Planner - Consultant

Lumeg Recruitment; Chester; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A professional consultancy is seeking a Planning Consultant in Chester to work on diverse projects supporting senior staff. Key responsibilities include preparing planning reports, liaising with clients, and delivering presentations. The role offers flexible working, competitive salaries, and opportunities for career progression in a supportive environment focused on work-life balance.

Benefits

Discretionary bonuses

Employee ownership trust benefits

Private healthcare

Enhanced maternity/paternity leave

Pension scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Degree-qualified in planning or a related field.
• Genuine interest in planning.
• Strong understanding of planning principles.

Responsibilities

• Assist senior staff in driving large projects forward.
• Prepare planning appraisals and reports.
• Liaise with planning officers and clients.

Skills

Problem-solving

Technical writing

Presentation skills

Creative thinking

Education

Degree in a relevant field

Job description

Qualifications

• Applicants should be degree-qualified in a relevant field with a genuine interest and enthusiasm in planning
• Strong understanding of the principles of planning
• A problem-solver
• Adept at presentations and technical writing
• Creative thinker

Team

• 8-10 people
• wide variety of experience
• Remote/Hybrid/Office based - Hybrid, 3 days in the office

Role reports to

• Project Director for each project
• Who is the best performer in this team and what do they have which makes them the best
• Coordinating other companies/consultants
• Ability to be self-directed
• Environmental impact assessment
• Assisting senior staff in driving large projects forward
• Undertaking research and analysis
• Preparing planning appraisals of land, buildings and concepts
• Preparing planning reports and planning applications
• Liaising with planning officers, employees of consultee organisations and third parties
• Liaising and cultivating good relationships with clients, colleagues and fellow professionals
• Developing creative and original solutions
• Taking responsibility for smaller projects from the earliest stages through to completion
• Remaining informed about documents relating to planning policy and practice
• Attending external events and providing presentations

Hours

9-5.30pm, 37.5 hour

Competitive and negotiated at interview stage

Targets

Delivering work for the client deadlines

Additional Benefits

Bonuses - discretionary EOT - Employee ownership trust - first 3.5k Private healthcare Enhanced maternity/Paternity Pension scheme - salary sacrifice Cycle to work scheme

Interview Process

2 stages 1 - initial interview - virtual (Teams) 1 of the directors 2 - face to face - 1 or 2 of the directors

Description

Typically, the role of planning consultant will involve working on a variety of projects, supporting senior staff on project work, providing direct client advice on sites/projects, drafting reports and planning submissions (site assessments, policy notes, applications, development plan representations, and Environmental Statements) and assisting with the management of the teams caseload.

This is a great opportunity to progress your career, working on a diverse portfolio of projects for prestigious clients and alongside the very best planning professionals.

My client provides great opportunities for career progression, highly competitive salaries, annual bonuses, and a range of working benefits including pension contributions, private healthcare, and payment of professional fees.

They have become adept at flexible working and embrace people wanting to work from home for part of the time, as well as from their offices in Chester (Bretton) and Manchester (Wilmslow). They recognise the importance of a healthy work-life balance amongst all their colleagues and regularly review their ways of working to improve this.

To secure their long-term future as an independent consultancy, they've recently become an Employee Ownership Trust. The company is managed in the interests of all colleagues and there are specific benefits associated with Trust status including tax free bonuses. You'll be able to take an active part in the life of the company from day one.