Introduction
The main purpose of town and country planning is to make the best
use of land and natural resources while conserving the
environment. There are around 10,000 planners employed in
local government within the UK today.
Work Environment
The majority of the work is undertaken in an office. Some travel
throughout the council area is necessary to attend meetings and
make site visits.
Daily Activities
The planner's job is to achieve a balance between the competing
demands for land and its use. Should land be developed for housing
or factories, parks, roads or farming? They consult various
interested bodies and make recommendations to the planning
committee. Planners working at a county level will produce a
Development Plan that outlines the priorities for development,
conservation and improvement. This document is the result of
research into a range of issues concerning housing, industrial,
environmental and ecological needs and sets out strategic policies
and proposals.
Planners employed by district councils develop from this a
detailed local plan, taking into account specific local concerns
and restrictions. Unitary councils will produce a 'unitary
development' plan, which combines the 'county' and 'district'
functions. All applications for development are examined by
planners and their implications considered. Where changes have been
carried out without permission, planners can take action to enforce
a satisfactory outcome.
Skills & Interests
Planners need to be interested in the environment and the effects
of development on people's lives. They must be able to communicate
in writing and verbally with a wide range of people from elected
members, fellow professionals (e.g. architects, solicitors etc),
and members of the general public. Good administrative and
organisational skills are also a must, as are the abilities to
analyse data and carry out research.
Entry Requirements
Only members of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) can
describe themselves as chartered town planners. To become a member
of the RTPI, you must have successfully completed a RTPI accredited
undergraduate or postgraduate degree or diploma course, plus two
years' relevant practical experience.
Minimum entry requirements for first-degree courses are set by
the Universities, usually five GCSE/Standard Grade passes or
equivalent and two A-levels. Recommended subjects include English,
maths, history, geography or foreign languages. Those
with a planning-related degree, such as architecture, geology,
ecology, landscape architecture, statistics, economics or
transport, may follow their degree with a two-year full-time or
three-year part-time course giving a postgraduate planning
qualification. A joint distance-learning diploma/MA in
town planning is also available. See RTPI for
details. For planning support staff, training is usually
on the job and is combined with study for BTEC/SQA National or
Higher National certificates in town and country planning or for
the Level 3 S/NVQ Town Planning Support. Minimum entry requirements
are four GCSEs (grades A-C), including maths.
Future Prospects & Opportunities
Planners are employed in every local planning authority in the UK.
Promotion prospects are generally good, but are often improved by a
willingness to move around the country as posts become
available.
Further Information & Services
Construction Skills www.citb.co.uk
Planning Officers Society www.planning officers.org.uk
Royal Town Planning Institute www.rtpi.org.uk
You may find further information about this area of work through
Careers Wales (www.careerswales.com/) or
in your local library, careers office or school careers
library.