Planning Officer / Senior Planning Officer

Illuminated Interiors; Ipswich; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

A council in Suffolk seeks a dynamic Planning Officer or Senior Planning Officer to contribute to sustainable development and community engagement. Offering full-time, permanent roles with competitive salaries and opportunities for professional growth, this position promotes effective collaboration across key stakeholders. The successful candidate will participate in planning decision-making and represent the council's interests within the community.

Benefits

Generous leave entitlement

Competitive Local Government Pension Scheme

Wellbeing Support Programme

Employee Assist Programme

Health Care Options

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to implement planning decision-making.
• Proficient in providing pre-application advice and representing councils.
• Access to a vehicle and a full UK driving licence required.

Responsibilities

• Implement development management and planning decision-making.
• Enable clear and timely planning decisions considering community needs.
• Provide expert advice in committee and appeal settings.

Skills

Customer Service

Collaboration

Planning Decision-Making

Job description

Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Council are looking to recruit a Planning Officer / Senior Planning Officer to join our team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. You will join us on a full-time, permanent basis. The successful candidate will earn a competitive salary of £30,559 - £42,708 per annum (pro rata for part time).

Full time, part time and job share opportunities will be considered.

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for a Planning Officer or Senior Planning Officer (Career Grade Role) to join our team in Development Management. To be successful, you will share our values, commitment, and motivation to make a difference for our residents, clients, and communities.

• Planning Officer Grade 4 - £30,559 - £35,235 per annum (pro rata for part time)
• Senior Planning Officer Grade 5 - £36,124 - £42,708* per annum (pro rata for part time)
• Plus potential for Market Forces Supplement.
  
  

About The Role

Whether an entry-level planner, or a more experienced Planning Officer seeking a fresh challenge, with opportunities for continued development and progression, you will be motivated to help us positively shape our environment through fostering sustainable growth and the delivery of the right homes and jobs, in the right places.

A team player with initiative, you will be solutions-focused with an appetite for effective collaboration with our key stakeholders in implementing our spatial vision for the Districts as we deliver our Strategic Joint Local Plan policies and develop our detailed topics, allocations and supplementary guidance to bring our vision for development into reality.

You will be highly attuned to the need to work with our communities as they bring forward neighbourhood plans and look to implement them and deliver on community expectations for growth.

This is a Career Grade Role, therefore offering fantastic opportunities to develop your career within planning.

About You

You will need to demonstrate that you can:

• implement development management and planning decision-making, reflecting the nature of the districts and how they function, in accordance with the councils' strategies and policies for securing sustainable development
• pro-actively and proportionately enable the making of clear and timely planning decisions, considering the needs of the community, and holding an awareness of the need to uphold the reputation of both councils at all times through delivering excellent customer service
• offer sound pre-application advice for householder and minor development, coordinating responses with technical consultees and referencing national and local planning policies in addition to the Local Validation List
• provide expert advice on all planning and associated matters in committee and appeal settings and represent both councils at a parish and town council level on the implementation of spatial planning decision-making and development management.
  
  

You will need to have access to a vehicle, and a full, valid UK driving licence.

About Us

Working together across our councils and with our partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors, we provide excellent services to our 190,000 residents across Babergh and Mid Suffolk.

We are proud of the role we play in creating the environment, economy, and communities for our districts. We believe that the heart of Suffolk is an incredibly special place to live and work. With picturesque market towns, 60 conservation areas and with two National Landscapes within our districts, it is little wonder that we are consistently within the top 50 places to live in the UK.

Benefits

• Great opportunities for learning and development.
• Generous leave entitlement (equivalent to 26 days a year, increasing to 31 days after 5 years' service, plus bank holidays).
• Competitive Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Wellbeing Support Programme.
• Employee Assist Programme.
• Health Care Options.
  
  

Our ways of working

Work is what we do, not where we go! We are committed to working in a more Hybrid way, with a mix of office, home, and remote based working (Business needs permitting). This has worked well for us and is something we will be continuing with.

We are committed to supporting equality and diversity, Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils provide opportunity and ambition for all, supporting and enabling our people to deliver the best possible service for our residents.

Closing date: 5 pm, 14 July 2025

If you think you have what it takes to be successful in this Planning Officer / Senior Planning Officer role, even if you don't meet all the requirements, please apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.

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