Planning Officer CV Example
A planning officer CV highlights your expertise in town planning, development control, and policy implementation within local government or planning consultancies.
Recommended template: BoldPro
Key Skills to Include
Quick Tips
- Include your RTPI membership status and chartership progress.
- Detail the types and scales of planning applications you have assessed.
- Mention experience presenting at planning committees and public inquiries.
- Highlight knowledge of the National Planning Policy Framework and local plan preparation.
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A planning officer CV must demonstrate your technical knowledge of the planning system, your ability to assess development proposals, and your communication skills for engaging with applicants, consultees, and elected members. Employers want to see that you understand the NPPF, have experience processing applications or preparing policy documents, and can make sound planning judgements. Whether you work in a local authority or a private consultancy, your CV should reflect your ability to balance competing interests and deliver well-reasoned planning decisions.
CV Structure
Use a reverse-chronological format with your RTPI membership status listed prominently. Include a profile summarising your planning specialism, experience, and key achievements, followed by your career history, qualifications, and skills. Each role should describe the types of applications or policy work you handled, the scale of your caseload, and notable outcomes. Keep your CV to two pages.
CV Format
Choose a professional, clean template appropriate for a public sector or consultancy environment. Planning roles require clear written communication, so your CV should demonstrate this through precise language and well-structured content. Use bullet points for responsibilities and achievements, and ensure your RTPI membership details are easy to find. Save as a PDF.
CV Profile Examples
Experienced Planning Officer
RTPI-chartered planning officer with seven years of experience in development management within two metropolitan borough councils. Assessed and determined over 600 planning applications ranging from householder extensions to major residential schemes of up to 500 dwellings. Skilled at negotiating with developers, preparing committee reports, and presenting recommendations to elected members at planning committee meetings.
Senior Planner — Policy
Senior planning policy officer with nine years of experience in local plan preparation, evidence base development, and strategic site allocation across a district council area. Led the preparation of a Local Plan that allocated 12,000 new homes and guided development over a 15-year period. Experienced in managing public consultations, coordinating with statutory consultees, and presenting evidence at local plan examination hearings.
Graduate Planner
Recently qualified planner with an RTPI-accredited MSc in Town Planning and one year of professional experience in a private sector planning consultancy. Prepared planning statements, heritage assessments, and design and access statements for residential and commercial development clients. Eager to develop my career in development management or planning policy within a local authority setting.
State your RTPI membership status, years of planning experience, and your specialism in development management, planning policy, or both. Include the scale of your caseload and one or two headline achievements such as applications determined, appeals won, or policy documents adopted.
Key Skills for Your Planning Officer CV
Development Management
Assessing planning applications against policy, negotiating with applicants, and making or recommending decisions on development proposals.
Planning Policy
Preparing, reviewing, and implementing local and national planning policy including local plans, supplementary documents, and neighbourhood plans.
NPPF Knowledge
Applying the National Planning Policy Framework to development management decisions and policy preparation processes.
Planning Applications Assessment
Evaluating the planning merits of development proposals considering design, amenity, highways, ecology, and heritage impacts.
Public Consultation
Managing statutory and non-statutory consultation processes for planning applications and policy documents, engaging residents and stakeholders.
Environmental Assessment
Screening and reviewing Environmental Impact Assessments for major development proposals in accordance with the EIA Regulations.
GIS Software
Using geographic information systems to analyse spatial data, produce site plans, and support planning assessments and policy evidence.
Committee Report Writing
Producing detailed planning committee reports with clear policy analysis, consultation summaries, and reasoned recommendations for elected members.
Work Experience Examples
For each role, describe the type of planning authority or consultancy, the nature of your caseload, and the types of applications or policy work you handled. Quantify your experience with application volumes, decision timeframes, appeal outcomes, and Section 106 contributions secured. Include examples of committee presentations, appeal work, and negotiation outcomes.
Planning Officer — Development Management
Sheffield City Council — Planning & Building Control Service
Assessed and determined planning applications across a diverse caseload including householder, minor, and major applications within a core city local authority.
Responsibilities
- Assessed approximately 120 planning applications per year against the Local Plan, the NPPF, and relevant supplementary planning documents.
- Negotiated amendments to development proposals with applicants and agents to achieve acceptable schemes and reduce refusal rates.
- Prepared delegated decision notices and committee reports with clear planning assessments and justified recommendations.
- Presented major and contentious applications to the planning committee, responding to questions from elected members and public speakers.
- Consulted with statutory consultees including highways, environment, and heritage officers, and assessed their responses within the planning balance.
Achievements
- Maintained a caseload clearance rate of 92% within statutory timeframes, exceeding the team target of 85%.
- Successfully defended three appeal decisions at written representations stage, all of which were dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate.
- Negotiated a Section 106 agreement on a major residential scheme that secured £1.8M in affordable housing and community infrastructure contributions.
Graduate Planner
Carter Jonas LLP — Planning Consultancy
Provided planning advisory services to private sector clients seeking planning permission for residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments across the East Midlands.
Responsibilities
- Prepared planning applications, planning statements, and supporting documents for submission to local planning authorities.
- Conducted planning policy appraisals, assessing development proposals against local plan policies and the NPPF.
- Attended pre-application meetings with local authority officers on behalf of clients, presenting development proposals and recording advice.
- Monitored planning policy consultations and emerging local plans relevant to client interests.
Achievements
- Secured planning permission for a 45-dwelling residential scheme on appeal, preparing the planning evidence that contributed to the Inspector's decision to allow the development.
- Managed a portfolio of eight live planning applications simultaneously, all achieving positive outcomes within the target timeframe.
Education & Qualifications
List your RTPI-accredited planning degree first, whether at undergraduate or postgraduate level. Include your RTPI membership status and chartership progress. Note any specialist training in areas such as heritage planning, environmental assessment, or viability analysis.
RTPI Chartered Membership
Full membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute, the professional body for town planners in the UK, demonstrating competence and ethical practice.
RTPI-Accredited Planning Degree
A degree accredited by the RTPI, providing the academic foundation for professional membership and planning practice.
Assessment of Professional Competence (APC)
The RTPI's professional assessment required for chartered membership, demonstrating practical planning competence through a portfolio and interview.
Certificate in Urban Design
A specialist qualification in urban design principles and practice, valuable for planners assessing the design quality of development proposals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need RTPI membership to work as a planning officer?
How do I show planning expertise on my CV?
Should I include appeal experience on my planning CV?
Is private sector planning experience valued in local authorities?
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