Town planning assistant
Construction and the built environment
Level 4 -
Work with, and provide technical and administrative support to chartered town planners.
Reference: OCC0936
Status:
SOC 2020 sub unit groups:
- 2452/02 Town planning officers
- 3120/99 CAD, drawing and architectural technicians n.e.c.
- 4112/99 Local government administrative occupations n.e.c.
Technical Education Products
Employers involved in creating the standard:
East Suffolk Council CBRE Edgars Ltd Basildon Council Indigo Planning Savills Greater Cambridge Shared Planning South Cambridgeshire District Council St Albans City & District Council Brighton & Hove City Council Winchester City Council
Summary
This occupation is found in the planning, construction, architectural, infrastructure, environmental and local government sectors. Town Planning Assistants may work in local authorities, small consultancies, large multi-disciplinary consultancies, central government or other organisations undertaking planning work.. The broad purpose of the occupation is to work with, and provide technical and administrative support to Chartered Town Planners to deliver new developments and to shape and create sustainable places for the benefit of the public. They also help members of the public and/or clients to navigate the planning system and explain its rules and requirements. The work includes both office based work and site visits. Town Planning Assistants need to be willing and able to travel for site visits. Town Planning Assistants research and compile site history and undertake initial site analysis for developments including producing documentation and graphical representations as well as checking compliance with legislation and environmental designations. They assist Chartered Town Planners with community engagement and consultation and provide members of the public, clients and councillors with relevant planning advice. Town Planning Assistants manage a caseload of planning applications under supervision and support Chartered Town Planners to deliver projects. Town Planning Assistants who are Associate Members of the Royal Town Planning Institute must abide by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Code of Professional Conduct and ethical standards They must also abide by an Employer Code of Conduct.. In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with a range of both internal and external stakeholders such as Chartered Town Planners, developers and clients, as well as members of the public and local councillors. They also need to interact with specialists in a range of occupations including Architects, Surveyors, Building Control, Housing Officers, Urban Designers, Ecologists, Historic Environment Officers, Transport Planners and Landscape Architects. The role is varied, office based with meetings and visits on site.. An employee in this occupation will be responsible for their own work including undertaking preliminary research, initial analysis and interpretation of written policy documents, case law and planning legislation, and planning history of a site or area and making recommendations to Chartered Town Planners. They work under the supervision of Chartered Town Planners for more complex analysis and assessment work including writing reports and processing major planning applications. They are expected to manage their workload to set deadlines and work in accordance with health and safety and environmental considerations..
Employers involved in creating the standard:
East Suffolk Council CBRE Edgars Ltd Basildon Council Indigo Planning Savills Greater Cambridge Shared Planning South Cambridgeshire District Council St Albans City & District Council Brighton & Hove City Council Winchester City Council
Typical job titles include:
Keywords:
Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)
Duties
Duty D1
Research and compile site history including any land use policy restrictions and constraints
Duty D2
Undertake initial site analysis through site visits, taking site photographs, analysis of maps
Duty D3
Measure proposals for development, as represented on a site plan or in elevation, to understand the size and scale of the proposed buildings and structures
Duty D4
Summarise policy constraints, site research and baseline analysis with regards to planning applications or proposal for developments and present the information clearly and concisely in written and verbal format to Chartered Town Planners
Duty D5
Review environmental and other specialist designations and reports to provide a preliminary assessment of the environmental and physical impact of planning applications and/or development proposals.
Duty D6
Monitor and check proposals for development, planning applications and/or completed proposals for compliance against relevant local, strategic and national planning requirements including statutory obligations and conditions. Commence Enforcement investigations under the supervision of a Chartered Town Planner.
Duty D7
Apply relevant legislation and national and locally adopted policy when working on planning projects and casework.
Duty D8
Provide clear and relevant advice to members of the public, councillors, agents and/or clients on planning issues, face to face, by phone and by email and other communications.
Duty D9
Manage a caseload of straight-forward planning applications and representations to development plans under supervision.
Duty D10
Assist Chartered Town Planners with consultation and/or community engagement on planning applications and/or strategic or local plans including taking part in technical discussions on proposals for development with members of the public and/or councillors and justifying the stance you take.
Duty D11
Attend and speak at planning meetings, in an office environment and on site, and keep an accurate record of meetings
Duty D12
Support Chartered Town Planners to deliver projects including following a project plan and ensuring key timescales are met.
Duty D13
Describe and code plans, planning documents, and supporting material accurately within a relevant workplace document filing system or casework management system
Duty D14
Work as part of a multidisciplinary team, knowing who to consult and seeking advice from other disciplines where relevant
Duty D15
Prepare documentation including graphical representations, maps and site plans and present to clients and/or local authority committee under supervision.
Duty D16
Assist Chartered Town Planners with planning appeals, collating casework materials and supporting documentation and responding to written evidence and other planning information presented by the opposing side.
Occupational Progression
This occupational progression map shows technical occupations that have transferable knowledge and skills.
In this map, the focused occupation is highlighted in yellow. The arrows indicate where transferable knowledge and skills exist between two occupations. This map shows some of the strongest progression links between the focused occupation and other occupations.
It is anticipated that individuals would be required to undertake further learning or training to progress to and from occupations. To find out more about an occupation featured in the progression map, including the learning options available, click the occupation.
Progression decisions have been reached by comparing the knowledge and skills statements between occupational standards, combined with individualised learner movement data.
Construction and the built environment