Principal Planner

Principal Planner
£43,815 - £54,975 per annum

The successful candidate(s) will lead in contributing to the delivery of an efficient and effective Development Management service for the borough, including engagement with developers and other key stakeholders in enabling the delivery of quality developments within a robust planning policy framework.

Your role as Principal Planner will require you to lead on major planning applications and day to day management of junior officers with application caseloads and undertaking delegated signoff of applications. You will also contribute to and take the lead on service improvement and/or other project work as well as having a small caseload of more complex planning applications, pre-applications and appeals to progress.

The posts are career graded, with appointment to a particular grade, and progression between grades dependent on experience and performance.

If you want to help shape this part of east London – and leave a lasting legacy for all its communities – come and join the team!

ABOUT YOU

This is a very key role in the Planning Team and you will play an integral part in driving forward high quality development within the borough.

We are looking for individuals with in-depth planning knowledge and extensive Development Management experience within a high performing Local Planning Authority. You should be self motivated, enthusiastic, able to work as part of a team and have the ability to work at pace and under pressure in a positive and solutions led manner whilst supporting others in their own work.

You will be confident in tackling new challenges and flexible in your approach to your work to adapt and meet the needs of the service. You should be able to lead, innovate and organise, and inspire and nurture the talent and interest of other team members.

You will be politically astute with an appreciation of London and national politics and implications for planning and infrastructure delivery. You will be able to communicate complex and technical information accessibly to a range of audiences and build successful professional relationships both within the Council and with external stakeholders.

Please ensure you refer to the person specification section of the Job description for full understanding of the expectations for the role and the below information in respect of what is required as part of your application. Please note that the qualifications section of the person specification will be used as a minimum short-listing criteria.

ABOUT US

Newham will offer you a unique working environment within a London borough that is at the centre of many of Europe’s most exciting regeneration projects - including the Royal Docks (the new location for the Mayor of London’s City Hall) and Stratford (where the London Legacy Development Corporation’s planning powers will shortly be returning to the borough).

Over the last few years, the Council has adopted a number of key corporate strategies – these include a declaration of climate emergency, underpinned by the objective to make the London Borough of Newham carbon neutral by 2030 and carbon zero by 2050; a Covid Recovery Plan focusing on how the Council can help support residents and businesses to not just recover from Covid-19 but build a stronger Newham for the future; and Community Wealth Building: an inclusive economic approach that aims to address poverty in the borough as well ensure that investment coming into Newham benefits all residents.

Alongside these corporate priorities, the Planning Service is involved in the delivery of c.2800 new homes targeted per year, 31 Strategic Sites, an Enterprise Zone, emerging Opportunity Area Planning Framework, large scale and distinctive employment-generating schemes, and major infrastructure projects underway. Alongside delivering the current Local Plan, the policy team is in the midst of producing a new Local Plan – starting the process of shaping the borough for the next 15 years. The production of the new Local Plan is a corporate priority for the administration, who are focussed on using planning policy innovatively to deliver for Newham residents.

Newham offers many career-defining opportunities to work at pace, at scale, and on innovative responses to complex issues. We are evolving in how we deliver services to our residents and businesses, and we benefit from a hybrid approach to working (ie a mix of office based and home working).

Newham has a flexible working policy and we are open to considering proposals as to the exact pattern of work, such that hours can be arranged around you and your family's needs, as well as our business needs.

APPLYING FOR THIS ROLE

Please submit your application via the online portal, including providing details of your education, qualifications and work history. All applications must be accompanied by a supporting statement which outlines how you meet the requirements of the person specification within the job description. Your application needs to demonstrate clearly and concisely how you meet each of the criteria. Please give specific examples wherever possible. If you do not address these criteria fully, or if we do not consider that you meet them, you will not be shortlisted. Applications that are not accompanied by the required supporting statement will not be accepted. CVs will not suffice.

Please view Principal Planner Job Description

Closing date: 11th June 2023

Additional Information

We are committed to creating an inclusive, anti-racist environment for all. When you apply for a job at Newham, your application is considered on its merits regardless of your age, disability, ethnicity, faith, gender identity or sexual orientation. If you share our vision and values, and you bring the experience and skills we need, that’s all that matters to us.

The London Borough of Newham has important responsib