Hiring a Chartered Town Planner – the benefits

It is important to ensure you hire the right professional for the right project. Planning is not a protected profession. Anyone, from Architects and surveyors to home improvement companies will claim to offer planning services. By hiring a chartered planning consultant you will receive the very best advice, ‘quality assured’ by the Royal Town Planning Institute, the professional body for planning.

Planning consultants work with their clients, stakeholders and the Local Planning Authority involved in granting planning permission. Their knowledge and expertise will ensure your home improvement, project, or business development gets the support it needs to gain the all important planning permission. Chartered town planning consultants:

• Provide accurate, impartial and cost-effective professional planning advice to ensure their client’s planning applications receive a smooth journey through an often expensive and complex planning process.
• Offer a fresh, independent approach to solving complex planning issues.
• Understand how add value and get the most for their clients from the planning system.
• Build effective relationships with the Local Planning Authority, community and other affected by their clients planning applications.
• Hold professional indemnity insurance, protecting them and their client.
• Direct instructions to Barristers, without their client having to use a solicitor as an intermediary;

Consultants offer a wide range of services, and many offer additional specialist advice. To get a better understanding of what a planning consultant can offer contact consultant or consultancy listed within this directory.

Below is an example of services provided:

• Advice, preparation and submission of planning applications
• Appeals against refusal of planning permission
• Advising on potential development opportunities through site appraisals and development feasibility studies
• Representing clients interests in public inquiries
• Environmental impact assessments
• Master plans and urban design studies
• Policy research
• Public consultation and involvement
• Enforcement notices
• Certificates of lawfulness

Finding the right consultant

Use this directory to search by location or by skills and knowledge listed under ‘search by specialism’. It is always best to have a no obligation discussion of the services you need with a consultant. The RTPI recommends you approach a minimum of three consultants and consultancies to ensure you understand the options available to you.

By ensuring the consultant is aware of all the issues relating to you planning issue, the consultant will then be able to propose a solution or solutions that will meet your expectations. Getting an honest and accurate picture of the job form the outset is essential to its success and to establishing a mutual understanding.

Chartered Town Planners

Membership of the RTPI as a Chartered Town Planner, or as a legal member of the RTPI, is an internationally recognised mark of professional expertise and competence. The RTPI has over 2,500 consultant members and more than 1,000 firms offering the services of consultant Chartered Town Planners or legal members of the RTPI. They range in size from sole practitioners or small partnerships, through to large, international, multi-professional practices including architects, economists, engineers, surveyors and other specialists. Some smaller practices may also have access to similar professional skills.

About RTPI

The Royal Town Planning Institute is the UK's leading professional body for planning , and is the largest planning institute in Europe with over 23,000 members. Chartered town planners are members of the RTPI who have met the highest standards in education and practice, and are accountable to an independent Code of Professional Conduct. For further information please visit http://www.rtpi.org.uk/membership/professional-standards/