Planning Validation Officer

Wirral Council; Liverpool City Region; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff discounts

Pension scheme

Immediate life cover

Ill-health protection

Job summary

Wirral Council is seeking a Planning Validation Officer to check planning applications for required information and fees, and to liaise with customers to obtain missing details. The role includes handling enquiries and preparing related correspondence, with a structured onboarding period including office-based training.

The post demands good IT skills, an organised approach, and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team, with hybrid working to support home and office

Qualifications

• Experience in a Planning department is desirable but not essential.
• Recent graduates from related disciplines (e.g., geography) are welcomed.
• Ability to learn quickly and adapt to changing demands.
• Excellent IT skills and ability to learn new systems.

Responsibilities

• Receive and check new planning and related applications for required information and fees.
• Liaise with customers to obtain missing information and respond to enquiries.
• Prepare written correspondence on matters relating to planning permission and related issues.
• Assist in applying national and local validation requirements.
• Attend office for initial training and collaboration with colleagues during the onboarding period.

Skills

Planning experience

Town planning knowledge

Customer service

IT skills

Organisational skills

Teamwork

Education

Town Planning Degree

Geography degree

Tools

GIS

Microsoft Office

Job description

Wirral Council is a values‑driven organisation where employees are empowered to “#BeTheDifference” and help create fairer opportunities for residents. Set in one of the happiest and most scenic areas in the UK, the Council offers an inspiring place to live and work, with a strong commitment to supporting staff and delivering ambitious plans for the borough’s future. Joining Wirral Council means becoming part of a dedicated, forward‑thinking team that is truly valued and encouraged to thrive.

Planning Validation Officer

About The Role

As a Planning Validation Officer, you’ll be responsible for receiving and checking new planning and related applications to ensure they contain the relevant information, as per national and local validation requirements, as well as calculating any required fees.

You will liaise with customers to obtain missing information and handle a range of customer enquiries, as well as preparing written correspondence on matters relating to whether proposals need planning or related permission.

Hybrid working offers the opportunity to both work from home and work alongside colleagues in the office.

You will be fully supported in learning the role and it is envisaged that the initial period of the appointment will require the post holder to attend the office for one‑to‑one training and collaboration with colleagues.

About The Candidate

Experience of working in a Planning department or have a Town Planning Degree would be desirable, but not essential to this role.

We would welcome recent graduates from related disciplines, such as geography. You should be keen to learn and able to adapt to changing demands and situations. You will demonstrate an understanding of Development Control and the role it plays in the planning system.

With a good standard of education, you’ll be a confident and organised Administrator and have excellent customer service skills along with the ability to effectively prioritise your own workload and remain calm under pressure.

In addition, excellent IT skills are required with the ability to quickly learn and navigate new systems.

You must be able to work on your own initiative and as part of a team and have good attention to detail.

If you wish to discuss this role or require further information, please contact Alexandra McDougall, Development Management Team Leader, at email [e-mail]

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates. For this vacancy, candidates must have an existing right to work in the UK before commencing employment. Skilled Worker visa sponsorship is not available for this post. Eligibility to work in the UK will be verified in the final stages of the selection process.

If you are a Wirral resident, are unemployed or out of work, and require help with your application, please contact Involve Northwest’s employment and skills team on [e-mail] or contact 0151 644 4500 or 0151 652 4349.

If you’re already a Wirral Council employee, as part of our Talent Strategy, we’re committed to strengthening opportunities for our people to learn, grow, progress and thrive. For many of you, this may be preparing and applying for your next role with us, and we're passionate about ensuring you feel supported throughout your internal recruitment experience. Please get in touch if you want to know more about some of the ways in which we could support you by emailing [e-mail]

Working at Wirral

You’ll also want to know what it’s like to work here so, as a start:

Our values are more than just pieces of paper on our walls! We’ve all played a role in developing these, so they reflect the immense pride we have in what we do, what matters to us, what inspires us and inform how we think, approach things and behave.

We believe in ensuring staff are well looked after, staff wellbeing is a priority for us. We’re serious about recognising and rewarding people for the great things they do. You’ll benefit from our track record of developing, growing and investing in our people.

We have a range of staff benefits including:

• staff discounts
• an excellent pension scheme which includes a generous employer contribution rate
• immediate life cover
• ill-health protection

We have a strong flexible working approach, hybrid working, family‑friendly employment initiatives and an annual leave package starting with 28 days leave plus public holidays.

• flexible working approach
• hybrid working
• family‑friendly employment initiatives
• an annual leave package starting with 28 days leave plus public holidays

We have an inclusive, engaged culture, everyone has a voice, everyone is valued for their contribution and understands the role they play in delivering our strategic priorities.

Each voice is heard, each contribution valued. We embrace diversity in our workforce and recognise it is critical to our success.

We support an inclusive culture that champions differences and nurtures a sense of belonging.

We encourage people from diverse backgrounds, who share our values and our commitment to inclusion to apply for roles with us.

We want you to be your best at work, we create the conditions to help you thrive and we mirror this in our recruitment process. If you’d like us to do anything differently during the recruitment process to make it barrier‑free and as accessible as possible please contact [e-mail]

Please note that in accordance with the Council’s policy, employees who are in a formal redeployment situation will be considered in the first instance for all vacancies.

It is Council policy not to re‑appoint any employee who has left under the terms of the Council's Early Voluntary Retirement (EVR) scheme or who have left with a voluntary severance (VS) package, unless in exceptional circumstances.

Applications will be accepted until midnight on the closing date.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the specified date should we receive sufficient applications.

Applications can only be accepted through the Jobs page following registration. Forms received via the post will not be processed.

All applicants invited to interview must evidence their right to work in the UK. Details of required documents can be found by clicking the link at the bottom of the Jobs page.

The job description and other supporting documents will not be accessible once the vacancy closing date has passed so if a copy is required you should download it now.

We do not accept applications or CV’s from recruitment agencies, unless otherwise stated. Therefore, any candidates submitted via a recruitment agency will not be considered for this role.