Planning assistant

Hatched Recruitment Group; Belfast City District; Hybrid; GBP 15,000 - 22,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working after training

Job summary

Belfast City Council is seeking a Planning Assistant on a temporary basis to support the Planning Service. The role involves assisting with live applications, site visits across Belfast and handling inquiries from the public.

No prior experience is required, making it ideal for a planning student starting their career. You will work closely with planning officers, gain hands-on experience, and develop essential skills in a busy city planning environment.

Qualifications

• Studying for a relevant third-level qualification such as Planning and Property Development.
• A full driving licence valid in Northern Ireland and access to a car for site visits.
• Good IT skills and attention to detail, with interest in planning.

Responsibilities

• Process planning applications and cases with potential breaches.
• Assist with reports, recommendations and be guided by the Senior Planning Officer.
• Answer planning enquiries in person, by phone and email.
• Carry out site visits across Belfast to record site information.
• Research planning histories and other planning matters.
• Support validation, consultation and publicity for Belfast's development plans.

Skills

Customer care

Communication skills

Attention to detail

IT skills

Education

Relevant third-level qualification (Planning and Property Development or equivalent)

Tools

Word

Excel

Databases

Job description

Planning Assistant - Temporary | Belfast City Council

Adelaide Street, Belfast City Centre BT2 8GD (with site visits across Belfast)

£13.45 per hour (PAYE)

37 hours per week (office-based during training, then 3 days in the office and 2 from home)

Starting Monday 2 November 2026

Hatched Recruitment Group is recruiting a Planning Assistant to join Belfast City Council's Planning Service. This is an excellent opportunity for a planning student to gain real-world experience supporting planning officers on live applications across the city. No previous experience is needed.

What you'll be doing:

• Helping process planning applications and cases where planning rules may have been breached
• Assisting with reports and recommendations, working with the Senior Planning Officer
• Answering planning enquiries from the public in person, by phone and by email
• Carrying out site visits across Belfast to record site information
• Researching planning histories and other planning matters
• Supporting the business support team with validation, consultation and publicity
• Assisting with studies for Belfast's new development plan

What you'll need:

• To be studying for a relevant third-level qualification, such as Planning and Property Development, or equivalent
• A full driving licence valid in Northern Ireland and a car available for work (you'll make site visits across Belfast)
• A good understanding of, and interest in, the planning field
• Strong customer care and communication skills, both written and spoken
• Good IT skills, including Word, Excel and databases
• Good organisation, accuracy and attention to detail

What's on offer:

• £13.45 per hour, paid weekly
• Hybrid working after your initial training
• Valuable experience to kick-start a career in planning
• Holiday pay accrued in line with statutory entitlemnt
• Pension auto-enrolment (subject to eligibility)

You must be eligible to work in the UK and able to provide your driving licence at application stage.