Town Planner

The work
Town planners are responsible for ensuring that urban land use meets the economic and social
needs of the people who live and work in that area. To do this, they have to balance the demands
placed on housing, jobs, transport, leisure and the environment, and make certain that any
development is sustainable.
Town planners work for local authorities, independent planning consultancies, government
departments and private companies. They carry out site appraisals, draw up planning briefs,
coordinate projects and enforce planning controls. Projects can vary in scope and size from largescale strategic planning to local domestic household planning issues. Types of work include:
Neighbourhood renewal dealing with the redevelopment of housing and services within a
particular district earmarked under an improvement scheme. This may include demolition,
rebuilding and refurbishment of properties and amenities, and the redesign of street layout to
improve public safety, control traffic and reduce crime.
Employment regeneration attracting new businesses into an area to develop job opportunities.
Building preservation and land conservation ensuring that historical buildings,
archaeological sites or buildings and land of local significance are retained and restored for the
community.
Transport networks making the most efficient use of existing road, rail and tram networks,
forecasting future demand on those networks and considering new transport construction plans.
Consultancy - representing individuals, groups or companies, assisting with planning
applications or appeals, and negotiating on their behalf with relevant authorities.
An important aspect to the planning role is to collate and analyse the information required to
arrive at a decision on proposals. This can include the use of surveying techniques, geographical
information systems (GIS), computer-aided design work and use of data analysis software.
Several scenarios may be investigated before advice is given to planning committees,
government departments or individuals.
Town planners also commission feasibility studies and impact assessments to judge the potential
effects of planning decisions on the social, economic and environmental make-up of an area.
Another key aspect to the role is liaison with local people and businesses through community
organisations and public meetings to listen to ideas and concerns about proposed changes. They
also work under the local political priorities of the moment, so planners have to be skilled
negotiators and communicators.
Enforcement action against building or development which has gone ahead without planning
permission is also carried out by planning officers.
Planners work with other professionals, such as surveyors and engineers. Where specific expert
knowledge is required, outside specialist consultants may be employed.

Hours and Environment

Town planners in local government work 35 to 40 hours a week with some evening meetings for
senior staff. Part-time and flexi-time may be available.
Those working for a consultancy firm may have variable hours, particularly if the work is in
different parts of the country or abroad.
Most town planners are office-based but may need to travel to attend meetings or visit sites.

Skills and Interests

To be a town planner you should:

have excellent communication, negotiating and presentations skills

have a thorough knowledge of local planning policies and procedures

be familiar with CAD software and GIS systems

be able to undertake research and evaluate data

have good organisational and time management skills

be sensitive to different viewpoints and able to make objective judgements

have good report writing skills

be able to work as part of a team

be willing to undertake professional development

be able to deal with a wide variety of people.

Entry
The normal entry route is to follow a degree course accredited by the Royal Town Planning
Institute (RTPI) or RTPI in Scotland. Subject areas include town and country planning, built
environment, planning and architecture, civic design and environmental planning.
Minimum entry for a degree course is five GCSEs (A-C)/S grades (1-3) with two A levels/three
H grades. Subjects such as geography, economics and social sciences are particularly useful.
Equivalent qualifications may be accepted.
An Access to Higher Education qualification may also be accepted for entry to certain courses.
Please check with colleges or universities for exact entry requirements.
It is possible to move into town planning from a background in architecture, civil engineering or
chartered surveying by taking an accredited postgraduate qualification.
A further option is to undertake the Joint Distance Learning Course, which is offered by the
Open University (OU) in partnership with the Consortium of Planning Schools. The course is
open to graduates and non-graduates and to those already working in a planning office but
without the necessary qualifications to progress. For more details search for JDLC on the OU
website in Further Information.

The RTPI and RTPI in Scotland have full details of approved degree, postgraduate and distance
learning training courses. LG Careers has details of this role within local government. See
Further Information for contacts.

Training
Once employed and a member of the RTPI, you are obliged to undertake a programme of
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) throughout your career. This can include a mixture
of study for higher level courses, for instance postgraduate degrees, research projects,
conferences and technical workshops.
For details of CPD options, contact the RTPI and RTPI in Scotland in Further Information.

Opportunities
The majority of town planners are employed by the government and local authorities, although
opportunities for work in other areas are increasing. Some large firms such as house-builders,
supermarkets and utility companies employ planners to deal with their planning work. Planners
also work for environmental and conservation charities. There are opportunities to work abroad.
Career progression can include movement into senior planning roles, coordinating area or
regional policy and strategy or working for specialist consultants.
Training and experience as a town planner can open up job opportunities in careers such as
industrial promotion, environmental management, urban design, recreation management, market
research, property development, resource management and data processing