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Town planning assistant
Town planning technician
Town planning assistants process applications, give advice about regulations and carry out design work and office administration.
Average salary (a year)
£16000
Starter
£32000
Experienced
Typical hours (a week)
38.0 to 40.0 hours
a week
Work Hours
evenings
attending events or appointments
How to become
Explore the different ways to get into this role
You can get into this job through:a university course; a college course; an apprenticeship; applying directly
University
You can do a degree accredited by The Royal Town Planning Institute before applying for a job as an assistant.
Subjects include
planning, environment and development, city and regional planning, urban planning and property development
Entry requirements
    More Information
    equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
    student finance for fees and living costs|https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
    university courses and entry requirements|https://www.ucas.com/
    College
    You can take a college course to learn some of the skills needed for the job, which may help when applying for a trainee position. Relevant courses include
    Level 3 Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment, Level 3 Diploma in Civil Engineering for Technicians, T Level in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction
    Entry requirements
    You may need:
    • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
    • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
    More Information
    equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
    guide to T Levels|https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/
    funding advice|https://www.gov.uk/further-education-courses/financial-help
    search for courses|/find-a-course
    Apprenticeship
    You can get into this job through a town planning assistant higher apprenticeship.
    This typically takes 24 months to complete as a mix of learning in the workplace and off-the-job study.
    Entry requirements
    You'll usually need:
    • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
    More Information
    equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
    guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide
    Direct Application
    You'll usually need GCSEs and A levels in subjects like geography, graphic design, business studies, English, environmental studies or economics to apply directly for jobs. Some employers may ask for a degree.
    More Information
    Career Tips
    You may have an advantage if you have experience in
    customer service, administration, computer-aided design (CAD), construction, surveying
    Further Information
    You can find out more about careers in town planning from The Royal Town Planning Institute.
    What it takes
    Find out what skills you’ll use in this role
    Skills and knowledge
    You'll need:
      Knowledge of geography
      The ability to work well with others
      Analytical thinking skills
      Excellent verbal communication skills
      Customer service skills
      Business management skills
      Legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
      Maths skills
    Digital Skills Level
    to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
    What you will do
    Discover the day-to-day tasks you’ll do in this role
    Day to day tasks
    In your day-to-day tasks you could
    prepare reports for internal and external publications, record minutes at meetings, build and manage technical libraries, filing systems and databases, draw up plans using computer aided design software, carry out data surveys, like traffic impact assessments, supply information and data to planners for applications, record the progress and outcomes of planning applications, organise public meetings, answer enquiries about application procedure
    Working environment
    You could work in an office.
    Career Path & Progression
    Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities
    With experience, you could progress to team leader or move up to technician level. With further study, you could become a fully qualified town planner.
    You could also set up your own business and offer consultancy in areas like planning law and sustainable design.
    Job profile data provided by The National Careers Service.
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