Town Planning Assistant

Typical Salary

£16,000 To £30,000

Typical Hours

38 to 40 a week

evenings attending events or appointments

How To Become a Town Planning Assistant

You can get into this job through:

a university course
a college course
an apprenticeship
applying directly

College / University

You can do a degree accredited by The Royal Town Planning Institute before applying for a job as an assistant.

planning, environment and development
city and regional planning
urban planning and property development

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

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

Apprenticeship

You can get into this job through a town planning technical support advanced apprenticeship.

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

Routes into this Career are not listed for this job.

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.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

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
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day tasks could include:

preparing reports for internal and external publications
recording minutes at meetings
building and managing technical libraries, filing systems and databases
drawing up plans using computer aided design software
carrying out data surveys, like traffic impact assessments
supplying information and data to planners for applications
recording the progress and outcomes of planning applications
organising public meetings
answering enquiries about application procedure

Working Environment

You could work in an office.

Career Path & Progression

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.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & 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.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.