SRO Planning & Consents Lead

South West Water Limited; Exeter; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Salary

Company Car or Car Allowance

Annual Bonus Scheme

Pension Scheme

Healthcare Benefits

Professional Development

Employee Discounts

Generous Annual Leave

Job summary

South West Water is seeking a Planning & Consents Lead for the Strategic Resource Options Programme, based at Exeter or Bristol HQ with hybrid working and a full-time commitment.

The role offers up to £100,000 per annum plus an excellent benefits package, dependent on experience. You will lead planning strategy, secure all necessary consents, and work with regulators, landowners and consultants to deliver nationally significant infrastructure.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering major infrastructure projects within complex regulatory environments.
• Strong understanding of planning legislation, including DCOs, Town and Country Planning Act, CPOs, EIA and HRA requirements.
• Ability to manage consultants, budgets and stakeholders.
• Water or regulated infrastructure sector experience is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership to integrate planning policy, environmental assessment, stakeholder engagement, regulatory approvals and consultation.
• Shape the planning strategy for large-scale projects to secure all consents, licences, permits and approvals.
• Lead planning applications, Development Consent Orders (DCOs), EIA and HRA processes while maintaining programme momentum.
• Build credibility with regulators, local authorities and project teams and manage complex consenting regimes.

Skills

Regulatory strategy

Stakeholder engagement

Budget management

Consultant management

Strategic planning

Leadership

Regulatory approvals

Education

Chartered planner MRTPI or MRICS Planning

Job description

Powered by Water, Driven by Purpose

South West Water keeps the South West flowing with safe, reliable drinking water and wastewater services across some of the UK’s most stunning landscapes.

We’re proud to be part of Pennon Group, a leader in the UK water sector, working toward a greener future. Our goals? As well as lowering our carbon footprint, we’re working with partners to plant 300,000 trees, restore peatlands and supporting farmers and landowners to improve water quality and wildlife.

Whether you’re starting out or seeking a new challenge, our scale and ambition create opportunities for you to shape your own career.

Planning & Consents Lead

Join South West Water’s Strategic Resource Options Programme
Strategic Resource Options Programme
Exeter or Bristol HQ | Hybrid working | Full-time
Up to £100,000 per annum plus an excellent benefits package (experience dependent)

The South West has always depended on water.

For generations, our rivers, reservoirs and landscapes have sustained communities, supported businesses and shaped the places people call home.

But the future is changing.

Population growth, climate change and increasing pressure on water resources mean that doing things the way they've always been done is no longer enough.

That’s why South West Water is investing in the future through our Strategic Resource Options Programme—a series of major infrastructure projects designed to improve water resilience for decades to come.

And at the centre of this programme sits Cheddar 2.

A project of national significance. A project that will help secure future water supplies across the region. A project that can only move forward with the right planning, the right stakeholder relationships and the right consents strategy.

That’s where you come in.

You’ll help turn ambition into reality.

Before construction starts. Before the first piece of infrastructure is built. Before customers experience the long-term benefits.

There is a critical journey to navigate.

Planning policy. Environmental assessment. Stakeholder engagement. Regulatory approvals. Consultation. Risk management.

As our Planning & Consents Lead, you’ll provide the leadership that brings all of these elements together.

You’ll shape the planning strategy for some of the largest and most complex projects in the South West, ensuring every consent, licence, permit and approval is secured in a way that’s robust, defensible and aligned to programme delivery.

This is a role where your decisions will influence not just the project, but the future resilience of water resources for millions of people.

You’ll be trusted to lead.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary programme team, you’ll become the planning authority within the project.

You’ll guide our approach to planning applications, Development Consent Orders (DCOs), Environmental Impact Assessments and Habitat Regulations Assessments, helping us navigate complex consenting regimes while maintaining programme momentum.

You’ll build strong relationships with local planning authorities, regulators, advisers and communities, creating confidence in both the project and the process.

And when difficult planning challenges emerge—as they inevitably do on projects of this scale—you’ll be the person helping the team find a way forward.

This role is for someone who sees beyond the application.

Someone who understands that successful infrastructure delivery isn’t just about securing permission.

It’s about balancing environmental responsibilities with engineering solutions.

It’s about bringing together technical experts, regulators, landowners and stakeholders around a common goal.

It’s about understanding the realities of delivering major projects under public scrutiny, regulatory oversight and demanding timescales.

Most importantly, it’s about ensuring the right decisions are made today to support communities tomorrow.

What you’ll bring

You’ll likely be a chartered planning professional (MRTPI or MRICS Planning) with experience delivering major infrastructure projects within complex regulatory environments.

You’ll have a strong understanding of planning legislation, including Development Consent Orders, the Town and Country Planning Act, Compulsory Purchase Orders, EIA and HRA requirements.

You’ll be comfortable managing consultants, budgets and stakeholders, and you’ll know how to build credibility with regulators, local authorities and project teams alike.

Experience within water or other regulated infrastructure sectors will help, but above all we’re looking for someone who can combine strategic thinking with practical delivery.

Someone who can see the bigger picture while never losing sight of the detail.

Why this role?

Because opportunities like this don’t come along often.

The projects you’ll help deliver will shape the future of water resilience across the South West for generations.

You’ll work alongside experts from across engineering, environment, land, programme delivery and regulation.

You’ll influence major investment decisions.

And you’ll play a defining role in bringing nationally significant infrastructure from concept to reality.

Join us and help secure the South West’s water future.

Planning & Consents Lead Strategic Resource Options Programme

The future of water starts long before construction begins. It starts with planning.

What’s in it for you?

At South West Water, we believe in rewarding our people for their hard work and dedication. As our SRO Planning & Consents Lead on the SRO programme, you’ll enjoy:

• Competitive Salary – Based on experience and skills

• Company Car or Car Allowance – Supporting your role

• Annual Bonus Scheme – Rewarding your performance

• Pension Scheme – Helping you plan for your future

• Healthcare Benefits – Access to employee assistance programs

• Professional Development – Support for career growth with training opportunities

• Employee Discounts – On various products and services

• Generous Annual Leave – Take time to recharge with our holiday entitlement

Closing Date: 12th October 2026

Please note that the successful candidate will be subject to a mandatory DBS check as part of the onboarding process.

Be yourself, we like it that way. Together, we will build a culture of belonging, where inclusion is instinctive. Diversity is our strength and a reflection of our communities. We care, we value everyone, we celebrate uniqueness.

Be Rock Solid - Build trust and be trusted. Be the one we all look to and can depend on.

Be You - We want you to bring your best everyday. Be yourself and make your mark in your individual way.

Be the Future - Embrace change. Drive Progress. Own the challenge.