Graduate Planner

Start Your Planning Career with Ashford Borough Council

Are you looking to build a career in town planning while studying towards a professionally recognised qualification?

This is an amazing opportunity to gain hands-on experience across a wide range of planning disciplines while working towards a Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) accredited master’s qualification.

As one of the fastest-growing areas in the Southeast, Ashford offers an exciting environment in which to develop your planning career. You will work alongside experienced planning professionals and gain exposure to development management, planning policy, enforcement, section 106 monitoring, place-making, and strategic growth projects.

What You'll Be Doing

As a Graduate Planner, you will support the delivery of a high-quality, customer-focused planning service and gain experience in:

Processing planning applications and pre-application enquiries
Assisting with planning appeals and enforcement investigations
Monitoring planning permissions and planning conditions
Researching and contributing to planning policy development
Supporting public consultation and stakeholder engagement activities
Monitoring Section 106 agreements and developer contributions
Liaising with applicants, developers, councillors, consultees, residents and other stakeholders
Attending site visits, meetings and public events
Developing your professional knowledge and planning expertise through structured training and practical experience

You will have the opportunity to experience different elements of the council’s role as a local planning authority and gain an understanding of how planning supports sustainable growth and regeneration.

Professional Development and Training

We are committed to supporting your professional development.
The successful candidate will be expected to undertake a part-time master’s degree in Town and Country Planning (or equivalent), likely the MSc Urban Planning and Resilience at the University of Kent.

We will provide:

Payment of course and examination fees and on-the-job training and mentoring from experienced planners. This training programme is expected to last two years and will lead to a fully RTPI-accredited qualification.

Essential Requirements

A minimum 2:2 degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject such as planning, geography, environmental studies, social sciences, or other built environment disciplines
Eligibility for, or willingness to undertake, an RTPI-supported planning qualification
Five GCSEs (Grade A–C / Grade 4 or above), including English and Mathematics, or equivalent
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Good IT skills and confidence working with data and statistics
Ability to work effectively as part of a team
Enthusiasm for planning and a commitment to professional development
Flexible and adaptable approach to work

It is esential that you have a full driving licence and access to a car to use for work purposes.

What We Offer

In addition to professional training and development opportunities, you'll benefit from:

A diverse and varied workload across multiple planning disciplines
Supportive and experienced colleagues
Opportunities to work on high-profile development and regeneration projects
Flexible working arrangements
Essential car user allowance where required by the role
A clear pathway towards becoming a qualified planning professional

If you are passionate about shaping places, supporting sustainable growth, and developing your career in planning, we'd love to hear from you.

Interviews will be held week beginning 24.08.2026 and we are looking for a mid September start date.

Click to view a full Job Description

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Harriet Turner, Deputy Team Leader - Plan Making and Infrastructure on [phone removed]

When Applying: Please ensure that you have received confirmation of a submitted application once completed. For any assistance in completing the application form, please email [email removed]

Hybrid Working - We are an organisation that puts people first and understands how important employee wellbeing is. We want to help you to balance your working life and home life and offer flexible ways of working to help structure your life in a positive and productive way; both at home and in the office. This maximises personal development and collaborative working. Competitive remuneration package - We offer an excellent salary linked pension scheme, generous annual leave with flexi time, free life insurance, supportive relocation package and opportunities for training and development.

With devolution news and talks evolving across the country for local authorities, we understand that there may be some uncertainty for those currently serving within the sector. Local Government Reorganisation proposals have been announced on the 16 July 2026 and Kent, Medway and all District and Borough Councils in the Southeast will continue to work closely with each other to deliver vital services to our communities. This is an exciting, but stable time to join our organisation.

Ashford Borough Council recognises the need to ensure the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults when they come into contact with the services we provide

We welcome applications form the Armed Forces Community