What does a Town Planner do?

The Core Task: Seeing the Bigger Picture

A key strength of a town planner, compared to other professions like architecture or engineering, is their ability to see the bigger picture. They don’t just look at a single building in isolation.

Instead, a planner must consider how a new development fits into its surroundings. Depending on their role, this “bigger picture” could be at a neighbourhood, town, regional, or even national level.

Planners are often referred to by different names, including:

City planners
Spatial planners
Urban designers
Environmental planners

TOWN PLANNERS IN ENGLAND

In England, the planning system is designed to work in the public interest. Guided by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), planners must aim to achieve sustainable development. This involves balancing economic, social, and environmental factors to find the best way forward.

Because development can be controversial, a planner’s role often involves finding the right ‘planning balance’ between the benefits of a proposal and its potential impacts on the community and environment.

WHERE DO TOWN PLANNERS WORK?

Town planners have a wide choice of careers across three main sectors: the public sector (government), the private sector (business), and the third sector (non-profit and academic organisations).

Public Sector: Working for the Community 🏛️

The public sector is the largest employer of town planners, due to the regulatory nature of the planning system.

Local Government: Most planners in this sector work for local councils (e.g., district, borough, or county councils). Their main tasks are assessing planning applications, providing professional advice to elected councillors, and writing the Local Plan—the key document that guides future development in the area.
National Government & Agencies: Opportunities also exist with national bodies like the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and agencies such as the Planning Inspectorate (which handles appeals) and Homes England. These roles often focus on national policy and major infrastructure projects.

Private Sector: Advising on Development 🏗️

The private sector offers many commercial roles, primarily as planning consultants or as in-house experts for companies.

Planning Consultants: Consultants offer expert advice to clients navigating the planning system. A typical project involves:
- Site Appraisals: Assessing a potential development site against planning policies to determine its viability.
- Application Management: Preparing and coordinating all the documents needed for a planning application on behalf of clients like housebuilders or businesses.
- Appeals and Inquiries: Representing clients at planning appeals if an application is refused.
In-House Planners: Many large organisations employ their own planners. You can find roles within housebuilding companies, major retailers, energy firms, and architectural practices, where planners work as part of the development team.

Planners in the private sector don’t just work for developers; they are also hired by individuals or community groups who need expert help to object to a proposed development.

Third Sector: Working for a Cause 🌳

The third sector includes non-profit organisations where planners can use their skills to advocate for specific issues. This includes roles with:

Charities and Trusts: Organisations like the National Trust or the CPRE (The Countryside Charity) employ planners to help protect the environment and heritage.
Universities and Think Tanks: Planners work in academia, researching planning theory and influencing future policy.
Community and Aid Groups: Roles can involve supporting community-led housing projects or working on international development schemes.

Who Do Town Planners Work With? 🤝

Town planning is a highly collaborative field. To bring a project to life, a planner must coordinate with a wide range of other experts. While roles can sometimes overlap, planners typically work alongside professionals such as:

Architects and Urban Designers
Engineers (transport, civil, and environmental)
Surveyors
Landscape Architects
Environmental Consultants
Heritage and Conservation Officers
Property Developers and Builders
Lawyers and Lobbyists

What is a Chartered Town Planner? 🎓

Like many related professions, town planning has a professional institute that sets standards for quality and ethics. To become a Chartered Town Planner, a planner must be a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

Just as architects are often members of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) or ARB and surveyors are members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the RTPI is the hallmark of a fully qualified and experienced planning professional.

The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)

Becoming a Chartered Member of the RTPI allows a planner to use the letters MRTPI after their name. While you don’t have to be chartered to work in the field, it is a globally recognised accreditation that demonstrates a high level of professional expertise and integrity.

Key benefits of becoming chartered include:

Professional Recognition: It’s a mark of quality and competence for employers and clients.
Global Standard: The achievement is recognised around the world.
Continued Development: It requires members to keep their skills and knowledge up to date.
Credibility: It adds weight when giving evidence as an expert witness in planning appeals or court cases.

For more information, visit the official website: www.rtpi.org.uk

A Rewarding Career 🏆

The work of a town planner physically shapes the world we live in. It’s a challenging but incredibly satisfying profession, especially when a project you’ve worked on is built and improves a community.

By guiding development in the public interest, planners help deliver the homes, jobs, schools, parks, and transport links that people rely on every day. In a world of constant change, their role in creating sustainable, functional, and beautiful places has never been more important.

See also: How to Become a Planner

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