Town Planning as a job!

[Fordian]

Does anyone have any insights into the job of being a town planner? DS has asked me to ask on here. He's just finished uni (Graphic Design) and, recognising the downturn in the creative arts economy, is considering other avenues.

Any thoughts would be welcome.
Thanks.

I was a local council planner dealing with planning applications. Loved it! Spent time out of the office carrying out site visits. Lots of variety.
There is also the policy side in local authorities - writing the documents against which applications are determined, based on lots of research.
Lots of private sector opportunities too - specialist planning consultancies, as well as working for house builders, retailers such as supermarkets, charities, Quangos etc.
I qualified 30 years ago after doing a geography degree and then a post grad diploma in town planning on day release. I then applied for charter ship, although I think routes to qualification have changed since.
Government announced extra funding to get extra planners in local authorities in the last budget.

Thank you, that's very useful!

I was a planner for 20 years. I worked in local plans, development management, building conservation, minerals and eventually in environmental planning. It was very diverse and I enjoyed the breadth of it.

I began as a geographer who realized that applied urban geography was called planning.

With a creative background he may want to explore urban design or building conservation as a specialism within town planning.

www.local.gov.uk/pathways-to-planning

This may be of interest.

The other side of this is working for infrastructure companies, who all employ planners

My understanding was that there was a shortage, it’s a few years since I was involved in council planning procedures so I might be out of date. Certainly had trouble getting them in the South East due to high housing costs and salaries pretty well set regardless of area.

I’m a chartered town planner, about 15 years experience, currently working in regeneration. Most of my town planning friends did geography undergrad and town planning master. Some of them just did the master with a completely different undergrad. There’s also town planning degree apprenticeship now so that might be worth looking at (esp on the RTPI website)

It’s a steady job, most town planners work in local government in development management, some in policy, a handful in regeneration. Private sector/ consultancy roles are fun and tend to pay more but a lot of it depends on the work you bring in. There’s also opportunity to go ‘client side’ and work for developers. Private sector roles are concentrated around the big cities and prone to recession.

No two schemes are the same and you’ll get to go out on site visits every now and then. Feel free to message if he has any specific queries

Definitely a shortage of Planning officers and plans to take on more (announced in the Budget)

www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/recruitment-crisis-leaves-planners-unable-to-exceed-minimum-duties#:~:text=on%20the%20ground.-,',to%20'bolster%20local%20resources'.

He might also like Landscape Architecture Landscape architect | Explore careers | National Careers Service

www.lcb.ac.uk/find-a-course/apprenticeship-training/transport-planning-apprenticeship-information/

Thank you so much everyone!