Applied through
Licentiate APC (L-APC)
Commended
PES & PCS
Qualifications:
- MSc in Urban Planning at University of the West of England
My career:
Whilst completing a Masters Degree in Urban Planning at University of the West of
England in 2016, I joined Willis & Co, a planning consultancy specialising in rural
planning across England and Wales.
I was subsequently employed as a Planning Officer within the Enterprise Zone and
Avonmouth (EZ&A) team at Bristol City Council, dealing with a mixed caseload of
planning applications and planning appeals.
In 2019 I went on to join Pegasus Group as a Planner where I was responsible for
supporting senior colleagues on various major development projects, as well as
managing my own portfolio of smaller projects. I was promoted to Senior Planner in
2022 and then to Principal Planner in 2024 taking on increasing project management
and client-facing responsibilities in connection with major residential schemes (10-500+
units), commercial developments (1000sqm+) and renewable energy projects (up to
49.9MW).
I am now a Senior Planning Consultant at The Rural Planning Co. having returned to my
roots to apply the knowledge and skills learned in previous roles to the planning sector I
am most passionate about.
APC tips
- Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today!
It is very easy for life and professional commitments to take over and then to put off until
tomorrow tasks that can be done today. This can happen when it comes to the APC.
Having been guilty of this myself, it is strongly recommended to get into the habitat of
recording your professional experiences and things you have learned as soon as you
can (while still fresh in your mind). This will save you so much time in the long run and
your future self will thank you for it! - Pay close attention to the RTPI APC competencies.
It is very important to familiarise yourself with the RTPI APC materials available on the
RTPI website when preparing your APC submission. In particular, pay close attention to
the guidance text regarding 'competencies' and formulate the written elements of the
APC submission around them. - Reach out to others who have recent knowledge and experience of the RTPI
APC process.
A lot of useful advice and encouragement can be gained from fellow planners who have
experienced the APC process, whether recently submitting their own APC or providing
mentoring to APC candidates. I benefited from the experience (and humour) of those I
worked alongside at Pegasus Group in Cirencester when working on my APC
submission as well as the encouragement from university friends and past colleagues.