Assistant Planner

East Suffolk; Lowestoft; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

East Suffolk Council is seeking a Trainee/Assistant Planner to join the Development Management Team in Lowestoft, with a clear route to Chartered Membership of the RTPI. The role supports studying an RTPI-accredited Planning Master's degree while gaining practical planning experience.

You will handle a varied caseload, provide pre-application advice, and collaborate with stakeholders across the Council to deliver high-quality development outcomes.

Qualifications

• Experience in a planning-related environment within the public or private sector.
• Progression towards RTPI membership (MRTPI) or related qualifications.
• Strong understanding of planning law, policy, development management, enforcement and environmental assessment processes.

Responsibilities

• Manage a varied caseload of planning applications from householder to more complex proposals.
• Provide pre-application advice and engage with applicants, developers, agents and consultees.
• Draft delegated and committee reports and decision notices; negotiate planning obligations.
• Present at Planning Committee and support planning appeals and enforcement investigations.

Education

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline

Planning-related master’s qualification

RTPI membership (Student/Licentiate/MRTPI)

Tools

Uniform

IDOX

GIS

Microsoft Office

Job description

East Suffolk Council,East Suffolk House, Melton, Woodbridge and Riverside, Lowestoft

£25,598 to £42,839 per annum

Band 4/7 (SCP 12 to 32)

37 hours per week

Permanent

East Suffolk Council is an exciting place to work and a great place to make a real difference to people’s lives, delivering vital services to a quarter of a million people across East Suffolk. We currently have an exciting new opportunity to join the East Suffolk Development Management Team as a Trainee / Assistant Planner.

This career grade opportunity offers entry at Trainee Planner, Assistant Planner, or Planner level, depending on your qualifications, skills, and experience as outlined in the Person Specification. For candidates joining at Trainee or Assistant level, the role provides a clear development pathway towards becoming a fully qualified and chartered Planner, with support to achieve Chartered Membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute (MRTPI).

Key Responsibilities:

This is an exciting opportunity to develop a successful career in Planning while working towards a recognised professional qualification. The successful candidate will be supported to undertake an RTPI-accredited Planning Master's degree, gaining the knowledge, skills and experience required to achieve a full professional Planning qualification and progress within the service.

Working within Development Management, you will manage a varied caseload of planning applications, ranging from householder and minor developments through to more complex proposals. You will provide pre-application advice, engage with applicants, developers, agents, consultees and legal representatives, and work collaboratively across Council services to deliver high-quality development outcomes. The role includes undertaking site visits, assessing applications, preparing delegated and committee reports, drafting decision notices, negotiating planning obligations, presenting at Planning Committee, and supporting planning appeals and enforcement investigations where required.

You will also play a key role in providing professional planning advice to internal stakeholders, supporting Members and colleagues, responding to public enquiries, and ensuring accurate record keeping in line with established procedures. Through a broad range of responsibilities including planning enforcement, heritage, tree work, complaint investigation and condition monitoring, you will gain valuable practical experience and contribute to the delivery of an efficient, customer-focused Planning Service while promoting the Council’s values and objectives.

You will need:

We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic planning professional with experience working in a planning-related environment within either the public or private sector. You will have a strong understanding of planning principles and practice, including experience that supports progression towards, or achievement of, Chartered Membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). A sound knowledge of planning law, planning policy, development management, enforcement matters, planning appeals and associated legislation will be essential, together with an understanding of environmental assessment processes and the challenges facing both urban and rural communities.

You will be confident in managing a varied workload and analysing complex information to produce clear, accurate and well-reasoned reports. Strong problem-solving skills, sound judgement and the ability to think logically and analytically are key requirements for this role. You will be an excellent communicator, comfortable engaging with a wide range of stakeholders including elected Members, applicants, developers, external agencies and members of the public. Experience of presenting reports, providing formal evidence and negotiating positive outcomes will be highly valued.

The successful candidate will be proficient in the use of Microsoft Office applications and ideally have experience of planning and document management systems such as Uniform and IDOX, along with knowledge of GIS. You will be capable of working independently with minimal supervision while also contributing effectively as part of a collaborative team. Strong organisational skills, the ability to prioritise competing demands and a commitment to meeting deadlines are essential.

Applicants should hold, or be working towards, the qualifications required to access or achieve RTPI membership, depending on the level of appointment. This may include an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline, a planning-related master's qualification, Student or Licentiate RTPI membership, or full MRTPI status. Above all, you will demonstrate a commitment to continuous professional development and supporting the learning and development of others.

As this role involves regular visits to sites and meetings across the district, including rural locations, applicants must be able to travel independently and undertake site inspections where required. Flexibility to work outside normal office hours on occasion is expected, and the successful candidate will be able to work from both East Suffolk House, Melton, and Riverside, Lowestoft, as business needs require.

Why work for us?

East Suffolk Council is a great place to work and there are lots of benefits our employees can access. To find out more about why we are so proud of East Suffolk Council, look at our video and hear why our employees think it is such a great place to work.

Here are some of the main benefits:

• Great opportunities for training and development


• Generous leave entitlement (equivalent to 24 days a year, increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays)


• Local government pension scheme


• Free car parking (for when you are working in the office)


• Discounts on mobile phones, computers, holiday and travel, fashion and clothing, health and beauty and many other products and services.

Please see our benefits brochure for further information.

Most of our teams are working in an agile way, with a mixture of home and office working, depending on individual preferences and service requirements. If you wish to discuss how that might impact your working arrangements if you were the successful candidate, please contact the recruiting manager listed at the bottom of this advert.

For an informal discussion regarding this post, please contact Steve Milligan via [e-mail]

Closing date: 11.30pm, Sunday 1st November 2026.

Interview date: Week Commencing 16th November 2026.