Town Planner

Penguin Recruitment; North East; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A respected planning consultancy based in Newcastle is seeking a Junior Planning Consultant to support senior colleagues and manage smaller projects. This role offers a unique opportunity to grow your planning career within a high-performing team working on diverse projects across the UK. The ideal candidate should hold a relevant degree and demonstrate strong problem-solving skills, alongside excellent communication abilities. The consultancy promotes work-life balance and employee wellbeing, offering competitive salaries and various benefits.

Benefits

Career progression opportunities

Competitive salary

Annual bonuses

Pension contributions

Private healthcare

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Strong interest in town planning.
• Solid understanding of planning principles.
• Confidence in delivering presentations.

Responsibilities

• Support senior staff on major projects.
• Manage smaller planning applications.
• Conduct research and site assessments.
• Prepare planning appraisals and reports.
• Draft planning applications.

Skills

Problem-solving

Analytical ability

Written communication

Verbal communication

Technical writing

Education

Degree in relevant discipline

Job description

Job Title: Assistant Town Planner Town Planner

Location: Newcastle

Penguin Recruitment is delighted to be supporting a respected, employee-owned planning consultancy with the appointment of a Junior Planning Consultant to join their growing Newcastle office. This is an excellent opportunity to develop your planning career within a supportive, high-performing team working on a diverse portfolio of projects across the UK.

The Role

As a Planning Consultant, you will play a key role in supporting senior colleagues while also taking ownership of smaller projects. You'll work on a wide variety of schemes and gain valuable exposure to clients, complex sites, and the full planning process.

Your responsibilities will typically include:

• Supporting senior staff on major projects and helping drive them forward
• Managing smaller planning applications
• Conducting research, analysis, and site assessments
• Preparing planning appraisals, reports, submissions, and development plan representations
• Drafting planning applications and contributions to Environmental Statements
• Liaising with planning officers, consultees, third parties, and fellow professionals
• Building and maintaining strong client relationships
• Developing creative and effective planning solutions
• Taking responsibility for smaller projects from inception to completion
• Staying up to date with planning policy and practice
• Attending external events and delivering presentations where required

About You

The ideal candidate will:

• Hold a degree in a relevant discipline with a strong interest in town planning
• Demonstrate a solid understanding of planning principles
• Be a natural problem-solver with strong analytical ability
• Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Be confident in technical writing and presentations
• Bring creativity, initiative, and enthusiasm

This role would suit a Graduate or Junior Planning Consultant looking to build their experience, or a Planning Consultant seeking the next step in their career.

What's on Offer

Our client provides:

• Excellent opportunities for career progression
• Highly competitive salaries
• Annual bonuses
• Pension contributions
• Private healthcare
• Payment of professional fees
• Flexible working arrangements, combining office and home working
• Supportive, collaborative culture within an employee-owned consultancy
• Additional benefits associated with Employee Ownership Trust status, including tax-free bonuses

You’ll join a consultancy that champions work‑life balance, invests in staff wellbeing, and empowers employees to take an active role in the direction of the business.

Interested?

To find out more, or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact Josh Jones at Penguin Recruitment on (phone number removed) or email (url removed). CVs and informal enquiries are welcome.