Senior Compliance Officer

Elmbridge Borough Council; Esher; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Elmbridge Borough Council in Esher is seeking a Senior Planning Compliance Officer within the Development Management, Planning and Environmental Health team. You will investigate breaches of planning control and support complex cases with guidance from the Team Leader.

You will carry out investigations, gather evidence, write appeal statements, prepare for Hearings and Inquiries, and contribute to delivering high quality planning enforcement services for the borough.

Qualifications

• Experience investigating breaches of planning control and gathering evidence.
• Experience writing appeal statements and preparing for Hearings/Inquiries.
• Attention to detail and ability to work both independently and in a team.

Responsibilities

• Investigate and resolve alleged breaches of planning control.
• Manage complex cases with guidance from Team Leader.
• Work as part of the Compliance and Trees team and with wider management.
• Communicate with a wide variety of customers and stakeholders.

Job description

Elmbridge Borough Council, Civic Centre, High Street, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9SD

Contract:

Permanent

Working Pattern:

Term Time

Hours:

36 hours per week.

DBS Check:

No

Closing Date:

30/11/2026 at 09:00

Reference:

P&C/26/349359

Senior Planning Compliance Officer

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

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.
• 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.

What else?

We encourage you to read more on us and if you have any queries please give us a call.

Elmbridge Borough Council - Working for Equality. We welcome applications from all sections of the community. If you require any adjustments to be able to engage in the recruitment process for this role, please let us know by emailing [e-mail]