Principal Planning Officer

Halton Borough Council; Widnes; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday allowance

LGPS pension

Life cover

Personal development

Free car parking

Flexible working

Employee benefits platform

Car user allowance

Job summary

Halton Borough Council seeks a Planning professional to manage a full range of planning applications and associated consents. You will coordinate multiple departments, provide expert advice on environmental assessments and enforcement, and present findings to the Development Control Committee.

The role includes supervising junior staff, supporting policy guidance, and delivering high-quality planning services within the Development Management Team. Interviews in October.

Qualifications

• Experience managing planning applications with professional analysis and negotiations.
• Ability to provide expert advice on environmental assessment, conservation, and listed buildings.

Responsibilities

• Manage full range of planning applications and consents.
• Coordinate departments to deliver planning processes.
• Provide professional advice and present to Development Control Committee.
• Lead on Planning Enforcement and sections 106 monitoring.
• Prepare reports and recommendations for the Director.

Skills

Planning applications

Team leadership

Policy guidance

Present to committee

Tools

Policy formulation

Job description

Our Story

Halton is a vibrant local authority with a rich history and heritage, featuring three iconic bridges that connect communities across the River Mersey. Located in Cheshire, Halton boasts excellent transport links between Liverpool and Manchester, as well as close proximity to both Liverpool John Lennon and Manchester Airports. Our progressive community strategy aims to bring about meaningful, long-term improvements that enhance lives. It’s an exciting time to join us as we develop new policies and transform the way people access services. We are immensely proud that when asked what’s great about working for Halton, the most popular response from our workforce has been ‘our colleagues’.

Our Team

The Planning and Development Management team consists of professional officers responsible for a wide range of planning-related functions. The service works collaboratively with other Council departments, stakeholders, and external partners to secure sustainable development that benefits residents and businesses across the Borough. The Development Management Team play a key role in delivering the Local Plan and ensuring high quality development is secured to support the acceleration of sustainable growth across the Borough.

Hours

37

Your Contributions

• To manage a full range of planning applications and associated consents, Section 106 negotiations, professional analysis and appraisal, and deal with planning appeals and Inquiries.
• To act as a facilitator and to coordinate departments in the delivery of the planning process.
• To provide professional advice, support and expertise, including undertaking formal presentations to the Development Control Committee.
• To provide specific specialist planning advice in respect of environmental assessment, conservation and listed buildings, enforcement and pre-application advice and to prepare guidance and instruction for users of the service in respect of these specialist matters.
• The post holder will also undertake all other aspects of planning, and allied working including policy formulation and input into the plan making process.
• To provide a lead on Planning Enforcement and Planning application process to deliver a quality service.
• To have responsibility for managing and monitoring money received and spent via section 106 agreements.
• Dealing with elected members, statutory agencies, the public and other bodies on planning matters as well as allied activity.
• Preparing reports and recommendations in respect of planning applications and other associated activity for assessment and the agreement of the Director.
• Other duties including the maintenance of all necessary statutory records, ensuring that on-going development is checked and monitored and relevant policy documents are regularly reviewed and updated (within the qualifications and experience of the post-holder) as required by the Director including cover for absent colleagues.
• To assist with the rolling out of programmes of continuous improvement, identifying good practice and innovation.
• To have day to day responsibility for the supervision and monitoring of junior team colleagues, providing advice, guidance and on the job support and allocating work.
• Undertake any other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned from time to time, which are commensurate with the grade of the job.
• The post-holder will be a member of the team of professional and support officers dealing with a wide range of complex planning and related work, and will be expected to operate flexibly within that context.

Our Offer

• A generous annual holiday allowance starting at 34 days per year (including bank holidays), increasing with long service with the option to purchase an additional four-days of unpaid leave for our Annual Christmas Closedown.
• Membership of our defined benefit, salary-linked Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) with generous employer contributions.
• 3 x Salary Life Cover via Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Investment in your personal development.
• Free Car Parking at HBC sites.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Extensive employee benefits platform including discounted shopping, car leasing, gym memberships, wellbeing hub and Employee Assistance Programme.
• Car User allowance.

Interviews will take place week commencing 12th October 2026.

At Halton Borough Council we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce and a vital part of this is to encourage diversity in all respects. We are committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and tailored to best suit the needs and strength of the individual. This includes making adjustments for people with a disability, neurodiversity or with long-term health conditions. If you require accommodations, please reach out during the recruitment process so that we can make this the best possible experience for you – [e-mail].

Please refer to the attached Job Profile for further information about the role and our values.

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