Planning Policy Apprentice - West Suffolk Council

Futures Job Shop 002; Bury St Edmunds; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A progressive local authority in Bury St Edmunds is offering an exciting Planning Policy Apprentice position. This role involves supporting the preparation of the Local Plan, where you’ll 'earn and learn' while gaining skills in planning policy. No prior experience is needed, but a commitment to learning and good IT and communication skills are essential. The apprenticeship also supports your development towards becoming a Planning Policy Officer. This is a fantastic opportunity to jumpstart your career in a dynamic environment.

Benefits

25 days holiday (increasing to 29)

Generous pension scheme

Life assurance

Flexible working options

Agile working

Employee benefits package

Discounts on rail and bus fares

Health and Wellbeing initiatives

Discounted leisure membership

Qualifications

• Willing to learn.
• Demonstrate good communication and IT skills.

Responsibilities

• Support the team in preparing the Local Plan.
• Assist in developing supplementary planning documents.

Skills

Good communication

IT skills

Education

Five GCSEs 9 to 4 including Maths and English

Level 3 qualification (A-levels / BTEC)

Job description

Planning Policy Apprentice - West Suffolk Council

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About

8th January 2026

West Suffolk Council is an extremely ambitious and dynamic local authority with a workforce of over 700 employees. We provide healthy, safe and vibrant places to live and work. Few other employers play such a pivotal role in the community. That's a great responsibility but also very rewarding and something that really makes a difference.

We have been rated in the top 10 councils for climate action and as a member of UK100 have demonstrated our commitment to a rapid transition to Net Zero with Clean Air in our communities. We have declared a climate and biodiversity emergency and are committed to working towards net zero emissions by 2030.

We are offering an exciting opportunity where you “earn and learn”. This apprenticeship pathway will give you the hands‑on experience, knowledge and confidence to lead you into a career within Planning Policy and give you the chance to fully realise your potential within a fast paced and proactive organisation.

Town Planning requires a set of skills and processes to build homes, support jobs and protect the environment. No two days are the same, and your career could lead to a variety of specialisms and supporting local communities.

Your training will provide you with a broad knowledge base of the Strategic Planning Service at West Suffolk Council. As a Planning Policy Apprentice, you will be supporting the team in undertaking a range of tasks including assisting preparation of the Local Plan, delivery of the adopted Local Plan, supporting the preparation of Neighbourhood Plans, supporting colleagues in the development management team and assisting the preparation of supplementary planning documents and masterplans.

Whilst working, you will complete a Level 4 Town Planning Assistant Apprenticeship, for which you will be entitled to paid study time to complete; this is linked to the national apprenticeship scheme. You will have the opportunity to gain valuable work experience, learning and developing new skills whilst building your confidence along the way.

This is a career grade post that commences at Planning Policy Apprentice and provides the opportunity to progress to Planning Policy Officer.

Entry requirements

You do not need any work experience, but you will need to be willing to learn, demonstrate good communication and IT skills and have five GCSEs 9 to 4 (formerly A*-C) including Maths and English, and a level 3 qualification (such as, A-levels /BTEC) or equivalent.

You must also meet the requirements to be eligible for an apprenticeship.

If you are starting out in your career or looking for an opportunity to pursue a new career, we would be interested in hearing from you.

Planning is about making the best use of land and making places where people want to live, work and play. Through preparation and implementation of land use planning policies and guidance, our work unlocks growth, contributing significantly towards our corporate priorities, and strives to protect and improve the built and natural environment.

We are a council with a good track record of delivering Local Plans with a recently adopted Local Plan and work commencing on the preparation of a new Local Plan in the context of the Government’s recent reforms to Plan-making.

The team includes Planning Policy Officers, Ecology, Building Conservation, Landscape, Urban Design specialists. The professional expertise in the wider service and Council makes it a great place to work and opportunities to develop skills and knowledge.

Why work for us?Our benefits include:

• Holiday entitlement of 25 days, increasing to 29 days after 5 years (pro rata if part time) plus bank holidays (with an option to buy up to 10 extra days each year subject to approval)
• Generous pension scheme – contribute between 5.5% and 6.8% (depending on your salary) and the council will contribute 26%
• Life assurance – a payment of three times your annual salary
• flexible working options to enable work/life balance
• agile working - ability to work in the office and from home
• access to a unique employee benefits package which includes discounts and cashback on supermarkets, high street shops,
• holidays, mobile phones, electrical goods, savings and loan schemes and many other products and services
• Salary sacrifice benefits including Cycle to Work scheme, Tusker Leased Car Scheme and SmartTech (buy the latest tech products interest free and repay through your monthly salary)
• Rail and bus staff discounts
• A range ofHealth and Wellbeing initiativesincluding an employee assistance programme
• Discounted membership at Abbeycroft Leisure centres
• A culture of learninginspiring staff to focus on continuous learning
• Modern office accommodation
  

For more information:

For an informal discussion and further information please contact Kerri Cooper, Specialist Projects Planning Officer on 01284 757341 or [e-mail].

Please refer to the job description and person specification for full details of this exciting opportunity.

Closing Date

The closing date for this job offer is on 11/01/2026

£10 per hour

Location

This job is located in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

West Suffolk College is an ambitious vocational and academic College, with a stunning main campus set in the heart of Bury St Edmunds. We are committed to providing outstanding education to all our students.