Hi, I’m Lily and have been working at Evolve since March 2025 after meeting Isabel during our Masters degrees. When she mentioned that Evolve were looking to bring on another graduate planner, I knew it was an opportunity I wanted to explore. I’m incredibly grateful that I ended up sitting next to Izzy on my first day!
Starting at Evolve Alongside University
I initially joined Evolve part-time, working two days a week alongside the final six months of my studies at the University of Birmingham. Balancing university and work wasn’t always easy, but I really enjoyed being able to put what I was learning into practice.
Working alongside my studies gave me a much better understanding of how planning works outside of the classroom. It was particularly useful to see how the policies and principles we discussed at university actually applied to real sites and development proposals.
After a short delay following an unexpected hospital admission, I was able to submit my dissertation in October 2025 and officially graduate in December 2025.
Getting to Grips with Planning
When I first started at Evolve, I spent a lot of time getting to grips with the planning system. This included carrying out site appraisals. This entailed identifying constraints and understanding which planning policies could apply to different types of development.
As my confidence grew, I started writing planning statements and became more involved in coordinating and delivering community engagement.
Community consultations are still something I find challenging, particularly when it comes to speaking to people who truly object to development, but they have been some of my best learning experiences. They’re also an important part of the planning process and a great opportunity to hear directly from local communities about how they feel a development could affect their area.
Taking on More Responsibility
Since moving to Evolve full-time, I’ve had much more opportunity to get stuck into the different types of planning applications and processes.
I’ve now prepared and submitted full planning applications independently, in addition to working on outline applications, reserved matters, pre-applications, non-material amendments, prior approvals and conditions as well as Call for Sites. Having the chance to work across such a broad range of applications has been a great way to build my knowledge and understand how the different parts of the planning system fit together.
I’ve also started taking the management lead on projects, particularly dog fields and small residential schemes. One of the things I enjoy most is being able to follow an application from the initial appraisal, through preparation and submission, and hopefully all the way to planning permission.
Progressing to Planner
In September 2026, I was really excited to be promoted to Planner. It feels like an important milestone in my career and a great reflection of how much I’ve developed since joining Evolve as a graduate planner.
I’m really looking forward to taking on the role, building on the experience I’ve gained so far and continuing to develop my knowledge and confidence across a wider range of projects. I’m excited to see where this next stage of my career takes me and to continue progressing towards becoming a Chartered Planner.
Working on Strategic Housing Developments
Alongside these smaller projects, I’ve also had the opportunity to assist with larger strategic housing developments across the West Midlands.
My involvement has included helping with the preparation and submission of applications, as well as supporting the project management and community engagement side of these schemes.
It’s been particularly interesting to see how different the process can be when working on larger sites, with more consultants, technical considerations and stakeholders involved. I’ve also really enjoyed being able to organise and take part in public engagement events for these developments.
Life Outside of Evolve
It’s not just my planning career that’s moved forward since joining Evolve!
Over the last year and a half, I’ve passed my driving test, bought my first car and purchased my first home. It’s been a pretty big period of change, and I’ve been incredibly lucky to have had the support and encouragement of everyone at Evolve along the way.
The team are now patiently waiting for their invitation to come and see the new house once it’s looking a little more presentable!
I also took on a completely different challenge in July 2025, completing the 52km Ultra Challenge in the Peak District. It was a brilliant experience and a great opportunity to spend time with the team outside of work – although I have to admit, I wasn’t exactly a ray of sunshine for much of the day!
Looking Ahead
It’s hard to believe how much has changed since I first joined Evolve as a graduate planner. I’ve learnt so much over the past year and a half, and being promoted to Planner in September 2026 feels like a really exciting next step in my career.
I’m looking forward to taking on more responsibility, continuing to build my knowledge across a wider range of projects and developing my confidence as a planner. One of my main goals is to work towards gaining my chartership, hopefully in 2027, and I’m excited to continue working towards this alongside the next stage of my career at Evolve.
It’s been an amazing first year (and a half!) at Evolve, and I’m incredibly grateful to be part of such a supportive and friendly team. From joining as a graduate alongside my studies to now taking the next step as a Planner, it’s been a really rewarding journey so far and I’m excited to see what the next chapter brings!
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