About this course
- Entry year: 2012/13
- Course code: K40067
- Award type: Certificate
- Applications: Direct to Faculty of Environment and Technology
- Level: Professional/Short Course
- Department: Planning and Architecture
- Campus: The courses are delivered at a variety of locations in the UK
- Duration: The Certificate can be completed in one year, but you can work at your own pace and take longer
- Course director: Sandra Manley
Introduction
Enforcement has a crucial place at the heart of the planning system. Enforcement officers need to have a good understanding of a wide range of planning issues, as well as the complexities of the legal system that facilitates the enforcement process. Dealing with the public, often in stressful situations, demands high levels of professionalism and interpersonal skills.
The ability to negotiate, to solve problems, to collect and comprehend the nature of evidence are some of the skills that an enforcement officer needs. Gaining the confidence to present cases and to appear in court and at planning enforcement enquiries is an important step towards career development.
This course aims to extend your knowledge and skills in these areas, to enable people working in planning enforcement to develop and demonstrate their competence as effective and reflective practitioners.
A flexible way of learning
The Certificate in Planning Enforcement offers a distinctive and flexible mode of learning, enabling you to study at your own pace, taking into account your work and personal commitments.
Assessment for the certificate is a series of practical tasks based on the normal work of planning enforcement officers. For example, gathering and presenting evidence, assessing the quality of evidence and identifying shortcomings, writing short reports for a planning committee, drafting enforcement notices, attending a magistrate’s court or planning inquiry as an observer. There are no formal written examinations. You will receive feedback from tutors on each assessment task that you complete.
To prepare you for each assessment task, there is a one day (or sometimes two day) course. These courses are run in an annual cycle and take place in Bristol.
You can, if you wish, attempt the assessment task without going on the related short course, if you feel that you have gained sufficient knowledge and skills through your work, and especially if you have already attended relevant courses. If you do the assessment without attending the course, you pay a much reduced fee. When you apply to study for the certificate, you will give us details of your experience. This will enable us (with your employer) to advise you on what courses to attend.
Entry Requirements
Applicants to the course must demonstrate that they have the ability to succeed on the course.
You may have an A-level or BTEC National Certificate, or you may apply on the basis of your work experience.
To apply for the course, please complete the profiling form.
Students with disabilities
We welcome applications from disabled people and are committed to providing appropriate support. We will make every effort to make reasonable adjustments to the core activities of the course which are set out below to enable disabled students to successfully complete the course.
- Use a computer
- Read and understand drawings, plans and maps
- Visually inspect buildings and locations, including physical movement around and through buildings and locations
- Undertake team working and negotiation
- Take part in discussions and presentations
We encourage applicants to disclose details of their impairment or support needs in their application forms, so that we can offer information, advice and support. There is a Disability Service at UWE Bristol and a Disability Support Co-ordinator in the faculty.
Further information
If you would like an application form or further information about the course please contact:
Sarah Howell (course administrator) Sarah.Howell@uwe.ac.uk or +44 (0)117 32 83996
Julian Spicer (admissions officer) fet.admissions@uwe.ac.uk or +44 (0)117 32 834242
Course content
The certificate is made up of three modules, and each module is divided into a number of topics, each of which has a short course and assessment task.
Planning Enforcement
This module concentrates on the development of a basic understanding of the planning system and how the enforcement process fits into the mainstream activity of planning. The module is associated with short courses such as:
- An Introduction to the Planning System
- An Advanced Course on the Planning System
- Planning Enforcement for Newcomers
- Enforcement: The Basics
- Enforcement: An Advanced Course
- Is Planning Permission Needed?
- Understanding Plans and Drawings
- Enforcing Planning Conditions
Planning Enforcement - Expert Witness
This module extends the capabilities of enforcement officers in relation to the preparation and presentation of evidence. It is associated with short courses such as:
- Effective Planning Appeals; Written Representations and Hearings
- Training for Public Inquiries (two day course)
- Probity in Planning
Planning Enforcement - Professional Practice
The final module involves you undertaking a work based project. Where possible, the project should also be of benefit to your employer and help to extend your experience into new areas of responsibly. To achieve this, the project will be agreed between you and your tutor at UWE, together with your workplace mentor (see below).
Learning Support
You will be allocated an academic tutor for the whole course, and your employer will also be asked to allocate a workplace mentor. Your tutor will monitor your progress, giving you guidance and feedback on your assessments, usually on the same day as you attend a short course. Your tutor will normally be one of the short course presenters, so you will meet them face to face.
As a student on the course, you will have access to information through the UWE intranet, and be able to take part in web based discussion groups with fellow students.
Accreditation
The course has been prepared in consultation with the National Association of Planning Enforcement and with other groups who represent enforcement officers. The Royal Town Planning Institute has welcomed the initiative in principle, and the scope for accreditation of the course by the RTPI is under discussion.
Page last updated 14 December 2011