Enforcement Officer (Planning Control)

Wrexham County Borough Council; Wrexham; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

LGPS

Flexible working

Generous annual leave

Health & wellbeing resources

Job summary

Wrexham County Borough Council is seeking a Planning Enforcement Officer to join our busy Development Management team. You will investigate reported breaches in planning control, write reports, maintain enforcement records and prepare notices.

The role involves site visits and negotiating positive resolutions while presenting evidence for hearings when required. The ideal candidate will hold a Planning degree or related subject, a valid driving licence, and may have RTPI membership.

Qualifications

• Degree in Planning or related subject or equivalent experience.
• Valid driving licence.
• Membership of RTPI desirable.
• Teamwork and ability to manage a caseload.

Responsibilities

• Investigate reported breaches in planning control and non-compliance; write reports and maintain records.
• Prepare and serve appropriate Notices and attend site visits.
• Enter into negotiations with a positive approach and prepare evidence for hearings.
• Appear as expert witness when required and work as part of the Planning Enforcement team.

Skills

Investigating breaches

Report writing

Serving notices

Site visits

Negotiation

Evidence preparation

Education

Planning degree

Job description

We are seeking to appoint a Planning Enforcement Officer to join our busy Development Management team. You will be joining a friendly and welcoming team of Planning Enforcement and Planning Officers who will work together to deliver the best planning outcomes for our customers.

In this role you will deal with all stages of the Planning Enforcement process: investigating reported breaches in planning control and non-compliance, writing reports and maintaining accurate enforcement records, preparing and serving appropriate Notices, attendingsite visits, entering into negotiations with a positive approach and preparing evidence for hearings and appearing as expert witnesses.

Ideally, you will have a degree in Planning, a related subject or equivalent experience as well as hold a valid driving license. Membership of the RTPI would be desirable. You will be expected to demonstrate your judgment and initiative; have excellent written and verbal communication skills, and a desire to develop your experience securing positive resolutions to breaches of planning control. It will be essential to demonstrate your ability to work as part of a team, to support colleagues and to use initiative to problem solve and effectively manage your caseload.

This role allows for a combination of home and office working. You will also be required to undertake site visits. Attendance at team-meetings would normally be expected to be in person. Whilst significant use is made of Zoom and Microsoft Teams, there will also be a requirement to attend in-person meetings.

The Council welcomes applications from suitably qualified candidates regardless of race, gender, disability, sexuality, religious belief or age.

The Council is committed to developing its bilingual workforce and welcomes applications from candidates who demonstrate their capability to work in both English and Welsh.Applications submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.

About Us

• Grymuso

The County Borough of Wrexham, located in North East Wales, is proud of its Welsh heritage and cultural identity. Over the years it has grown to reflect a population that is multi-religious and multi-ethnic and complements the diversity of our communities.

Centred on the city of Wrexham, which nestles between the Welsh mountains and the Cheshire plains, it’s a location that really can offer you the best of both worlds and we are proud of our city status (awarded in 2022 when we became the seventh city in Wales).

Wrexham County Borough Council is a unitary Council which delivers a wide range of services aimed at improving the lives of Wrexham residents and surrounding communities. We are committed to providing services through collaboration with local and national partners. With a focus on sustainable development, community wellbeing, and improving the lives of Wrexham residents and surrounding communities, Wrexham is a fantastic place to work, live, and learn.

The council is an inclusive employer with a workforce of around 5,500, offering diverse roles, training and development and rewarding career opportunities. Wrexham County Borough Council values innovation, bilingualism in English and Welsh, and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds.

As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, the council ensures accessible recruitment and support for disabled employees including offering a guaranteed interview (where essential person specification items are met). Additionally, veterans will receive guaranteed interviews under the Armed Forces Covenant if eligibility criteria are met (where essential person specification items are met).

Employee benefits include:

• Membership in the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Flexible working arrangements
• Generous annual leave up to 32 days
• Family-friendly policies supporting caring and family commitments
• Work-life balance and flexi time (dependent on role)
• Access to Wrexham Reward Scheme with discounts off leading retailers nationally and locally
• Health & well-being resources, for example:
  • Healthy & Wellbeing Champions
  • Employee assistance programme with advice on staying healthy financially, mentally or physically:
    • Counselling (available 24/7, 365 days a year)
    • In-the-moment emotional support (available 24/7, 365 days a year)
    • Option to set health-boosting goals with small, sustainable lifestyle changes
    • Connect health apps to track physical health and meet progress goals
    • Blogs, videos, recipes and more resources providing inspiration and motivation
    • Identify risks of developing leading lifestyle-related diseases with mental health and financial scores
    • Legal, financial and consumer advice
  • Health and wellbeing events and campaigns throughout the year (e.g., November Health Day, Time to Talk Day, Mental Health Awareness Week, Sun Awareness Week, Menopause Week, Financial Health Week)
  • Menopause Café and guidance
  • Unpaid Carer Café and guidance

Our Council Plan (2023–28) sets out our priorities for this period and we deliver these by following the Nolan Values of public life (selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership) as well as our own Corporate Values: