Position: Major Projects Planning Officer (Planning)
Location: Millmead, Guildford, GU2 4BB
Start Date: ASAP
Contract Duration: 5+ Months
Working Hours: 37 hours per week
Pay Rate: PAYE: £52.50 per hour
Job Responsibilities:
- Manage, assess, and determine strategic, major, and complex planning applications
- Lead Planning Performance Agreement (PPA) cases from pre-application through to determination
- Negotiate planning outcomes in line with planning policy, statutory requirements, and corporate priorities
- Secure and negotiate Section 106 agreements with legal, technical, and specialist consultees
- Prepare detailed reports and recommendations for Planning Committee
- Present planning applications at committee meetings and respond to Member, stakeholder, and public queries
- Provide strategic pre-application planning advice to applicants and developers
- Liaise with elected Members, developers, agents, internal departments, and external stakeholders
- Attend Member briefings, site visits, and stakeholder meetings where required
- Manage planning risks, resolve complex issues, and ensure timely delivery of planning decisions
- Support the wider planning team by providing professional advice and mentoring where appropriate
Person Specification:
- Extensive experience managing major and complex planning applications
- Strong knowledge of UK planning legislation, policy, and development management
- Experience negotiating Section 106 agreements and Planning Performance Agreements (PPAs)
- Ability to prepare high-quality committee reports and present recommendations confidently
- Excellent stakeholder management, negotiation, and communication skills
- Experience working with elected Members, developers, consultants, and statutory consultees
- Strong analytical, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines
- Proactive, solutions-focused approach with sound professional judgement
- Experience in a local authority planning environment (essential)
Job Reference: 5301057
Job Types: Full-time, Temporary, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 5 months
Pay: £52.50 per hour
Experience:
- managing major and complex planning applications: 2 years (required)
- Development Management/Planning Officer: 2 years (required)
- negotiating Section 106 Agreements: 2 years (required)
- managed Planning Performance Agreement (PPA) cases: 2 years (required)
- working within local authority planning environment : 2 years (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
