lives. They must be able to communicate in writing and verbally with a wide range of people from elected members, fellow professionals (eg. architects, solicitors etc), and members of the general public. Good administrative and organisational skills are also a must, as are the abilities to analyse data and carry out research.

Entry Requirements

Only members of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) can describe themselves as chartered town planners. To become a member of the RTPI, you must have successfully completed a RTPI accredited undergraduate or postgraduate degree or diploma course, plus two years’ relevant practical experience.

• Minimum entry requirements for first-degree courses are set by the Universities, usually five GCSE/Standard Grade passes or equivalent and two A-levels/Higher Grades. Recommended subjects include English, maths, history, geography or foreign languages.
• Those with a planning-related degree, such as architecture, geology, ecology, landscape architecture, statistics, economics or transport, may follow their degree with a two-year full-time or three-year part-time course giving a postgraduate planning qualification.
• A joint distance-learning diploma/MA in town planning is also available. See RTPI for details.
• For planning support staff, training is usually on the job and is combined with study for BTEC/SQA National or Higher National certificates in town and country planning or for the Level 3 S/NVQ Town Planning Support. Minimum entry requirements are four GCSEs/Standard Grades (grades A-C), including maths.

Estimated salary range

£20,600 – £25,700 possibly rising to £29,000+ in some areas.

Please note that salary information is a guide only and there may be local agreements in place. For further information about salaries for particular positions, please contact your local council directly.

Future prospects & opportunities

Planners are employed in every local planning authority in the UK. Promotion prospects are generally good but are often improved by the willingness to move around the country.

Related Occupations

Follow this link to view a list of all related occuptions in Protecting Your Community.
Alternatively, follow this link to view all career profiles placed in the same job area.

Further Information & Services

Royal Town Planning Institute www.rtpi.org.uk

Planning Officers Society www.planning officers.org.uk

Construction Skills www.citb.co.uk

Shape East www.shape-east.org.uk/index.html

You may find further information about this area of work in your local Connexions service/careers office/school careers library – under BC.

What should I do next?

Look for current local government Town & Country Planner vacancies in the following places:

• LGjobs.com - the official recruitment website for local government.
• Weekly, bi-weekly or monthly jobs bulletins produced by local councils themselves, available from libraries, community centres, town halls/main civic buildings and central council personnel departments.
• Local council websites.
• Local newspapers
• National newspapers – The Guardian is particularly well known for its public sector job advertisements on a Wednesday.

Find out about the council and get some work experience if possible by:

• Making the most of work experience placements arranged through your school, college or university.
• Contacting councils close to your home to find out about the work experience opportunities they offer.
• Talking to someone who does the job you are interested in – ring your local council to see if someone can spare some time.
• Making an appointment to see a careers adviser for more specific information about jobs and training.