2020 candidates

Applied Through: Licentiate Route

Commended: Whole submission

Qualifications

• BSc (Hons) Planning, Environmental & Development - Birmingham City University
• MA Planning Built and Natural Environments - Birmingham City University

Experiences

To gain work experience I undertook a summer placement at Birmingham City Council where I learnt about planning in a local authority. Following the completion of my master’s degree, I started as Graduate Planner at Birmingham City Council which was a dual officer role working in development management and planning policy. A year later I was promoted to a Senior Planning Officer role and have worked in this role since.

My day to day role includes processing and determining a mixed caseload of minor and small-scale to major planning applications, negotiating with developers and providing planning advice. Whilst challenging at times, the experience I gained in this role allowed me to develop professionally and prepared me for my APC submission.  

APC Tips

Use your Reflective Journal – Make the most of your reflective journal by not only filling it in regularly but really using it to highlight the times when things did not go to plan and what you learnt from this. I found the case studies where everything went wrong were actually the best case studies I could then use for my submission as I had learnt so much.

Attend RTPI APC Events – I attended an RTPI webinar on the APC submission which provided top tips for a successful APC submission and how to avoid some of the most common pitfalls.

Submit when the time is right for you – Submit when you are confident that you have gained enough experience to demonstrate that you meet all the competencies not just when you have reached your two years’ experience. I delayed my submission by a year as I felt I could not meet all the competencies at that point.

Applied Through: Experienced Practitioner Route

Commended: Whole submission

Experiences

At the start of my career I took up a role as an administrator with Planning Service, an Agency of the Department of the Environment (DOE). This time provided me with an invaluable insight which made me want to become a planner. I took up a role as Planning Assistant within the Planning Service, Newry & Mourne Development Management Team. During this time the applications I dealt with evolved from minor applications to include a variety of application types from residential schemes, retail applications, industrial applications, tourist schemes and renewable energy applications.

Subsequently I moved to Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council to a Planning Assistant role in development management. As such I have had the opportunity to work within two planning systems (central and local government) and new legislative frameworks.

I was successful in gaining a promotion to Planning Officer within the development management team of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, where I currently work. I deal with are a lot more urban based applications including large scale residential schemes, retail and industrial schemes with a wide range of complex issues and increasing levels of complexity and controversy.

APC Tips

• Make notes throughout your career on projects that you felt you delivered well or could have improved. Having these at hand will make it easier when choosing appropriate case studies. I found it useful to tick off competencies as I meet them when working through my case studies.

• Give thoughtful and honest consideration to your PDP, this is a beneficial tool that helps to highlight areas which you find challenging and in turn requires you to address these areas through the most appropriate training avenues.

• Your PES, PCS and PDP are one submission and as such should interlink and be reflective of each other.

Applied Through: Licentiate Route

Commended: Whole submission

Qualifications

BSc Urban Planning and Property Development - Heriot Watt University 

Experiences

I moved from Edinburgh to Aberdeen to join CALA Homes (North) Ltd as a Land Graduate and have since been promoted to Land Buyer. I have been very fortunate working at CALA to have been involved in a wide range of projects and gained considerable experience of the housebuilding industry. My responsibilities range from site identification and assessment, stakeholder engagement and community consultation, the preparation, submission and management of live planning applications and the progression of sites through the local development plan process.

Working within the housebuilding industry has provided me with the opportunity to work alongside built environment specialists, enhancing my overall understanding of urban design and interpreting planning and technical information, to create viable design solutions. This has demonstrated the importance of collaborative working and stakeholder management to be able to create successful residential developments. 

APC Tips

Don’t try and do everything at once – Take each part of the submission individually and don’t try and tackle everything at once.

Make a short list of potential case studies – I certainly found it helpful to note the key points and then clarify how and if each potential case study could effectively satisfy the criteria. Make sure you are confident in each of the case studies you choose to submit.

Speak to other Chartered Members – Gain an understanding of what challenges other professionals faced when producing their APC and consider the guidance available. Discuss with your mentor or line manager and speak to colleagues and friends who have also completed their APC.

Applied Through: Licentiate Route

Commended: Whole submission

Qualifications

Master of Planning, Planning in Real Estate - University of Manchester

Experiences

I joined Deloitte Real Estate’s Planning and Development team in Manchester as an Assistant Planner through their graduate scheme. Since joining Deloitte Real Estate, I have been involved with a range of projects from Manchester City Centre regeneration schemes, to large residential and employment led strategic sites nationwide. I also have experience in promoting sites through the local plan process and preparing representations when required.

APC Tips

• Start your APC journey by registering as a licentiate; signing up to the free RTPI APC Webinars; reading the guidance document; and, undertaking the RTPI Learn free Bitesize modules. This will help you understand the process better.
• Arrange regular meetings with your APC mentor as they will be able to offer guidance and provide you with helpful feedback.

Applied Through: Experienced Practitioner Route

Commended: PES and PCS

Qualifications

BA (Hons) Town Planning – Newcastle University

MSc Planning, Design and Development - University College London

Experiences

I joined David Lock Associates (DLA) as a ‘Year Out’ Assistant Planner where I was responsible for assisting in the preparation and submission of planning applications for development proposals across the UK. I grew in confidence and became firmly embedded in an onshore wind project where I gained enhanced knowledge of the planning processes involved at each stage of development. I made the move from private to public sector and began working as a Planning Assistant at Tewkesbury Borough Council (TBC). 

A temporary relocation saw my return home to the place which first inspired me to embark on a career in planning - the Lake District. I was appointed as Policy Planner at the Lake District National Park Authority amid their Local Plan Review and applied my previous experiences to prepare evidence-base documentation and lead on potential site allocations.  

I re-commenced my role at TBC and progressed to Senior Planning Officer. I manage a varied caseload of applications and enjoy the diversity of working within Tewkesbury Borough where the interplay of various constraints, combined with growing development pressures, present a continual challenge that serves to further my professional development.

APC Tips

Don’t panic! The APC can appear a daunting task but start by becoming familiar with the guidance and make sure you understand what is required for each section and each of the competencies. You cannot read the guidance enough times – read, re-read and read again!

Keeping in touch. The PES needs to be corroborated by previous employers and it makes the APC process so much easier if you’re still in contact and on good terms with your former workplace(s). 

Applied Through: Licentiate Route

Commended: PDP

Qualifications

BSc Human Geography – Cardiff University

MSc Spatial Planning – University College London

Experiences

I began working for my Local Planning Authority in Oxfordshire, gaining insight into the processes and procedures of the public sector. This familiarity with public sector ways of working helped me to inform and maintain professional relationships when working on projects with a variety of individuals across all sectors.

I began a part-time Masters whilst working at Maddox Associates, following my move to Gerald Eve. I have now worked in Gerald Eve’s Planning & Development team based in the West End for three years.

At Gerald Eve, I am involved in a variety of projects ranging from minor applications to masterplan schemes, with experience advising clients on residential, commercial and mixed-use proposals across London. 

APC Tips

Organisation is key – For two years pre-submission, I set a weekly reminder to spend one hour noting down Reflective Journal entries and case study ideas. This allowed me to consider projects that I might use, and made the whole process less overwhelming.

Read the guidance closely – I highlighted key sections of the guidance which I would constantly refer back to throughout my submission to ensure that I was addressing items correctly.

Checklists - For example, I extracted all competencies and sub-competencies from the guidance and created my own checklist and notes section. This enabled me to reflect on projects that would address the criteria and ensure that I had addressed every competency within my submission.