Principal Planning Policy Officer

Halton Borough Council; Widnes; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

LGPS pension

3x Salary Life Cover

Free car parking

Flexible working 60/40 office/home

Wellbeing & benefits platform

Job summary

Halton Borough Council is seeking a Principal Planning Policy Officer to join the Forward Planning team. The role focuses on driving Local Plan policy, coordinating evidence, and presenting reports to senior boards to shape growth and community projects.

Applicants should have at least four years in planning policy and an RTPI-accredited degree, with strong skills in policy development, public consultation, and examinations in public.

Qualifications

• ,

Responsibilities

• Support Local Plan making in accordance with NPPF guidance
• Review Evidence Base for Local Plan
• Write and Present Reports to boards audiences
• Provide Planning Policy responses
• Support Public Consultation exercises
• Experience of presenting at an Examination in Public

Skills

Planning policy

Local Plan

Public presentations

Examinations in Public

Education

RTPI accredited degree

Job description

37 hours per week.

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:

Halton are looking for a motivated Principal Planning Policy Officer to join its Forward Planning team. Halton adopted its ambitious Local Plan in 2022 which provides a platform for future generations to live, work and visit, and it’s about to embark on it journey to develop its next Local Plan.

We are looking for an experienced Senior Planning Policy Officer who is ready to take the next step to become Halton’s Principal Planning Policy Officer. We would expect you to have a minimum of 4 years Planning & Transport Policy experience, hold a RTPI accredited degree and demonstrable, experience of leading key planning policy to develop a Local Plan Policies that will directly contribute to the growth and development of the Borough.

By joining our team, you’ll be at the centre of the action – revitalising neighbourhoods, developing new public spaces, delivering on our sustainability priorities, and improving infrastructure.

Your Contributions:

As a Principal Planning Policy Officer for Planning & Transport Policy your Key duties will be.

• Supporting Local Plan making in accordance with NPPF guidance
• Reviewing Evidence Base for Local Plan
• Writing & Presenting Reports to various boards/audiences
• Providing Planning Policy responses
• Supporting Public Consultation exercises
• Experience of presenting at an Examination in Public

Our Offer:

Aside from working with a great team, our employees have access to a fantastic range of benefits, including:

• 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 (currently 60/40 office/home)
• Extensive employee benefits platform including discounted shopping, car leasing, gym memberships, wellbeing hub and Employee Assistance Programme

Next Steps:

Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 28th September 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.

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.