Senior Planning Officer (Development Management)

Adur & Worthing Councils; Worthing; On-site; GBP 39,000 - 43,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous leave

Local Government Pension

Training & development

Occupational health

EAP

Networking groups

Buddy support

Flexible working

Job summary

Adur & Worthing Councils are seeking an experienced Planning Officer to join the Development Management team and help shape future planning for Adur District and Worthing Borough.

The role requires knowledge of the planning system, the ability to handle a high caseload, and IT literacy due to extensive use of digital platforms. It offers a shared service across two authorities with a competitive salary and progression opportunities.

Qualifications

• A planning or similar degree with experience in Development Management.
• Strong knowledge of the planning system and ability to apply Worthing/Adur policies.
• IT literacy and comfort with digital platforms used by the Council.

Responsibilities

• Manage a high and varied caseload of planning applications.
• Apply policies from the Worthing Local Plan and Adur Local Plan in determinations.
• Coordinate with stakeholders to support development management processes.

Skills

Planning knowledge

Development Management experience

IT literacy

Education

Planning degree

Tools

Digital platforms

Job description

Post Number: 12550, 12549

Salary: Starting from £38,510 to £43,149 per annum for 37 hours per week and Starting from £23,418.24 to £26,239.25 per annum for 22.5 hours per week

Grade: Grade 6 (Subject to Job Evaluation)

Hours: 37 hours per week or 22.5 hours per week

Place of Work: Worthing Town Hall

Closing Date: 24th September 2026 at 23:55 pm

Interviews: TBC

Development Management Post

Come and join our friendly Development Management team and help us to shape and plan the future development of Adur District and Worthing Borough on the south coast.

Working for the Councils provides a unique experience of working for two separate planning authorities combined. It is an exciting time to work in planning at the Councils as there are a variety of planning challenges to be faced. The area is subject to significant development pressure and a number of major regeneration schemes are planned. Both Authorities are balancing the need to protect the environment with the need to meet future housing and employment needs.

We are looking for an experienced Planning Officer to join our Development Management team which provides a joint service for Adur District Council and Worthing Borough Council. The successful candidate will need to have a good knowledge of the planning system and be able to deal with a high and varied caseload of planning applications. Knowledge of the Local Plan process is also desirable as the successful applicant will need to be able to apply the policies of the adopted Worthing Local Plan and the Adur Local Plan in determining planning applications.

You will have a planning or similar degree together with experience of working in Development Management. You will also be IT literate since the Council extensively uses digital platforms to provide its services.

At Adur & Worthing, we are committed to supporting care leavers, in accordance with the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 and the Children and Social Work Act 2017. To that end, we operate a guaranteed interview scheme for anyone meeting the essential criteria of the role they are applying for. In order to be considered for this, you will need to be a care leaver under the age of 25 at the time of application. Please confirm that you are a care leaver in the "Showing how you meet the person specification and job description" section of the application form.

As a Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of applicants declaring a disability, that meet the essential criteria for this position, will be offered an interview.

Benefits

• Generous leave entitlement; a minimum of 26 days + Bank Holiday entitlement
• Local Government Pension
• Training & development
• Occupational Health
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Employee resource groups/networks
• Buddy Support Programme
• Flexible working options

We are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit. Staff work in a supportive and safe environment, recognising their responsibility to value and respect each other’s contributions. Standards of conduct must be of the highest level to ensure that no-one is harassed, bullied or victimised. We offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, staff engagement forums and are keen to hear from applicants from a variety of different backgrounds.

Fair, Green & Local - Please See Link Below To Our Corporate Plan With Our Key Priorities For Adur And Worthing (2025-2028)

https://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/fair-green-and-local/