Senior Planner

Lanpro; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced Annual Leave entitlement

Death in service cover

Hybrid working environment

CPD (Protected)

Professional Body membership support

Career progression framework and two-p

E Learning portal access

Non contractual growth bonus

Job summary

Lanpro Group, a UK-wide planning-led environmental consultancy, seeks a Senior Planner in a hybrid role. You will be the main client contact for planning applications and projects, developing technical expertise and contributing to business development across multiple disciplines.

The position requires an RTPI-accredited degree (or working towards chartered status), plus at least two years post-qualification planning experience.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Strong client liaison and negotiation abilities.
• Proven project management capabilities and budget awareness.
• Strong report writing with clear recommendations.
• Solid understanding of the UK planning process.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning advice for applications and projects, acting as primary client contact.
• Develop and mentor team members, contributing to technical excellence and CPD.
• Contribute to bids, proposals and development of new work areas.
• Manage resources, budgets, quality and timeliness for projects and liaise with contractors.

Skills

Communication

Client liaison

Negotiation

Project management

Report writing

UK planning process

Education

RTPI accredited degree

Masters in related discipline

Job description

About Lanpro Group

The Lanpro Group was established in November 2025 following its acquisition by a private equity investor. Bringing Lanpro and CarneySweeney together under a single group structure, the platform was founded with a shared ambition to become the UK’s largest independent, planning-led multidisciplinary environmental consultancy. This growth strategy continued with the acquisition of Create Consulting in February 2026, further strengthening the Group’s capabilities and expanding its multidisciplinary offering.

The Group has offices in Norwich, London, Cambridge, Manchester, Edinburgh, York, Bath, Glasgow, Milton Keynes, Birmingham, Cardiff, Exeter and Chelmsford.

It's multidisciplinary service spans across multiple disciplines. Planning, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Ecology, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Landscape Architecture, Architecture & Design, Arboriculture, Visualisation, Historic Environment, Acoustics, Air Quality, Civil Engineering, Geo-environmental, MEP Building Services, Structures, Sustainability, Transport & Highways, Utilities, Water & Flood Risk.

The Lanpro Group offers an environment that is diverse, entrepreneurial and encourages innovation and professional development.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.

As a Senior Planner you will have the responsibility of being the key point of contact for clients, delivering planning advice on planning application and projects. You will continue to develop core competencies, and technical expertise. We are an independent and forward-thinking multi-disciplinary consultancy which provides exceptional planning, design, and environmental services across the United Kingdom, underpinned by regional knowledge, service-specific expertise, and strong client relationships.

Developing ourselves and others

• Specialists able to advise on their own area of expertise with experience or seniority, but may have limited exposure to management responsibility which they may now be developing.
• Developing and refining commercial management, client relationship and business development skills as evidenced through good quality outcomes.
• Actively contributes to technical excellence in the team and will supervise, assist and/or mentor team members as required with regards to both technical and professional development and is active in maintaining and developing own technical expertise (CPD)
• Reviews work of other professional staff and may direct a small team and/or a unique element of a project.

Collaboration and innovation

• Has an internal network of colleagues who they collaborate effectively with to ensure the most successful outcome for the project/client.
• Skilled knowledge in their technical or professional area and applies this knowledge to ensure the best outcome for the client.
• Builds and consolidates networks within the industry to enhance understanding and knowledge of expertise.
• Is an ambassador for ensuring great client experience, whether internal or external.

Defining our future

• Makes a positive contribution towards bids and project proposals, having knowledge of our markets and making suggestions for new areas of work.
• Undertakes work requiring the application of principles in a wide range of contexts and can demonstrate creativity in applying solutions.
• Looks to achieve continuous improvement across the services we provide to our clients through innovative approaches to ways of working, solutions, and outcomes.

Defining our projects

• Responsibility for the work of others and the allocation of resources.
• Accountable for own budgetary, quality, safety and timeframe targets for projects and will identify and agree any additional work with the Project Manager or client, as appropriate.
• Awareness and compliance of Health and Safety procedures to ensure projects are compliant with these.
• Establishes own milestones, deadlines and team objectives and delegates responsibility to ensure projects are completed in a timely and cost-effective way.
• Liaises with contractors / suppliers and other third parties involved in projects to ensure both the clients and Lanpro’s interests’ area safeguarded.
• May direct and monitor technical aspect of specific segment of major project or overseeing of smaller projects.
• Preparing and submitting planning applications, appeals, and pre-application enquiries
• Conducting research and undertaking comprehensive planning appraisals to establish the development potential of sites.
• Writing high quality reports with clear recommendations.
• Provision of guidance to engineers/architects on the production of drawings and supplemental planning information in relation to planning submissions
• Preparation of fee proposals to generate new business.
• Review of Local Planning Authority (LPA) Local Plans and their stage of production.
• Managing community engagement, committee meetings and public examinations.
• Communicating with all stakeholders involved in the planning process and negotiating positive outcomes for the client.

Qualifications & Experience

• An RTPI accredited degree or Masters in a related discipline
• Preferably a chartered member of the Royal Town Planning Institute or be working towards it.
• Ideally at least two years’ post qualification experience in a relevant role.
• Have spent at least two years working in the planning industry, in either the public or private sectors.

Essential Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.
• Strong client liaison skills.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Project management skills.
• Strong report writing skills and experience of delivering recommendations.
• Strong understanding of the UK planning process.

As a valued employee of Lanpro Group, you can expect to feel looked after. We offer the following great benefits as standard:

Day One

• Enhanced Annual Leave entitlement
• Death in service cover
• Centrally based City offices
• Hybrid working environment (flexible work)
• Protected CPD (Department, individual andcompanywide)
• Professional Body membership contribution
• Career progression framework and development, including two defined promotion windows annually.
• E Learning portal access
• Non contractual growth bonus scheme

After Probation and Beyond

• Loyalty Leave (Continuous Service Accrued Annual Leave up to 5 days)
• Private Medical Insurance
• Cycle to work scheme