Town Planner | Senior Town Planner in Chester)

Penguin Recruitment; Chester; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading planning consultancy in Chester is seeking a Senior Planning Consultant to join their collaborative team. The ideal candidate will lead small to medium-sized planning applications and contribute to major projects across prestigious clients. Responsibilities include managing applications, preparing planning reports, and assisting senior staff. This role offers a competitive salary, annual bonuses, and flexible working opportunities, making it an excellent career progression opportunity for driven professionals in the planning field.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Annual bonus structure

Pension contributions

Private healthcare

Payment of professional fees

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Experience in private or public sector planning.
• Strong understanding of planning principles and policies.
• Interest and enthusiasm for planning.

Responsibilities

• Assist senior staff on major projects.
• Manage small to medium-sized planning applications.
• Prepare planning reports and applications.
• Build relationships with clients and professionals.

Skills

Technical writing

Presentation skills

Problem-solving

Commercial awareness

Communication skills

Creative approach

Education

Relevant degree

Job description

Job Title: Town Planner | Senior Town Planner

Location: Chester

Practice: Employee-Owned | Multidisciplinary

Penguin Recruitment is delighted to be supporting an employee-owned, multidisciplinary planning consultancy of around 50 professionals in their search for a Senior Planning Consultant. This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Senior Planning Consultant to join a well-established and collaborative team, working on a diverse portfolio of projects for prestigious clients across the UK.

As a Senior Planning Consultant, you will work across a wide range of planning projects, supporting senior staff and Directors on major schemes while managing your own caseload. The successful Senior Planning Consultant will provide direct client advice and play a key role in the preparation and delivery of high-quality planning submissions.

The Role

The Senior Planning Consultant role involves working on a variety of planning projects, supporting senior colleagues on complex developments, and contributing to the overall management of the team's workload. The Senior Planning Consultant will be responsible for managing small to medium-sized planning applications and taking projects through from inception to completion.

Key responsibilities include:

• Assisting senior staff and Directors to drive forward major projects
• Managing small to medium-sized planning applications
• Undertaking research and analysis to support planning strategies
• Preparing planning appraisals of land, buildings, and development concepts
• Preparing planning reports, planning applications, development plan representations, and Environmental Statements
• Liaising with planning officers, statutory consultees, and third parties
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with clients, colleagues, and fellow professionals
• Developing creative and original planning solutions
• Taking financial responsibility for small to medium-sized projects
• Remaining up to date with planning policy and practice
• Attending external events and delivering presentations

About You

To be successful in this Senior Planning Consultant role, you will demonstrate:

• A relevant degree and a genuine interest and enthusiasm for planning
• Relevant experience in the private or public sector
• A strong understanding of planning principles and policy
• Excellent technical writing and presentation skills
• Strong problem-solving abilities and commercial awareness
• Clear and confident communication skills
• A creative and proactive approach to project delivery

What You'll Get in Return

This Senior Planning Consultant position offers excellent career progression within a growing, employee-owned consultancy. You will benefit from a highly competitive salary, annual bonus structure, pension contributions, private healthcare, and payment of professional fees.

The business embraces flexible working, with the option to work from home for part of the week alongside access to offices in Chester, Manchester, and Newcastle. As an Employee Ownership Trust, the company is managed in the interests of its employees, offering additional benefits including tax‑free bonuses and the opportunity to take an active role in shaping the future of the business from day one.

This is an outstanding opportunity for a Senior Planning Consultant looking to progress their career while working alongside some of the very best planning professionals in the industry.

Interested?