Senior Compliance Officer

SurreyJobs; Esher; Hybrid; GBP 47,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free employee parking

Job summary

Elmbridge Borough Council is seeking a Senior Planning Compliance Officer to lead investigations into breaches of planning control. You will work within the Compliance and Trees team, handling complex cases with support from the Team Leader.

You will investigate, gather evidence, write appeal statements, and prepare for Hearings and Inquiries, while maintaining attention to detail and strong communication with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Investigate and resolve alleged breaches of planning control.
• Carry out investigations and gather evidence.
• Write appeal statements and prepare for Hearings and Inquiries.
• Work well individually and as part of a team.

Job description

Senior Planning Compliance Officer

Planning Compliance (Enforcement) - Development Management, Planning and Environmental Health

Salary: £47,474 - £58,069 pa (Scale 36-45)

Closing date: Monday 30 November 2026 (9am)

Interview date: 17 December 2026

What makes planning at Elmbridge different?

Due to increasing planning application fees, Elmbridge has created additional posts and we are looking for a Senior Planning Compliance Officer to join us in our Compliance and Trees team.

The Role

As a Senior Compliance Officer, you will help us investigate and resolve alleged breaches of planning control. Sometimes these could be quite complex cases which will draw on your experience and knowledge of Planning legislation and dealing with sensitive and difficult situations. Don't worry if some of these may be new to you, our Team Leader is here to support you too.

You will also:

• work well as part of team but also on your own
• support your colleagues with their workload and priorities
• have experience carrying out investigations and gathering evidence
• have experience writing appeal statements, preparing for Hearings and Inquiries
• and have a good eye for detail

Working with the support of the wider management team, you will be enthusiastic, motivated and have excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to communicate with a wide variety of customers of the service, as well as being politically astute. You will see the other essential criteria in the person specification, but it's your approach to work that will be your main asset.

From April 2027, Elmbridge will become part of the new East Surrey Council. As we work towards that time, our focus remains firmly on delivering high quality services to our residents. We understand that this period of transition may bring uncertainty, particularly around future working arrangements such as office locations. Please be assured that we are committed to supporting all our employees throughout this process, prioritising wellbeing, continuous learning and professional development.

While we cannot predict exactly what lies beyond 2027, we can confidently say that your time at Elmbridge Borough Council will be both rewarding and enriching. You will gain valuable experience, benefit from extensive training opportunities and be involved in one of the most significant transformations in local government in the past 50 years.

About us

We know we ask a lot, but the good news is that we give a lot too.

• Learning and development:
• We will support you on that journey by creating a bespoke learning and development plan for you.
• You will meet people in the team who have completed Masters, been promoted within the team and have taken on other professional qualifications.
• Flexibility:
• We know hybrid working is here to stay and we will discuss the right mix of home and office for you.
• Wellbeing:
• When you thrive Elmbridge thrives, which is why we have developed a strong and varied wellbeing programme for our employees.
• The package:
• Not forgetting our excellent pension and 'Thrive' package of employee benefits and discounts with various local businesses. There is also free employee parking.