Senior Town Planner

Severn Trent Water; Coventry; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 74,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

28 days holiday + bank holidays

Annual bonus scheme

Leading pension scheme

Sharesave

Academy training

Electric vehicle scheme

Family friendly policies

Job summary

Severn Trent Water in Coventry is seeking a Senior Town Planner to shape essential infrastructure while protecting communities and the environment.

You’ll lead planning strategies, secure consents, and work with engineers, consultants and stakeholders across a diverse portfolio of sites, renewable energy projects and biodiversity initiatives. This role offers visible impact and career development within a supportive team.

Qualifications

• Strong technical expertise in town planning and EIA.
• Ability to apply knowledge across a broad project portfolio.
• Experience collaborating with engineers, consultants and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Secure planning consents for major projects across the region.
• Provide strategic direction and technical oversight for planning and environmental approvals.
• Collaborate with engineers, ecologists, land agents, legal teams and project groups.
• Navigate EIA regulations and identify project risks with mitigations.

Skills

Town Planning

Environmental Impact Assessment

Stakeholder engagement

Education

RTPI membership or eligibility

Town Planning qualification

Job description

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We’re more than just a water company. We're dedicated to making a positive impact on the environment, sustainability, and the communities we serve. By joining us, you’ll work with the latest technologies, driving forward-thinking projects that enhance and protect national infrastructure, making a real difference to the communities we serve.

With nearly 10,000 colleagues, we're looking for more brilliant people who are passionate about sustainability, eager to innovate, and ready to turn challenges into opportunities for a better future.

LET’S CUT STRAIGHT TO IT

Are you a talented Senior Town Planner ready to shape the future of essential infrastructure while making a lasting impact on communities and the environment? At Severn Trent, you'll have the opportunity to work on some of the most diverse, complex and rewarding projects in the industry, helping to deliver the infrastructure that millions of customers rely on every day.

We’re looking for an experienced planner to join our Land and Planning team and play a central role in securing the consents needed to deliver innovative infrastructure projects across our region. From protecting rivers and supporting biodiversity to enabling major capital investment and driving sustainability ambitions, your work will directly influence how we deliver for our customers and the environment.

Operating within our expert client team, you'll work alongside a trusted network of specialist planning consultants who prepare and submit planning applications on our behalf. As a Senior Town Planner, you'll provide strategic direction, technical expertise and commercial oversight to ensure planning and environmental consents are secured efficiently, on time and within budget.

Reporting to the Town Planning Manager, you'll be part of a team of planners and land professionals, collaborating with engineers, ecologists, land agents, legal specialists and project teams across the business.

Our typical planning activity includes:

• Ensuring we get maximum value from our permitted development rights.
• Improvements and extensions to existing operational sites.
• New Operational sites – small to big and often in sensitive locations.
• Strategic pipelines and associated above ground infrastructure.
• Network improvements including new assets to reduce spills to river and enhance environmental performance.

But you will also have opportunities to work on:

• Renewable energy projects and Net Zero initiatives.
• New accommodation requirements on and off the estate e.g. new depots and offices.
• Planning inputs to disposals of land and property.
• Supporting surveyors with Compulsory Purchase.
• Influencing National legislation and Guidance.
• Projects in National Parks, World Heritage Sites, Green Belt and Conservation areas.
• Heritage projects across the operational and non-operational estate.
• Support and inputs to project communications and stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Responding to third party applications that impact our operations or assets.
• Tender processes and assessment of supplier performance.
• Land and Planning standards, policies and procedures.

You’ll collaborate with engineers, planning consultants, land agents, ecologists, legal teams and external stakeholders to help deliver major operational and non-operational projects. From small scale projects to nationally significant infrastructure schemes, development in sensitive locations, renewable energy projects or Biodiversity Net Gain initiatives, you’ll help ensure projects are planned and delivered successfully while balancing environmental, regulatory and community considerations.

You will help project teams navigate the EIA regulations and release/screen out projects for delivery on time and with proportionate levels of assessment. You will be expected to identify project risks and advise project teams on best courses of action and mitigation.

This varied role offers the opportunity to work across a broad range of planning matters, from developing planning strategies and securing consents to advising on legislation, project risks and planning policy. If you're looking for a role where your expertise will be valued, your influence will be visible and your projects will make a genuine difference to communities, customers and the environment, then we look forward to hearing from you.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

You’ll bring strong technical expertise in town planning and Environmental Impact Assessment, together with the ability to apply that knowledge across a broad and challenging portfolio of projects. You’ll be confident navigating complex planning issues, balancing competing priorities and providing practical, commercially focused advice that supports successful project outcomes.

We're looking for someone who thrives on collaboration and enjoys building strong relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. You'll be an effective communicator, comfortable influencing decision-makers, managing competing interests and providing clear recommendations in often complex situations.

You’ll hold a qualification in Town Planning and be a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). You will ideally have a minimum of five years of experience in a consultancy, local authority or client-side organisation/developer that regularly engages the planning system.

Most importantly, you’ll be someone who enjoys solving problems, managing uncertainty and helping projects move forward. You will have a proven ability to assess risk, develop pragmatic solutions and guide teams through challenges to achieve successful outcomes. Your ability to influence, build trust and drive progress will be key to your success in this role.

Skills and experience are important, but character, positivity, and a caring attitude matter too. We welcome and celebrate diverse individuals, knowing they help us better serve our communities. We seek people who get involved, want to be part of something bigger, and make a difference because they care.

HOW WE’LL REWARD AND CARE FOR YOU

Working here isn’t just a job. You can build a career at Severn Trent. We’ll reward you for it, too. We have a range of benefits that recognise great work, and award-winning training to help you reach your potential. And we’ll also help you play your part in looking after the environment and the communities where we live.

With that in mind, here are just some of our favourite's perks that you’ll get being part of the Severn Trent family:

• 28 days holiday + bank holidays (and the ability to buy/ sell up to 5 days per year)
• Annual bonus scheme (of up to £2,250 per annum based on company performance)
• Leading pension scheme – we will double your contribution (up to 15% when you contribute 7.5%)
• Sharesave – the chance to buy Severn Trent Plc shares at a discounted rate
• Dedicated training and development with our ‘Academy’
• Electric vehicle scheme and retail offers
• Family friendly policies and two volunteering days per year