Principal Planner

Nottingham City Council; East Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days annual leave

Pension scheme 17.9%

Smart Working

Employee Assistance Programme

Discounts at local centres

Job summary

Nottingham City Council is seeking a Principal Planning Officer to lead a varied caseload of major, complex and high-profile development proposals in a busy urban setting.

You will work closely with developers, councillors and communities, prepare robust reports, and represent the Council at appeals while mentoring less experienced team members. A strong planning background and RTPI-accredited degree are essential.

Qualifications

• Degree in Town Planning or related discipline accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute, plus an appropriate postgraduate planning qualification.
• Substantial development management experience including responsibility for major, complex or high-profile planning applications.
• Thorough knowledge of planning legislation and local/national policy; robust decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Manage applications from pre-application through negotiation, assessment and decision.
• Prepare and present clear reports; negotiate improvements to proposals.
• Represent the Council at appeals, inquiries, and court proceedings when required.
• Mentor and develop less experienced planning officers to ensure consistent, high-quality decisions.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Negotiation skills

Communication skills

Stakeholder management

Education

RTPI-accredited Town Planning degree

Postgraduate planning qualification

Job description

Job Description

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Hours: 37 hours per week

Worker Type: Hybrid Worker

Salary: Starting salary is £42,123, rising to £45,529 per annum (pro-rata for part-time) A £5,000 per annum market supplement is also currently payable for this post.

Location: Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham, NG2 3NG

We’ve got an exciting opportunity available for talented individuals to join our workforce. Perhaps this is the opportunity you’ve been looking for? Read on to find out more.

Working for Nottingham City Council has great benefits. As well as competitive pay, great leave entitlement and access to a generous pension scheme, we strive to create an innovative, inclusive and progressive work culture where everyone is supported to do and be their very best.

In return, we are looking for people like you: people who are innovative, driven and committed to serving and improving Nottingham. If you are passionate about making a difference to the lives of those who live and work in our city, we want to hear from you.

• You can read more about the different benefits offered to colleagues working for Nottingham City Council here .

About The Role

Nottingham is a Core City with ambitious plans for growth, regeneration and investment. To help deliver that ambition, we need a Development Management service that is recognised as one of the most modern, effective and forward‑looking in the country.

We are looking for a Principal Planning Officer to join our Planning team and take the lead on a varied caseload of major, complex and high‑profile development proposals. You will manage applications from initial pre‑application discussions through negotiation, assessment and decision‑making, helping to secure high‑quality and sustainable development across the city.

The role will involve working closely with developers, agents, landowners, councillors, local communities, internal specialists and external agencies. You will prepare and present clear, robust reports, negotiate improvements to development proposals and, where required, represent the Council at appeals, public inquiries and court proceedings. You will also help mentor and develop less experienced planning officers, sharing your knowledge and supporting consistent, high‑quality decision‑making across the team.

This is a strong opportunity for an experienced planner who wants to work on challenging and important proposals in a dense and varied urban environment. Nottingham offers everything from major regeneration and city‑centre development to heritage assets, housing growth, neighbourhood investment and complex urban design issues. You will have room to exercise professional judgement, influence outcomes and make a visible contribution to the future of the city.

We are also investing in better systems, data and technology so that planners can spend less time on administration and more time applying their professional expertise. You can find out more about careers and development within our wider service on our Building Control careers page.

About You

The ideal candidate will have:

• A degree in Town Planning or a related discipline accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute, together with an appropriate postgraduate planning qualification.
• Substantial development management experience, including responsibility for major, complex or high‑profile planning applications.
• Thorough knowledge of planning legislation, national and local planning policy, statutory processes and current development management practice.
• Strong analytical and professional judgement, with the ability to assess complex proposals and technical information and produce clear, robust recommendations.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder‑management and negotiation skills, including the ability to explain complex planning matters and work confidently with developers, communities, councillors and senior stakeholders.

The role requires someone who can manage a substantial workload, work effectively under pressure and take ownership of progressing complex cases. You should be pragmatic and solutions‑focused, while maintaining professional standards and ensuring that decisions are legally and procedurally robust.

Closing Date

30th November 2026

Please note there may be occasions where we close the advert before the closing date and we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Interviews will be held

w/c 7th December 2026

About Us

Thank you for your interest in working for Nottingham City Council. As one of the largest employers in Nottingham we offer a wide range of roles across a range of services. In return for your skill, drive and commitment to serving the people of Nottingham, we can help you to develop an exciting and rewarding career, with access to the following benefits.

• 26 days annual leave (rising to 33 days after 5 years’ service) + bank holidays with the ability to buy additional leave annually
• Access to a generous, defined benefit pension scheme offering 17.9%
• Smart Working – to support your work life balance
• Health and wellbeing benefits including access to our Employee Assistance Programme
• Discounted membership at selected local sports and fitness centres, cinema, shopping and much more!

Nottingham City Council is committed to recruiting a talented workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We are a fair, inclusive and Disability Confident Employer, welcoming applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and abilities. We recruit for diversity and value difference.

If you are a disabled candidate and wish to be considered under our Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this within your application. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and employment journey.

We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and welcome applications from serving personnel, veterans, reservists and military families.

We particularly want to hear from you if you are from Minority Ethnic communities, identify within the LGBTQ+ community, or are disabled. These groups are currently underrepresented in our workforce, and we are committed to better reflecting the communities we serve.

We are supportive of flexible working arrangements wherever possible and encourage candidates to discuss this with us during the recruitment process.