Town planner: Job description

Planners are involved in making long and short-term decisions about the management and development of cities, town, villages and the countryside. They aim to balance the conflicting demands of housing, industrial development, agriculture, recreation, transport and the environment, in order to allow appropriate development to take place.

Planners are at the heart of regeneration within towns and cities, taking into account the often competing views of business and local communities. In rural areas, they must ensure that development is sustainable and that the right balance of development is achieved to preserve the countryside. The work of planners also makes a positive contribution to tackling the effects of climate change.

Typical work activities

Planning is a broad area of work that requires many different skills. Some planners specialise in a particular area of work, such as protecting the historical environment or urban design, while others work across a variety of areas. In general, key planning activities include:

• developing creative and original planning solutions to satisfy all parties;
• consulting with stakeholders and other interested parties and negotiating with developers and other professionals, such as surveyors and architects;
• assessing planning applications and enforcing and monitoring outcomes as necessary;
• researching and designing planning policies to guide development;
• researching and analysing data to help inform strategic developments, such as increases in affordable housing provision;
• designing layouts and drafting design statements;
• using information technology systems such as CAD (computer-aided design) or GIS (geographical information systems);
• attending and presenting at planning boards and appeals and at public inquiries;
• keeping up to date with legislation associated with land use;
• promoting environmental education and awareness;
• helping disadvantaged groups express their opinions about planning issues and proposals, and visiting sites to assess the effects of proposals on people or the environment;
• scheduling available resources to meet planning targets;
• writing 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.