Browse all Landscape Planner jobs by location:
Latest Landscape Planner Jobs:
Make speculative applications to companies that interest you:
Don't see what your looking for? Get in touch with our recruitment team:
FAQs about Landscape Planner jobs
This FAQ is for those interested in the specialist career of Landscape Planning, a field that combines environmental assessment, policy, and strategic thinking to shape large-scale development.
What is the primary role of a Landscape Planner?
A Landscape Planner is a specialist professional whose primary role is to evaluate how proposed large-scale developments will affect the landscape and visual character of an area. They act as strategic advisors, ensuring that new projects comply with environmental laws and planning policies. Unlike a landscape architect or designer focused on detailed design, the planner’s work is analytical and evidence-based, involving macro-scale thinking. They are crucial in the early stages of major infrastructure, energy, and housing projects, providing expert assessments that inform and influence planning decisions and help to shape more sustainable and context-sensitive development.
What is a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) and why is it so important to this role?
A Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) is the core technical output for a Landscape Planner. It is a formal, structured process used to assess the potential effects—both positive and negative—of a new development on the landscape itself (landscape effects) and on people’s views (visual effects). This evidence-based report is a critical part of the planning application for significant schemes, such as wind farms, new roads, or large housing estates. For a Landscape Planner, mastering the LVIA methodology, as set out by the Landscape Institute, is essential. It is the primary tool they use to provide objective advice, identify potential harm, and recommend mitigation strategies, such as screening or alternative layouts, to make a project acceptable in planning terms.
What qualifications and skills are required to become a Landscape Planner?
Typically, a Landscape Planner will hold a degree in Landscape Architecture or a related environmental discipline. A postgraduate qualification in Landscape Architecture or Landscape Management is also common. Crucially, employers look for a deep understanding of the UK planning system (including the Town and Country Planning Act and Development Consent Orders for infrastructure), environmental policy, and LVIA guidance. Strong analytical and report-writing skills are non-negotiable. While not a formal requirement for all roles, becoming a Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute (CMLI) is the industry benchmark of competence and is often essential for career progression to senior levels. Proficiency in GIS mapping software is also a highly desirable skill.
Who are the typical employers for a Landscape Planner?
Landscape Planners are most commonly employed by large, multidisciplinary environmental and engineering consultancies. In these firms, they work alongside ecologists, planners, and engineers to deliver the comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) required for major developments. They can also work for smaller, specialist landscape planning practices. Some Landscape Planners are employed in the public sector by local authorities, providing in-house expertise to assess planning applications submitted by developers, or by government agencies like the Environment Agency to advise on the landscape implications of their own projects and policies.
What is the salary range for a Landscape Planner in London versus the rest of the UK?
The salary for a Landscape Planner is broadly comparable to that of a Landscape Architect with similar experience. At an entry or graduate level, salaries might range from £25,000 to £30,000. For an experienced or Chartered Landscape Planner, this rises to a range of £35,000 to £50,000 across the UK. In London, a significant premium is expected, with experienced professionals often earning between £40,000 and £55,000+. Senior or Principal Landscape Planners with extensive experience, particularly those with expert witness skills for public inquiries, can command salaries well in excess of £60,000.
What does the career path for a Landscape Planner look like?
The career path for a Landscape Planner involves progressing from a graduate or assistant role, where you support the production of assessments, to a full Landscape Planner position where you manage your own LVIA projects. The next step is to a Senior and then Principal Planner, where you would lead complex assessments for nationally significant projects, manage teams of planners, mentor junior staff, and act as the main point of contact for major clients. At the highest level, you might become a Technical Director, leading the landscape planning discipline within a large consultancy, or an expert witness, providing evidence at major planning inquiries, which is a highly respected and specialised field.
A private and exclusive forum for Architecture & Design professionals and students.
Backed by industry specialists, it’s where you can engage in meaningful conversation, make connections, showcase your work, gain expert insights, and tap into curated opportunities to advance your career or strengthen your studio.
