Planning Support Officer

The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Council; City Of London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government council in London is seeking a Planning Support Officer to ensure the efficient running of the planning service. This role involves providing administrative support, managing public consultations, and engaging with residents. The ideal candidate will have strong communication and IT skills, along with experience in customer-focused environments. The position offers a competitive salary, annual leave, and opportunities for professional development.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Generous annual leave

Access to training and mentoring

Qualifications

• Experience in a customer-focused role with strong communication skills.
• Experience in a busy environment with understanding of local planning authority.
• Ability to engage professionally with the public and colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative support for planning applications and consultations.
• Handle enquiries from residents and applicants by phone and email.
• Maintain accurate planning records and data management.

Skills

Organised

Customer-focused

Strong communication

Solid IT skills

Team player

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Overview

Keep our planning service running smoothly, supporting the team that shapes the future of our borough.

As a Planning Support Officer, you'll play a vital role behind the scenes, providing the administrative and technical support that keeps our statutory planning service on track. Your work will help ensure that every application, consultation and decision is managed efficiently, transparently and in line with regulations - directly contributing to the growth and character of our borough.

Working Style: You'll be based in the Borough for 3 days a week, playing a key role in serving the local community. Whether you're working on the frontline or behind the scenes, you'll be part of a dedicated team making a real difference to residents' lives.

Responsibilities

• Provide essential administrative support across all areas of the planning process, including registering and validating planning applications and coordinating public consultations.
• Issue neighbour letters and site notices, upload consultation responses, and prepare decision notices and planning advice letters. Ensure data is correctly entered, labelled and published in line with GDPR and local validation requirements.
• Support enforcement and tree work applications, assist with committee report packs and provide administrative help for planning appeals.
• Serve as a key point of contact for residents and applicants, handling enquiries by phone and email with clear, friendly and accurate information.
• Maintain accurate planning records and data management to keep the service operating to high standards in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.

What you’ll bring

• Organised, motivated and able to manage a busy workload with exceptional accuracy.
• Experience in a customer-focused role with strong communication skills; able to engage professionally with the public and colleagues.
• Experience in a busy, customer-focused environment with a good understanding of how a local planning authority works.
• Solid IT skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office and the ability to learn and use digital systems for data management and record keeping.
• Team player who takes initiative, collaborates effectively, and demonstrates core values of Putting Communities First, Respect, Integrity and Working Together.

Why join us

• At RBKC, we’re all in—investing in our people, our communities and our future.
• Join a supportive, high-performing planning department that values professionalism and innovation, with structured career pathways, mentoring and access to training.
• Competitive salary, generous annual leave and pension, and the satisfaction of knowing your work keeps one of London's most dynamic planning services running efficiently.
• Work in a team that values collaboration, encourages creativity and takes pride in delivering excellent service to residents.

About us

Kensington and Chelsea is home to diverse communities, thriving businesses and unique local places. Everything we do is focused on supporting our residents, strengthening our approach and creating a fairer borough.

As a competent and caring Council, we take pride in our work every day, ensuring our services are delivered with care and competence. We listen to our residents, act with integrity and work together to build a borough that is greener, safer and fairer for all.

This role is a perfect example of our 'we\'re all in' approach. You\'ll be the backbone of our planning service, ensuring every process runs smoothly and every resident receives a clear, transparent experience. Your precision, adaptability and dedication will help turn daily challenges into opportunities for growth and improvement - both for you and the service.

Interview Details

Interviews will take place in person the week commencing 24 November 2025.

Ready to join us?

We\'re all in - are you? If you share our values and have the skills to contribute, we\'d love to hear from you. Please apply online explaining how you meet the requirements set out in the person specification and job description.

We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning subject to the volume of suitable applicants.

We are committed to promoting equality and respecting diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

We are a Disability Confident Employer - committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible.

We are committed to fair, transparent, and consistent pay practices. New hires will start at the minimum of the salary range.

Employees receive annual salary increases until they reach the top of the pay scale. In addition, employees will receive any agreed cost of living pay rises.