Frances Keenan

Planning Built Environments MA

Frances completed an undergraduate degree in Geography and gained experience working in property management recruitment. After retraining through a master’s in planning Built Environments at BCU, she progressed into a management role in development planning. She is now a Planning Manager at Spitfire Homes, leading planning applications and large-scale projects.

“My journey to BCU began with an undergraduate degree in Geography. After graduating, I spent time working in property management recruitment before moving into a Graduate Planning Officer role within local government. Shortly afterwards, I joined BCU on the part-time master’s course in Planning Built Environments, graduating with a distinction.

My experience studying at BCU was highly positive. I studied part-time alongside other students, many of whom were working in Local Planning Authority roles across the Midlands. I particularly enjoyed the team-based and practical experience of the course.

Since graduating from BCU, my career has progressed across both local government and private sector planning roles. I continued working in local authority planning before moving into private practice.

I am currently a Planning Manager at Spitfire Homes, where I oversee planning activity across a range of development projects. The role is varied and fast-paced; I support the bidding process by planning appraisals and reports, overseeing the work of external consultants to prepare and manage planning applications, and liaising directly with planning authorities and statutory consultees to help secure successful outcomes.

The knowledge and skills I gained at BCU are directly applicable to my current role; The Development Project module was particularly relevant, as it involved working closely with students from related built environment disciplines such as real estate and building surveying. This collaborative, practical experience reflects how planning works in practice and has been invaluable in my day-to-day role.

For anyone considering studying this course at BCU, my advice would be to give it a go. Studying part-time alongside work, BCU offered a flexible and supportive environment that allowed you to incorporate professional experience into the modules and projects.

The most challenging aspects of my career have been adapting to changes in planning policy and the subsequent increase in development activity, which have increased the workload. I have overcome these challenges by working collaboratively with colleagues, quickly adapting and learning new policy contexts.

My proudest achievement since graduating was winning the Young Planner of the Year. In the long term, I would like to work on large-scale projects such as new towns and sustainable urban extensions that play a meaningful role in shaping places. I am also keen to continue my ambassadorial role with the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and advocate for change within the built environment industry.

My advice to fellow BCU graduates is to take every opportunity that comes your way and never say no.”