Graduate Planning Officer

West Northamptonshire Council; Towcester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in England is seeking a Graduate Planning Officer to assist with pre-application enquiries, provide technical advice, and support various planning processes. The role involves collaboration with planning teams and offers training opportunities to develop necessary skills. Ideal candidates should have a degree in a relevant subject and strong communication abilities. This position supports the community's planning service and promotes sustainability.

Qualifications

• Candidates must possess a degree in a relevant field and show interest in the built environment.
• Strong communication skills are essential for empathy and negotiation in planning.

Responsibilities

• Support pre-application enquiries and provide technical advice.
• Assist with Planning Performance Agreements and extensions of time.
• Handle appeals and enforcement cases.

Skills

Strong communication

Empathy

Negotiation

Education

Degree in a relevant subject

Job description

Overview

Our Graduate Planning Officers provide advice to the public, developers, agents, Members, and other Council departments on Development Management matters; from pre-application advice and processing of minor planning applications to applications for planning permission and related consents.

As a Graduate Planning Officer, you’ll be supported to develop your skills in determining planning applications and pre-application discussions. You will gain an understanding of how to assess planning merits and apply planning policy and guidance to proposed development. You’ll work alongside other Planning Officers and have access to training opportunities to expand your knowledge. Working with Team Leaders and colleagues across the service will help you understand the laws, guidance, policies and practice underpinning Development Management.

What will you be doing?

Day to day, you’ll support with pre-application enquiries, provide technical advice, assist with Planning Performance Agreements and extensions of time, handle appeals, deal with enforcement cases, and support a range of processes within the team. In this varied role, Graduate Planning Officers attend site visits, meetings with external organisations, Planning Committee and working parties as required. When needed, you’ll support our Planning Policy team by contributing to policy formulation and assist the Major Projects Team where large-scale projects require additional technical resource and input.

The role also involves working across the wider Development Management service areas, including Planning Enforcement, Development Strategy, and Technical Support.

With support from the Development Management Team Leader, the Principal Planning Officers and other colleagues, you’ll have appropriate on-the-job training as well as external training courses and mentoring. You’ll be supported to develop the necessary knowledge, experience and skills to become a Graduate Planning Officer and work independently to support our Planning Service.

Qualifications and attributes

• You will need a degree in a relevant subject as well as a genuine interest in the built environment and in ensuring our community in West Northants thrives.
• Planning is a technical field, so an aptitude in area is needed, but what we do in Planning affects people’s lives, so you’ll need to be a strong communicator with the ability to empathise and negotiate.

Our values and commitment

We are passionate about people, places and sustainability. We balance development to support new housing and jobs with protecting the environment for future generations and our commitment to net zero by 2030. We want to create an outstanding natural environment, fit for future generations. If this excites you, we’d love to hear from you!

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences, a place to forge new opportunities, and to empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

Our vision is to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive. Our corporate values, THRIVE (Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower), underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.

Hear from our Chief Executive, Anna Earnshaw, about what it’s like to work at West Northants Council.

Commitment to diversity, equality, equity and inclusion

We are committed to weaving diversity, equality, equity and inclusion into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, enabling all colleagues to develop and maximise their full potential. We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner. The following film communicates our DEI intentions.