Planning - What job and career opportunities are there?

Planning departments within Scottish local authorities have a range of job titles, reflecting the different specialisms and seniority levels within the planning system. Here's a breakdown of common roles:

Core Planning Roles:

• Planning Officer / Town Planner: This is the most common entry and mid-level role. Planning Officers are responsible for processing planning applications, providing advice to applicants and the public, assessing proposals against planning policy, and preparing reports for decision-makers. They may specialise in either:
  • Development Management: Dealing with individual planning applications (residential, commercial, etc.) and enforcement.
  • Planning Policy / Spatial Planning: Developing and reviewing local development plans, strategic spatial policies, and supplementary planning guidance.
• Senior Planning Officer / Senior Town Planner: More experienced planners who handle complex cases, mentor junior staff, and may take on supervisory responsibilities.
• Principal Planning Officer: A higher level of seniority, often leading specific teams or projects, with significant experience and expertise.
• Team Leader / Planning Manager: Responsible for managing a team of planning officers, overseeing workload, ensuring performance targets are met, and contributing to service improvement.
• Chief Planning Officer: The head of the planning service for the local authority. This is a senior strategic role, advising the council on planning matters, leading the department, and ensuring the delivery of national and local planning priorities.

Specialist Planning Roles: 
Depending on the size and specific needs of the local authority, you might also find specialist roles such as:

• Planning Enforcement Officer: Focuses specifically on investigating and addressing breaches of planning control.
• Heritage / Built Heritage Officer: Specialises in protecting and managing historic buildings and conservation areas.
• Urban Designer: Focuses on the design quality of developments and public spaces.
• GIS Officer / Geospatial Information Systems Specialist: Manages and uses geographical information systems for mapping, data analysis, and visualising planning proposals. (While not always directly in the planning department, they often work closely with it).
• Development Plans Officer: Dedicated to the creation, review, and adoption of development plans.
• Strategic Planner: Works on long-term, broader-scale spatial strategies, sometimes at a regional level.

Support and Administrative Roles: 
Planning departments also rely on administrative and technical support staff, including:

• Planning Support Officer / Administrator: Provides administrative assistance to the planning team, managing correspondence, processing applications, and maintaining records.
• Technical Support Officer: May assist with more technical aspects of planning, such as preparing drawings or managing digital systems.

Entry-level and Training Roles:

• Planning Apprentice: Opportunities for individuals to gain qualifications and experience in planning while working.
• Graduate Planner / Junior Town Planner: Entry-level positions for university graduates in planning or related fields.

These titles can vary slightly between different Scottish local authorities, but the core functions remain consistent. Many roles require or encourage membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).