Position: Senior Planning Officer (Planning)
Location: Civic Centre, St Albans, AL1 3JE
Start Date: ASAP
Contract Duration: 6+ Months
Working Hours: 37 hours per week
Pay Rate: PAYE: £35.21 per hour
Job Responsibilities
- Manage and determine complex planning applications, including major, minor, and complex household applications.
- Provide professional planning advice and guidance to applicants, colleagues, elected members, and the public.
- Assess planning proposals against national and local planning policies.
- Prepare clear and robust planning reports, recommendations, and committee reports.
- Support planning appeals, enforcement matters, and provide professional evidence where required.
- Negotiate with applicants, agents, and stakeholders to achieve quality planning outcomes.
- Ensure planning decisions are consistent, transparent, and legally compliant.
- Provide expert advice on development management matters, including Green Belt policies.
- Maintain knowledge of planning legislation, policies, and best practice.
- Undertake site visits and attend meetings, including occasional evening committees.
- Manage competing priorities while meeting statutory planning deadlines.
Person Specification
Skills & Experience
- Significant experience working as a Planning Officer within a local authority environment.
- Strong experience handling complex major applications, complex minor applications, and household planning applications.
- Proven experience in development management and planning decision-making.
- Experience preparing planning reports and presenting recommendations.
- Experience dealing with planning appeals, enforcement matters, and professional planning advice.
- Strong understanding of national and local planning policy, including Green Belt policy.
- Ability to work independently and manage a varied caseload.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to engage effectively with applicants, residents, elected members, and stakeholders.
- Good knowledge of planning IT systems.
Knowledge
- Strong understanding of the planning process and development management.
- Knowledge of planning legislation, policy frameworks, and appeal procedures.
- Understanding of how development management links with local plans and strategic planning.
- Knowledge of urban design, regeneration, and development viability is desirable.
Qualifications
- Degree or Masters qualification in Town Planning or related discipline.
- Chartered Membership of RTPI or eligibility to apply for chartership.
Comments
Temporary Senior Planning Officer role supporting St Albans City & District Council's Development Management team.
Candidates must have significant local authority planning experience, including complex major applications, complex minor applications, household applications, and Green Belt policy knowledge. The successful candidate should be able to work independently, manage a caseload, and demonstrate a strong performance track record.
Candidates should be able to attend office days as required and must have access to a vehicle and valid driving licence for site visits.
Job Reference: 5300915
Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 6 months
Pay: £35.21 per hour
Application question(s):
- Are you RTPI Chartered or eligible to apply for Chartered Membership?
Experience:
- Planning Officer: 2 years (required)
- handling development management applications: 2 years (required)
- development management applications: 2 years (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
