A Q&A with Town Planning Consultants who are working in the development industry. An insight into why they chose to pursue a career in Planning, what it takes to be a good Town Planner and what they love about their job.
Q: What makes a successful Town Planner?
Associate Director
A: To think laterally and find solutions to issues that enable development proposals to be approved.
Senior Planner
A: Being able to spin plates! The ability to keep on top of multiple projects, all with differing timescales and requirements.
Graduate Planner
A: I think you have to immerse yourself in the area you are working in – you need to understand local politics, the views of local people, and the challenges facing the area to being able to deliver successful conclusions for your projects. As someone with (very deep!) roots in Bristol, I love working in Bristol as I am always passively following local opinions and I get to shape planning projects to help address local challenges.
Director
A: Being calm under pressure and attention to detail.
Planner
A: Having good communication skills is a big part of the job – you need to be able to communicate effectively, whether that’s with the client, members of the public, the Council, project team or stakeholders.
Q: What do you love the most about your job?
Director
A: Securing planning permission, but more specifically, problem-solving with planning officers in order to achieve high-quality schemes.
Planner
A: The variety – you have the opportunity to work on a range of projects so it never gets boring!
Graduate Planner
A: I used to work in finance and while you get to make some lucky people a lot of money, there’s nothing tangible to show for it at the end of the day. With planning, you get to see the end result of all the hard work that you and your project team put in. Being able to look at a building and think ‘I helped to make that’ is really rewarding.
Associate Director
A: The variety of projects and being involved in schemes that have can have a significant/positive impact on society.
Senior Planner
A: I enjoy the social interactions which come from managing project teams, liaising with clients, and being part of a multi-disciplinary company that allows you to learn about the wider development process and have good handling on the market.
Senior Planner
A: I love the business development side of the job, networking and meeting other individuals in the industry, although covid has limited that a bit at the moment.
Q: What made you get into Town Planning as a career?
Associate Director
A: My Dad has his own construction firm but I’m hopeless with a trowel and not gifted enough to be an Architect. I have an eye for visualising things and an interest in geography, so Town Planning was the next best thing.
Graduate Planner
A: I had no idea that town planning was a career until after I finished my undergraduate degree in Politics! I always had an interest in cities, politics, architecture and design but I didn’t know there was a career that combined all of these interests until my mid-twenties when I was inspired to look into a new career after a solo trip to Japan. I was addicted to the videogame SimCity when I was younger which may have also had an influence!
Planner
A: I’ve been interested in Human Geography since secondary school, particularly how development can be created efficiently whilst providing all that is needed by the community/wider area. After studying Geography at university, a masters in Town and Regional Planning seemed like a sensible step to becoming part of this process.
Senior Planner
A: I enjoyed studying Geography and Economics at A-level and always had an interest in Architecture (although I’m useless at drawings so knew that wasn’t a career option)! My Geography teacher then told me about Town Planning, which seemed to combine those interests, and I then went on to study it at university and undertook work experience which helped me confirm it was a career I wanted to pursue.
Q: What’s your favourite building in the UK?
Associate Planner
A: House in Assynt: a dwelling of simple, sustainable and innovative design, set within an incredible backdrop.
Planner
A: Ah, this is a difficult one! I’d probably have to say the orangery at Hestercombe, Somerset. My parents had their wedding reception there when I was little and I’ve loved orangeries ever since
Graduate Planner
A: It’s a coin-flip between two (slightly different) buildings – London’s Shard or the Black Cat pub here in Bristol! The Shard has a unique design and I love a public viewing platform – something that we should aspire to deliver more of within Bristol. The Black Cat in Bedminster has such a weird mish-mash of extensions, windows and doors that don’t make any architectural sense but make it really interesting. The fact that a pint is less than £3 also helps!
Director
A: Millennium/Principality Stadium, Cardiff. So often large ‘community’ uses are pushed out of the City Centre to make way for higher-value uses, but their contribution to the success of a city can’t be underestimated.
Senior Planner
A: Probably Park Hill in Sheffield. It’s a 1960’s brutalist housing estate with ‘streets in the sky’ which became Grade II* listed in the 90s. Urban Splash has been renovating it.
Q: What’s your proudest planning moment to date?
Associate Director
A: My first planning permission was for the change of use of a vacant car showroom to a specialist school. Seeing photographs of the school open and following its success on LinkedIn is a reminder of the good we do as Planners.
Graduate Planner
A: There are a lot of projects that are currently in the early stages which I’m really excited about – I love getting to help deliver affordable housing as I know how much it can change people’s lives.
Director
A: Securing approval for a Para 79 dwelling. A cutting edge design and a very rare form of planning permission.
Q: What do you like to do when you’re not planning?
Associate Director
A: I run, cycle or walk the dog – anything that generally requires less brainpower!
Planner
A: I love being outdoors. A walk up a big hill with my family and/or friends on a sunny day is just what I love to do.
Graduate Planner
A: I love to run. I also love visiting old buildings and museums (shout out to Bristol’s M-Shed) and I like to dabble in tracing my family’s history. I also follow Bristol City!
Director
A: Various sports (football, cycling, swimming, running) or walking the dog.
Senior Planner
A: In my free time I try and keep active (whether it’s running, cycling, climbing, touch rugby, workouts/yoga), do cooking and baking, going to the pub, hanging out with friends, hosting dinner parties, volunteering, and very occasionally painting/knitting.