Full job descriptionGraduate Town Planner
Location: Preston, Lancashire
Job type: Full-time, permanent
Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience
Are you a graduate looking for a career where your work can genuinely shape the places in which people live, work and build their futures?
We are recruiting for a modern, growing property and planning consultancy based in Lancashire. Working across town planning, land, development and chartered surveying, the business advises homeowners, landowners, developers and commercial clients on projects ranging from individual property developments to major residential, commercial and rural schemes.
This is an excellent opportunity to begin a career in town planning without needing a planning-related degree or previous industry experience. What matters most is that you are bright, curious, commercially aware and genuinely interested in property, development and how land can be used successfully.
The Opportunity
Joining a friendly and highly experienced team, you will gain practical exposure to real planning projects from the outset. You will learn how development proposals take shape, how planning applications are prepared and progressed, and how consultants work with clients, local authorities and other professionals to achieve positive outcomes.
Unlike a heavily structured graduate scheme within a large corporate organisation, this role will give you broad exposure, meaningful responsibility and direct access to experienced professionals. You will be able to see projects develop from an initial idea through to a planning decision and understand the commercial considerations behind them.
Your responsibilities will grow as your knowledge and confidence develop and are likely to include:
*Researching sites, planning histories and local planning policies
*Supporting the preparation and submission of planning applications
*Reviewing planning documents, policies and development proposals
*Helping to prepare reports, supporting statements and client correspondence
*Monitoring applications and liaising with local planning authorities
*Attending site visits and project meetings
*Supporting senior colleagues across a varied portfolio of work
*Keeping clients informed and maintaining accurate project records
*Gradually taking ownership of smaller projects under supervision
About You
You could be a graduate in geography, law, politics, economics, environmental studies, business, history, sociology or almost any other discipline. A planning or property-related qualification would be welcomed, but it is not essential.
We are particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:
*A genuine interest in town planning, property, land or development
*Strong written English and the ability to communicate clearly
*Good research, analysis and problem-solving skills
*Confidence working with detailed information and official documents
*A professional, organised and dependable approach
*Curiosity, initiative and a willingness to ask questions
*The confidence to communicate with clients and external professionals
*A desire to build a long-term professional career
You may already follow local development proposals, take an interest in housing or regeneration, or simply find yourself wondering why developments are approved in some locations but refused in others. If you are commercially minded and interested in how places evolve, this could be an ideal career for you.