Planning Monitoring and Compliance Officer

Durham County Council; North East; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Local Government Pension Scheme

Hybrid working

Job summary

Durham County Council is seeking a Planning Monitoring and Compliance Officer to help ensure development is delivered in line with permissions and legal agreements. The role involves monitoring, reporting, and advising across the Planning Development Management Service, engaging with developers, communities and elected members to achieve compliant delivery.

You'll work with a broad range of stakeholders to resolve issues, promote compliance and support planning decisions.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level (or equivalent) in a relevant town planning qualification.
• Recent experience in the implementation of a statutory and regulatory process.
• Significant experience using planning monitoring and compliance systems.

Responsibilities

• Investigate planning compliance matters and recommend appropriate action.
• Monitor approved developments through site visits and inspections.
• Maintain records and monitoring systems, including Section 106 obligations.
• Prepare reports and provide advice to support decisions by managers and Planning Committee.
• Work closely with developers, applicants and communities to promote compliance.
• Support appeals, enforcement and legal processes through evidence and documentation.
• Represent the Planning Service at meetings and partnership forums.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Planning monitoring

Education

Planning degree

Job description

Are you looking for an opportunity to play a key role in the planning process? We are seeking a self-motivated individual with excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills to join our Strategic Planning team as a Planning Monitoring and Compliance Officer. Working across the Planning Development Management Service, you will help ensure planning permissions, conditions and developer obligations are effectively monitored and managed, supporting the effective delivery of the statutory planning function and contributing to high-quality development across our area.

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

This is a varied and rewarding role where you'll help ensure development is delivered in line with approved planning permissions and legal agreements, making a positive contribution to communities across the area. You'll work with a wide range of stakeholders, including developers, applicants, elected members and local communities, to support effective planning outcomes.

Key responsibilities include:

• Investigating planning compliance matters and recommending appropriate action where required.
• Monitoring approved developments through site visits and inspections.
• Maintaining accurate records and monitoring systems, including developer contributions and Section 106 obligations.
• Preparing reports and providing advice to support decision-making by managers and Planning Committee.
• Working closely with developers, applicants, communities and other stakeholders to resolve issues and promote compliance.
• Supporting appeals, enforcement and legal processes through the preparation of evidence and documentation.
• Representing the Planning Service at meetings and partnership forums as required.

Visit our Working in Planning page to learn more about what it is like to work in planning at Durham County Council.

We encourage you to contact Claire Teasdale, Principal Planning Officer via email at [e-mail] to arrange an informal discussion about the role.

WHAT WILL I NEED?

You will need:

• To be educated to degree level (or equivalent) in a relevant town planning qualification, or significant recent experience in development management or other regulatory monitoring services.
• Recent experience in the implementation of a statutory and regulatory process.
• Significant experience of using planning monitoring and compliance systems.

Please refer to the attached Person Specification for the full criteria.

INTERVIEWS

Interview dates are to be held week commencing 30th November 2026.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

OUR OFFER TO YOU

We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years' continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website.

Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.

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