Applied Through: Licentiate Route

Commended: Whole submission

Qualifications

BSc Urban Planning and Property Development - Heriot Watt University 

Experiences

I moved from Edinburgh to Aberdeen to join CALA Homes (North) Ltd as a Land Graduate and have since been promoted to Land Buyer. I have been very fortunate working at CALA to have been involved in a wide range of projects and gained considerable experience of the housebuilding industry. My responsibilities range from site identification and assessment, stakeholder engagement and community consultation, the preparation, submission and management of live planning applications and the progression of sites through the local development plan process.

Working within the housebuilding industry has provided me with the opportunity to work alongside built environment specialists, enhancing my overall understanding of urban design and interpreting planning and technical information, to create viable design solutions. This has demonstrated the importance of collaborative working and stakeholder management to be able to create successful residential developments. 

APC Tips

Don’t try and do everything at once – Take each part of the submission individually and don’t try and tackle everything at once.

Make a short list of potential case studies – I certainly found it helpful to note the key points and then clarify how and if each potential case study could effectively satisfy the criteria. Make sure you are confident in each of the case studies you choose to submit.

Speak to other Chartered Members – Gain an understanding of what challenges other professionals faced when producing their APC and consider the guidance available. Discuss with your mentor or line manager and speak to colleagues and friends who have also completed their APC.