6893 - Planning Casework Higher Officer - Eastleigh

Natural England; Eastleigh; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Natural England, the government adviser for the natural environment, seeks a Planning Casework Higher Officer in Eastleigh. You will deliver expert statutory advice on planning applications and development plans, and coordinate input from across the organisation to ensure robust, evidence-based outcomes for nature and communities.

You will work in a hybrid model, balancing site-based and office work, with a focus on timely decisions and collaboration with planners, developers and environmental

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality statutory advice on planning applications, development plans and infrastructure projects (including Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects)
• Assess potential impacts on protected landscapes, habitats and species, helping to secure better outcomes for nature
• Work alongside colleagues to coordinate expertise from across Natural England to deliver robust, evidence-based and quality-assured advice
• Build partnerships with customers and stakeholders to resolve complex planning issues to support nature recovery, including providing chargeable services where it supports better environmental outcomes
• Work to statutory targets and deadlines whilst also ensuring all actions are accurately recorded and auditable
• Experience of land-use planning and development management, with a sound understanding of how the planning system can deliver sustainable development and positive environmental outcomes; strong knowledge of environmental legislation, policy and guidance; excellent communication and influencing skills; well-developed organisational and prioritisation skills; good understanding of ecology, nature recovery and environmental protection

Job description

6893 - Planning Casework Higher Officer - Eastleigh

At Natural England, we’re here to make sure people and nature can thrive. We are the Government’s adviser for the natural environment and the Nature regulator with a wide range of statutory duties and powers. We provide the evidence, expertise and advice to recover Nature and shape better places for people to live. We also collaborate with partners, stakeholders, and customers to manage and conserve the Natural Environment.

Strategic Outcomes for Nature

Our strategy is framed through four strategic outcomes. Each of these outcomes reinforces and amplifies the others, and together they address environmental, social and economic actions critical to thriving nature.

• Improving Health and Wellbeing
• Delivering Security through Nature

Our projects are many and varied, find out more about Natural England’s Strategy: Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security – GOV.UK.

Working for Natural England

At Natural England, we want everyone to thrive. We’re as committed to creating an inclusive culture as we are to protecting our environment. We build meaningful and supportive relationships between individuals, groups and organisations, where everyone feels valued and respected, and sees Natural England as a great place to work.

At Natural England, we support a healthy work-life balance by offering full-time, part-time, and flexible working arrangements. You’ll have access to a wide range of benefits that enhance life inside and outside of work.

You’ll get 25 days (pro-rata) of annual leave, increasing by one day each year of service up to 30 days.

You will benefit from flexible working practices that will help you to manage your own work/life balance, such as flexi-time and hybrid home/office working.

We’re as passionate about people as we are about nature and want our people to grow within their careers and so every Natural England employee has 10 working days each year allocated for their personal development.

We also encourage professional development through apprenticeships, self-directed learning or learning providers and encourage membership with relevant bodies to help with your future career.

In addition, our staff have access to a wide range of employee discount schemes including retail reductions, a bicycle salary sacrifice and Health cash plans and insurance.

See more on pay, pensions and benefits at this link Working for Natural England.

Meet some of our employees, and read more about what it’s like to work at Natural England: Natural England: Life | LinkedIn

Our people enjoy rewarding careers and work to improve the lives of everyone who uses England’s green spaces. Everything’s better with nature. You included.

Locations

Natural England has adopted hybrid working and our staff work from a flexible range of locations, encompassing home, offices (ours and our partners) and relevant sites. All staff are linked to one of our 25 offices across England and attend their associated office for 20% of their contractual hours. Staff who are based in the London office are eligible to receive the London Allowance of £3,500 per annum (pro-rata for part-time staff). Travel expenses are paid for all work-related travel, aside from commuting between home and your associated office.

National team roles can be linked with any Natural England office while Area Team roles will be linked with an office in the relevant geographic area. View a map of our office locations here: online map of Natural England office locations

Please note that we have a number of similar vacancies and so we will look to readvertise this role after the closing date until all posts are filled.

As a Planning Casework Higher Officer, you will work at the heart of the planning system, providing expert advice on complex planning applications and strategic development proposals. You will help ensure that growth delivers positive outcomes for nature, communities and future generations.

This is an exciting opportunity to influence decision-making at a local, regional and national level while working alongside planners, developers, local authorities, government bodies and environmental specialists. By engaging early with major developments, we work collaboratively to avoid negative impacts to the natural environment, provide appropriate mitigation and secure large scale environmental outcomes which benefit nature and people’s connection with nature.

You will be delivering the Government’ new Environmental Improvement Plan (Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) 2025 - GOV.UK) by advising Local Planning Authorities on the environmental impacts of Local Plans and individual planning applications. You will also help to develop new approaches to manage pressures like recreational disturbance and water pollution.

You would be part of a friendly, supportive team with opportunities to develop your skills by getting involved in a wide range of cases, opportunities and initiatives. It is a rewarding role with fantastic opportunities to secure positive environmental outcomes on the ground and to further our Nature Recovery Network. You will have the opportunity to work on a wide variety of high-profile cases that will lead to positive outcomes for the natural world.

Key Tasks/Principal Accountabilities

• Provide high-quality statutory advice on planning applications, development plans and infrastructure projects (including Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects)
• Assess potential impacts on protected landscapes, habitats and species, helping to secure better outcomes for nature.
• Work alongside colleagues to coordinate expertise from across Natural England to deliver robust, evidence-based and quality-assured advice.
• Build partnerships with customers and stakeholders to resolve complex planning issues to support nature recovery. Including providing chargeable services where it supports better environmental outcomes.
• Work to statutory targets and deadlines whilst also ensuring all actions are accurately recorded and auditable.
• Experience of land-use planning and development management, with a sound understanding of how the planning system can deliver sustainable development and positive environmental outcomes.Strong knowledge of environmental legislation, policy and guidance, with the ability to interpret and apply these effectively to planning casework and strategic planning activities.Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the confidence to provide clear, evidence-based advice and build productive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.Well-developed organisational and prioritisation skills, able to manage a complex and varied workload, balancing competing demands while delivering high-quality outcomes to agreed timescales.A good understanding of ecology, nature recovery and environmental protection, including protected sites, priority habitats and species, and the role of planning in securing gains for nature.