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Town Planning Recruitment: Trends to Watch in 2025

Published on: 23 Jan 2025

The landscape of town planning across the UK is continuously transforming in order to meet the evolving needs of local communities. To ensure the recruitment of skilled individuals, whose values align with the wider goals of the sector, it’s essential that local authorities and private sector organisations implement a stringent recruitment process and continuously update their recruitment methods.

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As the UK government pushes forward with its target to be net-zero by 2050, recruiting innovative Town Planners is essential for building teams who understand the importance of sustainable development.

If you’re a local authority or private sector organisation hoping to strengthen your recruitment process this year, planning recruitment specialists, Spencer Clarke Group, share 6 town planning recruitment trends to look out for in 2025.

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An increased demand for expertise in climate resilience

As the focus on sustainable development continues to sit at the core of town planning, professionals with expertise and understanding of renewable energy, net-zero and climate adaptation are highly sought after.

As we head through 2025, local authorities could display a preference for candidates who can showcase their knowledge of sustainable practices and even those who have previous experience of working on carbon-neutral developments.

Employers may look out for candidates who have entered the planning sector through routes that have allowed them to enhance their skills in environmental practices. For example, a Chartered Environmentalist who has obtained Chartered town planning status will have a thorough understanding of the effects of town planning on the environment and how sustainable practices can be implemented.

An emphasis on community engagement

An essential part of being a successful Town Planner is effective communication skills and an ability to empathise with local communities.

Town planners are expected to navigate the complex social value requirements that can occur during a project. Therefore, it is beneficial for local authorities and private sector organisations to create a recruitment process that not only assesses a planner’s physical skills, but their ability to effectively communicate.

Town planning recruitment specialist, Josh Draycott, said, “Including behavioural and situational questions within the interview process is a great way for employers to figure out how candidates would deal with different challenges that might occur during the planning process. It’s important that hiring managers have a full insight into the capabilities of a Town Planner so that they can effectively recruit and strengthen their existing team.”

To assess how a Town Planner would handle a difficult situation, a hiring manager could ask ‘How would you approach a community who have a history of resisting new developments?’. This will give an employer a valuable insight into how effectively a candidate is able to communicate.

A focus on those willing to upskill

Continuous Professional Development is essential in any sector and employers within town planning are no different when it comes to employing individuals who are willing to invest in their professional growth.

As planning regulations adapt to meet the changing demands of communities, it’s essential that local authorities and private sector organisations are employing Town Planners who are committed to keeping up with these changes.

A Town Planner with up to date knowledge on planning regulations and enhanced skills in areas such as sustainability should be a desirable hire for employers.

The integration of AI in recruitment

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a beneficial way to streamline a hiring process within town planning and as AI continues to play a significant role in our day to day lives, it has the potential to reduce hiring bias in 2025.

AI-driven recruitment tools are able to match candidates to a role based on their skills and previous experience, therefore mitigating the opportunity for any subconscious hiring bias that may occur without AI.

For example, an AI-powered platform might be able to analyse a person’s experience in using Geographic Information System (GIS) and therefore determine their suitability for a role requiring the planning of a sustainable development.

Automated systems are also efficient for providing candidates with real-time updates throughout the hiring process and therefore can help local authorities and private sector organisations create a smooth recruitment process.

The importance of diversity, equity and inclusion

Diverse perspectives are essential for creating inclusive urban spaces that can be used and enjoyed by all members of a community, regardless of age, gender, ethnic background or any other socio-economic factor.

Recruitment strategies in 2025 must continue to promote the diversity, equity and inclusion within the town planning sector, not only to create a diverse workforce, but to ensure that inclusivity is at the forefront of all planning decisions.

A demand for digital skills

As local governments continue to drive initiatives that address urban challenges and enhance public services through the use of technology, the requirement for planning professionals to be adept in digital skills is as prevalent as ever.

Being able to effectively integrate technology into town planning is especially important in areas such as London, Manchester and Bristol, where ‘smart city’ initiatives aim to create sustainable and more efficient living environments.

In 2025, local authorities and private sector organisations are likely to search for candidates whose planning knowledge is accompanied by a strong proficiency in various areas of technology.

Overall 2025 looks to be another important year for recruitment in the town planning sector. As some Town Planners reach retirement age, it’s essential that local authorities and private sector organisations are training and upskilling professionals to understand the importance of sustainable planning, have desirable digital skills and are able to effectively communicate with local communities.

Spencer Clarke Group are town planning recruitment specialists who support local authorities and private sector businesses nationwide with their temporary, interim and permanent recruitment needs.

Their team of specialists have built long-standing, trusted relationships with numerous local council planning departments, delivering tailored recruitment solutions that address the dynamic and evolving demands of the town planning sector.

In 2024, Spencer Clarke Group was named Recruitment Agency of the Year at the 2024 Recruiter Awards.