Assistant Planning Officer

Stockport Council; Stockport; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Real living wage

Job summary

Stockport Council is seeking an Assistant Planning Officer to manage a diverse caseload, conduct site visits and prepare concise planning reports. You will work closely with residents, applicants and partners to support good development across the borough.

The role requires a planning qualification or RTPI membership, strong organisational and communication skills, and the ability to work independently within a supportive team. Hybrid working with two office days per week is offered.

Qualifications

• Planning qualification or RTPI membership is expected or pursued.
• Organised and able to communicate clearly with a wide range of people.
• Ability to manage a varied caseload with accuracy and timeliness.

Responsibilities

• Manage your own caseload of applications, enquiries and appeals.
• Carry out site visits, prepare clear reports and exercise planning judgement.
• Support the team by sharing knowledge and contributing to service improvements.

Skills

Planning knowledge

Communication

Organisation

Teamwork

Adaptability

Education

Planning qualification or RTPI member

Job description

Assistant Planning Officer
Scale 5/6 (£29,542- £34,811) career graded to SO1 (£35,570 - £40,444)
37 Hours, Full Time
Permanent
Hybrid - Stopford House and homeworking. Minimum 2 days in the office each week.

Application Deadline: Monday 19th October 2026 11:59pm
Shortlisting Date: 20th October 2026
Interview Date: Anticipated W/C 9th November 2026
Interview Type: Face to face

Join us at Stockport Council Best for Inclusion winner at the Greater Manchester Good Employment Awards 2026

Your Role

As an Assistant Planning Officer, you'll play a key part in helping us deliver a responsive, high-quality planning service for Stockport. You'll manage your own caseload of applications, enquiries and appeals, carrying out site visits, preparing clear reports and using your planning judgement to support good development across the borough. You'll work closely with colleagues, applicants, residents and partners, offering helpful advice and keeping things moving smoothly. You'll also support the wider team by sharing technical knowledge, helping with validation and contributing to service improvements. It's a great opportunity to build your experience, take on varied work and make a real difference.

About You

You're someone who enjoys planning, problem-solving and working with people. You have a relevant planning qualification or experience of handling a varied caseload, and you're either a member of the RTPI or working towards it. You're organised, curious and confident interpreting plans, writing clear reports and communicating with a wide range of people. You're comfortable working independently but also enjoy being part of a supportive team. You can prioritise your workload, stay calm when things get busy and adapt your communication style to suit different audiences. Most importantly, you share our values, putting people first, working together and treating everyone with respect.

About Us

Stockport is a borough full of energy, ambition and community pride and our planning service is right at the heart of shaping its future. When you join us, you'll be welcomed into a friendly, supportive team where people look out for each other and enjoy what they do. We value fresh ideas, open conversations and a positive approach to challenges. You'll work on a wide range of interesting applications, learn from experienced colleagues and have plenty of opportunities to grow your skills and confidence. If you're looking for a place where you can develop your planning career and feel genuinely valued, we'd love to meet you.

At Stockport Council we are one ambitious team on a mission to create opportunities for everyone who lives, works and spends time in the borough. Working at Stockport Council means contributing to one of the most thriving towns in the North. We're keen to recruit people with the right values and behaviours that can help us ensure our workplace values are at the heart of everything we do.

We are proud to be recognised under the Good Employment Charter as an organisation committed to the wellbeing of our colleagues. As members of the charter, we have been recognised as a great place to work for all colleagues and pledge to pay the real living wage, engage staff in key decisions and endorse fair and flexible working conditions.

Stockport Council holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not currently qualify.

Please note that we have made a commitment to improve the employment opportunities for people with disabilities, care leavers and ex-military personnel. As part of the Guaranteed Assessment Scheme you will therefore be guaranteed to be shortlisted for Assessment if you meet both the criteria for the scheme and the essential job role criteria.

Find out if you meet the criteria here: https://www.greater.jobs/our-guaranteed-assessment-scheme

Privacy Notice

Stockport Council is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce culture - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities to join our workforce.

We want our employees to have a good work life balance and in many job roles we can offer a range of flexible/hybrid working arrangements. We also have inclusive employment policies and staff engagement forums to support our diverse workforce. We will listen to, learn from, and develop our workforce.