Town planner
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.
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:
Salary data from the Royal Town Planning Institute. Salary figures are intended as a guide only.
The vast majority of employers will expect candidates to have an undergraduate degree in planning. To become a chartered town planner (which is advisable) you will need to have completed a Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) accredited degree. A list of accredited degrees is available on the RTPI website and qualifications are offered at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
To qualify for chartered status, you need to ensure that your RTPI accredited qualification has been completed on a combined level of study. This means that both spatial planning and a specialist area of planning have been covered. Combined courses are available at undergraduate level or it is possible to take a spatial or specialist only course. If you choose to do the later you will need to take a complimentary course at postgraduate level, e.g. if you have taken a spatial undergraduate degree, you need to complete a specialist Masters.
Undergraduate courses accredited by the RTPI generally take four years to complete, comprising of three years of study followed by one year of work with an employer and/or postgraduate study.
If you have not taken an RTPI accredited undergraduate degree, you can still qualify for chartered status by completing an accredited postgraduate degree. Details of these can be found on the RTPI website. Graduates from a range of undergraduate degrees are accepted onto the postgraduate courses but the following subjects may be particularly relevant:
Entry on to a postgraduate course for those without a degree but with substantial professional experience in planning may be possible. Contact individual institutions for more information.
If you have an HND rather than a degree, you could consider entry at planning technician level. With relevant experience, this route can lead to a professional qualification as a technical member (TechRTPI) of the RTPI.
Pre-entry experience is desirable for town planners. Examples of relevant experience include vacation work in the planning department of a local authority or with a consultancy, work shadowing a planner, experience of dealing with the public or administrative experience, especially in a local authority.
Candidates need to show evidence of the following:
It is worthwhile becoming a student member of the RTPI, which will give access to publications, membership to networks and their library and allow you to participate in the institute’s activities.
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
All graduates of accredited Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) qualifications (undergraduate or postgraduate) wanting to obtain chartered town planner status (MRTPI) must take the RTPI Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) route. To do this, they need to apply to become Licentiates of the RTPI. The APC route then includes the equivalent of two years of full-time, relevant spatial planning experience, one year of which must completed after the accredited qualification and must be undertaken as a Licentiate.
The candidate must also keep a logbook which reflects on their work and skills and must create a professional development plan. Once the two years of experience is complete the candidate has to submit a written report for assessment.
After qualification, members of the RTPI are required to update their knowledge and skills through continuing professional development (CPD). RTPI members must complete a professional development plan annually, which identifies needs for the next two years, and must undertake and record a minimum of 50 hours of CPD activity in any two year period.
The CPD activity could include attending conferences, workshops and events, details of which are advertised on the RTPI Nations and Regions page. Other activities may include sharing knowledge on membership networks or carrying out structured reading and research.
You could also volunteer for Planning Aid England , a charity that helps those who cannot afford professional planning services.
Career structures differ between employers, but after you have gained chartered status with the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) , your chances of moving into senior positions will increase. Career progression may also become quicker at this point.
Career progression in the public sector from assistant/graduate planner to senior planner can take three to five years. Further promotion may be to county planning officer. Senior managerial roles typically require a substantial amount of experience (possibly ten years+).
There are opportunities for planners to move between local authorities, so progression in the public sector is likely to depend, to a certain extent, upon geographical mobility. Many planners try to change jobs in order to broaden their experience.
Movement between the private and public sector is also possible, for example between a local authority and a consultancy or charity.
With experience it is possible to specialise in different areas of planning, such as:
You may need to move to different departments within the organisation to make use of your specialism or you might have to change employers.
Experienced planners may also choose to move into a different but related industry; the skills and experiences of planners are transferable to areas such as planning law and market research. Planners may also move into property development, with companies that identify and purchase land in predicted sought-after areas.
There are also some opportunities to work abroad for a company or government agency that recognises RTPI-accredited qualifications and membership. See RTPI: UK Planners Working Abroad .
The RTPI offers a range of guidance to support professional planners throughout their careers. See their website for details.
Many town planners work in the public sector for a variety of employers including:
Town planners also work in the private sector. Some may be self-employed as independent consultants while others may work for firms of consultancies of various sizes. The 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 and surveyors. See the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)’s Online Directory of Planning Consultants for contact details of consultancies.
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.
Experienced planners may also work in colleges and universities as teachers or lecturers on planning-related courses.
Directories such as the RTPI's Online Directory of Planning Consultants and the Directory of Local Councils provide useful contact details for speculative applications.
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