As Chief Planning Inspector, I have the privilege of seeing the contribution people across the planning profession make to the places and communities around us.
World Town Planning Day is an opportunity to celebrate the difference good planning makes to the places where people live, work and spend their time.
Held annually on 8th November, this year’s World Town Planning Day theme, “Great communities are built on planning”, is a reminder that planning is ultimately about people. It works best when professional expertise is brought together with local knowledge, lived experience and a shared ambition to create places that work well now and in the future.
At the Planning Inspectorate, we see every day that this work depends on people with a wide range of skills and perspectives. Inspectors may be the most visible part of our work, but they are supported by appeal planning officers, case officers, environmental specialists and many other colleagues who help ensure our services are fair, open and impartial.
For World Town Planning Day, I wanted to share some of their experiences, including what brought them into planning, what they value about their work and the different paths a career in planning can take.
There is no single route into planning
The range of roles involved is matched by the variety of routes people take into the profession.
Some colleagues started their careers in local authority planning teams. Others came to planning through architecture, conservation, environmental management, law, policy, engineering or other areas of the built environment. Some knew early on that they wanted a career in planning, while others discovered it through a role that allowed them to see places and communities from a new perspective.
That variety matters. The questions planning has to address are rarely simple. Creating sustainable development, protecting the environment, meeting housing and infrastructure needs and understanding the effects of change on communities all require different forms of knowledge and experience.
“I trained as an architect and found myself working with historic buildings, and spending a lot of time with conservation and urban design officers. I really enjoyed that work, and moving into the Planning Inspectorate felt like a natural progression. I can honestly say it was the best thing I ever did.”
Paul Griffiths, Planning Inspector
Different roles, shared purpose
Although our colleagues do different jobs, they are connected by a shared purpose: helping the planning system reach sound, evidence-based outcomes for people and places.
Planning inspectors make independent decisions and recommendations across a wide range of casework. Appeal planning officers consider appropriate appeal cases and gain experience of assessing evidence, policy and the characteristics of different places. Case officers help cases move through the system and provide an important link with the people and organisations using our services.
“I’ve been all over the country and that’s something I really enjoy. I love being able to experience new and different places. Site visits are probably my favourite part of the job.”
Elloise Street, Appeal Planning Officer
Our Environmental Services colleagues bring specialist knowledge to work involving matters such as ecology, landscape, habitats and environmental assessment. Their contribution shows why planning needs more than one professional perspective. Good decisions depend on understanding how social, economic and environmental considerations come together in a particular place.
“What I love about the work is that it’s really meaningful. It challenges me every day and I have a sense of purpose in what I do. There’s also so much variety, from offshore wind and solar farms to carbon capture and nuclear power, and topics ranging from air quality and climate change to ecology and marine mammals.”
Emily Park, Senior Environmental Adviser
Planning as a career
Planning offers the chance to work on questions that have a lasting effect on communities. It can provide a career for people interested in places, public service, the environment, evidence, policy or problem-solving, including those who may not previously have considered themselves a “traditional” planner.
There are several ways to enter the wider profession, including university and postgraduate study, apprenticeships, graduate programmes such as Pathways to Planning, and moves from related disciplines. Within the Planning Inspectorate, the requirements vary between roles, but relevant experience and transferable expertise can open routes that people may not initially have considered.
“There isn’t one right route to becoming a planning inspector. I came to the Planning Inspectorate from within the Civil Service, where I worked on policy development. I found that many of the skills I’d gained, such as policy analysis, critical thinking and decision-making, were directly transferable.”
Darren McCreery, Planning Inspector and Inspector Manager
Looking ahead
The challenges facing communities continue to evolve. Housing affordability, climate change, health inequalities and technological change all affect how places develop and how people experience them. Planning has an important role in helping communities navigate those changes and shape better futures.
That makes it all the more important that the profession continues to attract people with different backgrounds, skills and ideas.
This World Town Planning Day, I want to thank colleagues across the Planning Inspectorate and the wider planning profession for the expertise, care and public service they bring to their work. Great communities are built on planning, and good planning is made possible by the people behind it.
Find out more
Explore the RTPI’s World Town Planning Day programme.
Learn about routes into the profession, including Pathways to Planning.
Explore careers at the Planning Inspectorate and sign up for Civil Service Jobs alerts.
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