GRADuate PROGRAMME
About us
DPP is an independent national planning consultancy, successfully delivering planning solutions to clients across the UK. Operating from a network of five offices around the UK including, Cardiff, Leeds and Newcastle upon Tyne. We provide exceptional planning services, across various sectors, including education, energy, health, residential, retail, leisure and employment schemes. We act for many high-profile clients, including some of the country’s major land developers, housebuilders, and retail operators.
Our Vision To be the planning consultancy recognised for its creative approach to problem-solving and its personal approach to professionalism; and helping visionaries transform areas with tailored planning strategies.
Our Mission DPP is a planning consultancy that secures planning approval for its clients in order to transform areas. We develop planning strategies that make the best use of land and buildings and we aim to drive the sustainability agenda. We empower our people with mentoring and responsibility to create trust and encourage them to give creative advice that navigates a pragmatic route through planning policy. We take individual pride in providing a responsive service to our clients. We value collaboration internally and externally to champion change in the urban environment.
A message from our CEO
Graduate recruitment is at the heart of DPP’s ethos of developing a team which can deliver results for our clients. 52% of our employees started with us as Assistant Planners including two Board Directors and we have a strong track record of promoting from within the company. As an SME planning consultancy, we are able to offer diversity on project types whilst providing opportunities for Assistant Planners to be wholly involved in the delivery of all elements of our schemes.
With our support and training, we have seen new starters flourish in response to the responsibilities they are given. Our Assistant Planners benefit from the fact that we are large enough to be working on some of the most significant projects across the UK whilst being small enough that all employees are visible and integrated across the whole company.
The culture of the company, which focuses on cross office working; varied sector and geographical projects; an active social and corporate social responsibility calendar and a structured training and support programme, means that we have been able to recruit and retain some of the best new planning talent across the UK. Our growth ambitions are based on continuing this strong tradition.
Gareth Hooper – CEO
DPP Graduate programme
Our programme has been curated to offer a mixture of formal seminar training, one to one mentor time and project experience learning. Formal training will include monthly in-house training seminars and occasions throughout the year to attend full day training sessions in one of our offices to get together as a graduate team. There is also the opportunity to attend sessions run externally by various institutes and training bodies including the RTPI and several chances throughout the year to attend networking events with similar planning professionals. In terms of mentoring, on arrival at DPP, you will be allocated a mentor, who will assist you with progress towards MRTPI accreditation and wider career development.
TYPE OF WORK
Our graduates get to work on a varied case load of projects from across our sector range nationwide. We always structure teams on projects with a senior lead which allows graduates to work with multiple offices, and colleagues with different experience and skill sets from across the company. The type of work will involve site appraisals, assisting on planning applications, including consultation, reports and submissions, providing research on policy matters, monitoring and assisting in aftercare work such as discharge of conditions and amendments and much, much more.
employee testimonial
I joined DPP in 2022 as an Assistant Planner while completing my undergraduate studies. From the outset, I was supported in balancing both work and study, which enabled me to gain valuable industry experience alongside my academic studies. Thanks to the guidance and mentorship I received from colleagues, I was able to progress quicky and was promoted to Planner after just one year.
Since then, I have continued my studies and DPP has been supportive of me completing my Master’s degree part-time. During my time here, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects across various sectors including residential, commercial and education. DPP not only offers exposure to a wide range of projects, but also places a strong emphasis on professional development. Regular training sessions and mentorship have contributed to my growth. DPP also prioritises a healthy work-life balance through team socials, CSR activities and networking events.
Eleanor Robinson – Planner
Employee testimonial
I started as an Assistant Planner working part time whilst studying my Masters degree and was made full time when I completed this in October 2019. I have since been promoted to Planner, Senior Planner and then most recently to Principal Planner in 2025. With the various promotions come a lot more responsibility in the job and I now take the lead on major planning applications, provide strategic advice to clients and manage junior staff.
The wide range of projects, the size of the business and the location of the office right in the city centre attracted me to apply to work at DPP. DPP also offered a lot of flexibility whilst I was still studying by allowing me to work part-time prior to finishing my Masters. The wide variety of sectors we work in makes it really interesting day to day and no day is the same. I have been lucky to work on a wide range of projects over multiple sectors during my time at DPP but now focus mainly on residential and education projects which is where my interest lies. If there is something you feel that you do not have as much experience in or you would like more opportunity to work on, then the Directors will listen and action when the opportunity arises.
We have regular lunchtime internal training sessions on a range of topics to help with our learning and development along with the mentor scheme in place to help with the RTPI process. I am a great example of the opportunities for progression in the business as I started my career in planning here at DPP and have been here ever since!
Jessica Knight, Principal Planner
employee testimonial
Joining DPP as an Assistant Planner in 2022 provided me with a strong foundation to grow both professionally and personally. From the very beginning, I have been involved in a diverse mix of minor and major projects, given real responsibility and supported by a team that actively encourages growth and progression. The breadth of experience, combined with excellent support and mentorship, enabled me to advance quickly – being promoted to Planner after one year, and now to Senior Planner. Alongside the opportunities to progress, DPP also promotes a healthy work-life balance, making it a genuinely enjoyable place to build a career.
Cêt Roberts – Senior Planner
employee testimonial
I started at DPP as a Planner and very quickly was given more complex work and projects to undertake. Within 2 years I had been promoted to Senior Planner, and within 4 years I was promoted to Principal Planner. I am always being challenged by more complex and interesting work and no two days are alike. I have recently been promoted to Associate Director which really demonstrates DPP’s commitment to staff progression. DPP provide really valuable opportunities for progression and are always seeking to grow the talents of their employees with extra training sessions, CPD activities and site visits. We are also given plenty of opportunity to have a bit more fun both inside and outside the office – whether that’s going out for drinks after work, away days or our Christmas Parties and trips which are held in different locations across the UK and abroad. DPP is a great place, not just to work, but to really develop your career, excel in the planning industry, and meet some great friends and colleagues along the way.
Oliver Corbett, Associate Director
Interested in a Graduate Career with us?
Send your CV and Cover Letter to
careers@dppukltd.com
See job description here