Principal Planning Officer

We are looking for a highly motivated, experienced planner to join our Development Management service as a Principal Planning officer.

It is a very exciting time to join the team following the adoption of the Council's Borough Local Plan which sets the future direction for development in the Borough. There are a number of large-scale projects coming forward which reflect the challenges in balancing growth in an area constrained by Green Belt and flooding, as well as world famous heritage sites . The Council is also committed to ensuring that future developments are at the forefront in terms of sustainability and maximising the provision of affordable housing in the Borough. This all adds up to a great variety and diversity of work for the team which means each day feels different and there are always new challenges to learn from.

As a department, we set high standards and aim to provide an excellent service for each of our customers, be they local residents, agents or applicants.  Across the teams we work collaboratively and supportively with each other, ensuring that officers have the opportunity to learn from each other as well as benefiting from the experience of senior members of the teams. We are constantly looking at ways we can improve the service we provide to our customer and for our own staff, particularly how we can work better digitally.  Ideas are welcomed from all staff so that we can all contribute to delivering a great planning service.

The Role

We are currently recruiting for a Principal Planner to join one of our Development Management team. The role would sit in a team of Planners, Senior Planners and a Principal Planner managed by one of the Team Leaders. Our teams currently each cover a different area of the Borough, but we encourage a flexible approach to ensure that officers can experience a full range of different applications.

The role would deal with a wide range of applications, pre-application enquiries and appeals, focussing on major applications. We are focussed on delivering the best outcomes for the Borough and our customers, alongside making timely decisions.  Liaising with customers, including councillors, will be a key part of the role. Principal planners regularly present applications to our Committees. They would also be expected to contribute to service improvement projects and help support the teams through any changes.

Principal planners would be the lead officer for our most significant schemes and deputise for the Team Leaders including making delegated decisions and mentoring junior staff.

Successful candidates need to demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication alongside first-rate organisational and time-management skills. A thorough knowledge of planning law and experience of dealing with a wide range of applications is necessary. Experience of dealing with applications in the Green Belt and areas of flood risk as well as Public Inquiries would also be beneficial. Candidates should also demonstrate strong leadership skills.

Full details of the role are set out in the attached documents.