What Do Town Planners Do?
03 Oct, 20241-2 minutes
In this blog, you will learn:
- What a Town Planner does.
- Why Town Planners are important.
- The qualifications required to be a Town Planner.
- Who employs a Town Planner.
- Where the latest Town Planner jobs are and how to apply for them.
From Inverness to Portsmouth and every town or city in between, they all have one thing in common… they wouldn’t exist without the expertise of Town Planners. Whether it’s right up North or in the depths of South England, the infrastructure you see all around was carefully planned, developed and executed by Town Planners.
As of 2023 there were around 22,000 planning professionals in the UK, highlighting that the demand for Town Planners shows no signs of slowing.
In our recent blog, we’re exploring the role of Town Planners and the important part they play in the execution of towns near you!
What does a Town Planner do?
Put simply, Town Planners are responsible for developing cities, towns, rural areas and villages across the UK. As well as shaping the physical and social elements of rural and urban areas, Town Planners lead the way by enhancing the day-to-day life of those who occupy such areas.
Amongst their responsibilities, planning professionals must also ensure that sustainability remains a priority within their activity by fostering sustainable land use strategies, such as biodiversity.
A Town Planner must have a comprehensive knowledge of planning regulations in order to ensure compliance with legal requirements throughout the planning and development process. Should a Town Planner fail to comply with planning regulations, they could face legal action.
In order to meet the ever-changing demands of local communities, Town Planners are encouraged to involve residents and stakeholders in their decision-making and ask residents for feedback on the planning process and how it will affect their day-to-day lives.
Why are Town Planners important?
Town Planners play an essential role in helping local politicians, organisations and residents
decide on how to use land and infrastructure. For example, they must balance social and economic issues alongside the need for sustainability, when decisions are being made about whether a piece of land can be built upon. They must weigh up all factors to ensure the best decision is made for the benefit of the local community.
Why is sustainability important in town planning?
Sustainable town planning is important as not only must the needs of current local communities be addressed, the quality of life for future generations must also be acknowledged.
Planning recruitment specialist, Joel Khambay, says “Town Planners need to consider the sustainability of transport, how efficiently energy will be used and the fact that communities need green spaces when they are planning and developing.”
Protecting natural resources is also highly important for Town Planners. The Town and Country Planning Association puts a significant emphasis on creating ‘healthy, sustainable and resilient’ places for people to live and work and they have been promoting the inclusion of green spaces in urban areas for over 100 years.
What qualifications are required to be a Town Planner?
In order to work as a Town Planner, an individual will usually need to have a relevant undergraduate (or postgraduate) degree that is accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute. Typically, degrees might include urban planning, town planning or geography.
Once an aspiring Town Planner has completed their academic qualifications, they might choose to gain professional experience through an internship or entry-level position in a planning agency or private firm.
In order to practise as a fully qualified planner, individuals must pass the RTPI Assessment of Professional Competence to gain chartered status.
Who employs a Town Planner?
Throughout the UK, Town Planners are typically employed by local government bodies, environmental organisations, transportation authorities, housing associations and other private organisations. Town Planners are found within an expansive spectrum of sectors up and down the country!
Planning jobs
If you’re searching for your next interim planning job, why not take a look at the latest vacancies, or simply upload your CV to be notified when a relevant position becomes available.
Planning recruitment services
As planning recruitment specialists, we support local authorities and private sector businesses nationwide with their temporary, interim and permanent recruitment needs.
If you’re struggling to fill a vacancy, why not get in touch with our planning specialist, Joel Khambay on 01772 954200 to see how we can help?
Who is Spencer Clarke Group?
Established in 2017, we’re a vibrant and progressive recruitment agency based in the heart of the North West.
We continually reimagine the recruitment process to challenge convention and defy expectations; from creating a better recruitment experience to remodelling employee engagement, we thrive off doing things differently and turning heads along the way.
We operate in two sectors:
In eleven specialisms:
Healthcare, Social Care & Nursing
Corporate Functions & Business Support
