Apprentice Planning Policy

West Suffolk Council; Bury St Edmunds; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority council in Bury St Edmunds is offering an exciting Planning Policy Apprentice position, ideal for those looking to start or change their career. This role combines paid study time with hands-on experience in various planning tasks, supporting local communities and fulfilling the educational requirements of the apprenticeship. The council emphasizes climate action and offers a range of benefits, including flexible working options, generous holiday entitlement, and a supportive learning environment.

Benefits

25 days holiday entitlement

Generous pension scheme

Flexible working options

Life assurance

Access to employee benefits package

Qualifications

• No prior work experience required.
• Willingness to learn and adapt.

Responsibilities

• Assist in preparation of the Local Plan.
• Support development management team colleagues.
• Help prepare supplementary planning documents.

Skills

Good communication skills

IT skills

Education

Five GCSEs at grades 9-4 including Mathematics and English

A level 3 qualification or equivalent

Job description

Overview

West Suffolk Council are offering an exciting opportunity for a Planning Policy Apprentice where you "earn and learn". This apprenticeship pathway will give you the hands‑on experience, knowledge and confidence to lead you into a career within Planning Policy and give you the chance to fully realise your potential within a fast‑paced and proactive organisation. Town Planning requires a set of skills and processes to build homes, support jobs and protect the environment. No two days are the same, and your career could lead to a variety of specialisms and supporting local communities. Your training will provide you with a broad knowledge base of the Strategic Planning Service at West Suffolk Council.

Responsibilities

As a Planning Policy Apprentice, you will be supporting the team in undertaking a range of tasks including assisting preparation of the Local Plan, delivery of the adopted Local Plan, supporting the preparation of Neighbourhood Plans, supporting colleagues in the development management team and assisting the preparation of supplementary planning documents and masterplans. Whilst working, you will complete a Level 4 Town Planning Assistant Apprenticeship, for which you will be entitled to paid study time to complete; this is linked to the national apprenticeship scheme.

Qualifications

There is no requirement for prior work experience. Candidates should be willing to learn, demonstrate good communication and IT skills, and meet the following educational requirements:

• Five GCSEs at grades 9-4 (formerly A*–C) including Mathematics and English.
• A level 3 qualification (such as A‑levels, BTEC) or equivalent.
• Must meet the eligibility requirements for an apprenticeship.

If you are starting out in your career or looking for an opportunity to pursue a new career, we would be interested in hearing from you.

About the team: Planning is about making the best use of land and making places where people want to live, work and play. Through preparation and implementation of land use planning policies and guidance, our work unlocks growth, contributing significantly towards our corporate priorities, and strives to protect and improve the built and natural environment. We are a council with a good track record of delivering Local Plans with a recently adopted Local Plan and work commencing on the preparation of a new Local Plan in the context of the Government's recent reforms to Plan‑making. The team includes Planning Policy Officers, Ecology, Building Conservation, Landscape, Urban Design specialists. The professional expertise in the wider service and Council makes it a great place to work and opportunities to develop skills and knowledge.

West Suffolk Council has been rated in the top 10 district councils for climate action (Climate Scorecards 2023) and as a member of UK100 it has demonstrated its commitment to a rapid transition to Net Zero with Clean Air in our communities. The council has declared a climate and biodiversity emergency and is committed to working towards net zero emissions by 2039.

Benefits

• Holiday entitlement of 25 days, increasing to 29 days after 5 years (pro rata if part time) plus bank holidays (with an option to buy up to 10 extra days each year subject to approval).
• Generous pension scheme – contribute between 5.5 % and 6.8 % (depending on your salary) and the council will contribute 26 %.
• Life assurance – a payment of three times your annual salary.
• Flexible working options to enable work/life balance.
• Agile working – ability to work in the office and from home.
• Access to a unique employee benefits package which includes discounts and cashback on supermarkets, high street shops, holidays, mobile phones, electrical goods, savings and loan schemes and many other products and services.
• Salary sacrifice benefits including Cycle to Work scheme, Tusker Leased Car Scheme and SmartTech (buy the latest tech products interest‑free and repay through your monthly salary).
• Rail and bus staff discounts.
• A range of health and wellbeing initiatives including an employee assistance programme.
• Discounted membership at Abbeycroft Leisure centres.
• A culture of learning inspiring staff to focus on continuous learning.
• Modern office accommodation.