Principal Planning Officer (Majors)

Buckinghamshire Council; Aylesbury; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Join Buckinghamshire Council as a Principal Planning Officer where you will manage complex planning applications while providing expert advice and mentoring junior officers. This is an opportunity to shape the future of local communities through significant development projects in a supportive team environment with competitive benefits.

Benefits

Competitive benefits package

Flexible working arrangements

Employee Assistance Programme

Discounted gym memberships

Travel discounts

Qualifications

• Substantial experience in a planning role ideally within a local authority.
• Proven ability to manage complex caseloads and meet statutory deadlines.
• Experience in dealing with complex customer queries.

Responsibilities

• Manage and determine complex planning applications.
• Provide professional advice throughout the planning process.
• Mentor planning officers and contribute to strategic planning.

Skills

Communication

Customer-focused approach

Mentoring

Education

Qualifications for RTPI membership

Job description

If you have substantial relevant experience as a technical expert in the planning or environmental sector and are looking to develop your career, this could be the role for you.

By joining us as a Principal Planning Officer at Buckinghamshire Council, you’ll not only be offered a competitive benefits package, you’ll also be part of a team committed to shaping the future of Buckinghamshire for generations to come.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.

At Buckinghamshire Council we are dedicated to delivering high-quality planning services to the residents of Buckinghamshire. The Major Development Management team is responsible for the performance management of Major applications across the whole of the Buckinghamshire Council area with a focus on the use of PPA’s in which we have established an innovative approach. This role will work collaboratively with the rest of the Development Management to provide strategic direction and vision for the service to all stakeholders. The team also plays a crucial role in planning appeal inquiries and hearings and providing expert advice to elected members and committees, ensuring that the planning process is transparent, efficient, and responsive to the needs of the community.

In addition to their technical expertise, the Development Management Team is committed to fostering a collaborative and customer-focused approach. They work closely with various stakeholders, including other council departments, local communities, and external bodies, to achieve key planning outcomes. The team is proactive in driving service improvements and adopting innovative practices to enhance productivity and service delivery. With a strong emphasis on performance management and continuous professional development, the Buckinghamshire Council Major Development Management Team alongside the Development Management Area Teams strives to maintain a resilient and adaptable service that meets the evolving needs of the residents and supports the Council’s strategic objectives.

About the role

Working as part of a friendly team you’ll be responsible for managing and determining complex planning applications and lead on providing professional advice through all stages of the planning process, including Planning Performance Agreements, S106 negotiations and planning appeals as you provide a high-quality service that is responsive to customer demands. You will also mentor planning officers, contribute to strategic planning, and help drive performance and income targets.

The role is presently based in our Central/North Majors team, which includes the market towns of Aylesbury, Wendover, Winslow and Buckingham. The area covered by the team extends to the boundary with Northamptonshire in the north, Oxfordshire in the west and Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire to the East and offers a wide range of opportunities across both urban and rural environments. This area will see significant development over the coming years through the delivery of the strategic housing and employment allocations within the adopted Vale of Aylesbury Local Plan.

A full driving licence and access to a vehicle are therefore essential to this role. This is a highly rewarding and fulfilling role - you’ll see the impact of your work in front of you

Zenab, a Principal Planning Officer at Buckinghamshire council, recently described her role and experience with the Council.

"I have worked for Buckinghamshire Council for 3 years. The Council covers a varied geographical area. Since joining the Council, I have had the privilege of working on a variety of development projects, from large-scale allocations to renewable energy projects and smaller-scale developments. I am fortunate to work alongside outstanding specialist officers, fostering strong collaborative relationships. The team spirit and supportive management at Buckinghamshire Council create a nurturing environment where learning and growth are integral to our daily work. We value career development highly, and it is a joy to see colleagues advance, gain experience and take on new responsibilities. We are committed to building an exceptional Development Management Team, utilising our colleagues’ talent, and making the most of what they have to offer".

Sarah Armstrong, Major Development Manager at Buckinghamshire Council said, ‘there are real opportunities to develop your career over time in varied, multi-disciplinary areas. By joining us as a Principal Planner, you’ll be dealing with more complex and strategic developments across the area, with opportunities for proactive engagement and project management of developments.’

With a strong and supportive senior management team behind you, you’ll play a key part in helping us achieve our Planning and Environment Business plan and drive forward our vision as a unitary authority.

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

We are looking for a candidate with relevant experience within the development management, and planning sector with or eligible for RTPI membership, and you should apply if:

• Substantial experience in a planning role, ideally within a local authority
• You have excellent communication skills and experience in dealing with complex customer queries.
• You come to us with the relevant specialist experience within the service area.
• You have a proven ability to manage complex caseloads and meet statutory deadlines
• You are people-focussed and enjoy building new relationships, with the welfare of our residents at the heart of what you do.

Other information

For further information on this role please see the attached job summary.

The team currently work a hybrid working style with a mandatory 2 days a week from one of the 3 office locations with the main office base being The Gateway, Aylesbury.

Number of positions available: 1

Closing date: 6th of July 2025

Interview date: anticipated week commencing 7th and 14th of July

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Our Planning, Growth and Sustainability directorate works with partners to help shape the future of Buckinghamshire. We deliver services on planning, economic growth, regeneration, strategic infrastructure, transport and property.

Our key priorities include developing the economic narrative for Bucks, creating more jobs and delivering the right infrastructure to help businesses and residents thrive. We also aim to provide a proactive planning service that is responsive, whilst making the best use of the Council’s land and property portfolio. This will in turn support community services and create housing, jobs, regeneration and income to support public services.

It’s a great time to join one of our teams. As part of the Planning, Growth and Sustainability function you will not only get to help shape the economic future of Buckinghamshire; you’ll also be involved in delivering high-profile development projects and work on some of the biggest infrastructure projects in the UK. You will support us to deliver the results that our local residents and businesses deserve.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.