Tree & Landscape Officer (Planning) / Senior Tree & Landscape Officer (Planning)

North Herts Council; Letchworth; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A local council in the UK seeks an experienced tree and landscape professional to provide arboricultural advice and ensure compliance with landscaping regulations. The ideal candidate will have in-depth knowledge of trees, experience in assessing works applications, and relevant professional qualifications. This role contributes to sustainability and community development efforts within North Hertfordshire.

Benefits

Promotion of equality, diversity, and inclusion

Healthy work/life balance

Qualifications

• Experience assessing tree works applications and preserving tree orders.
• Ability to provide professional advice on landscaping and compliance matters.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice on arboricultural and landscaping compliance for development sites.
• Assess planning conditions related to landscaping requirements.
• Contribute to policies and monitoring of site landscaping.

Skills

Knowledge of trees for application assessments

Ability to assess landscaping details

Education

Professional qualifications in arboriculture/landscaping

Job description

Overview

The Role

Are you passionate about trees and landscaping and their role in creating vibrant, sustainable communities? As our District grows, we are committed to delivering high-quality tree coverage and landscaping in new developments. We want to create great, and green, places for our residents to live, work and play.

Do you want to play a key role in meeting our commitments to climate change adaptation and biodiversity? We also safeguard the local environment and the character of our many historic Conservation Areas through the protection and management of existing, important trees.

We are looking for a qualified and experienced tree and landscape professional to provide site-level arboricultural and landscaping advice. You will have responsibility for assessing and securing compliance with statutory and discretionary requirements for trees and landscaping on land and proposed development sites across North Hertfordshire.

You will experience a variety of projects across a range of scales working in a friendly and multi-disciplinary planning and implementation team.

You will also support the preparation and implementation of effective policies, proposals, monitoring and recording of trees and site landscaping as part of a holistic approach to site design and delivery and to positively contribute towards addressing the Council’s declaration of Climate Change and Ecological Emergencies.

Responsibilities

• Provide site-level arboricultural and landscaping advice and assess and secure compliance with statutory and discretionary requirements for trees and landscaping on land and proposed development sites across North Hertfordshire.
• Assess and secure compliance with planning conditions and landscaping requirements on masterplans and development schemes.
• Contribute to the preparation and implementation of policies, proposals, monitoring and recording of trees and site landscaping as part of site design and delivery.

Qualifications / Experience

• The Experience you will bring: knowledge of trees to determine tree works applications, assess and serve new Tree Preservation Orders; deal with High Hedges issues and enforcement of the Hedgerow Regulations.
• Ability to assess landscaping details across all relevant Council activities, and provide professional advice on arboricultural and site-level landscaping matters to allow full consideration of masterplans, planning applications, discharge of conditions, S106 obligations and enforcement and compliance matters.
• Your workplace experience will be supported by appropriate professional qualifications in your field.

About Us

North Hertfordshire is a large rural district with approximately 125,000 residents with four historic towns, Hitchin, Baldock, Royston and Letchworth Garden City. The Council has a clear vision: We put people first and deliver sustainable services, to enable a brighter future together.

Why work with us?

We are committed to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion in our recruitment practices and in our employment policies. We want our employees to feel safe to express themselves and we encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds with a wide range of talents. We are dedicated to promoting a healthy work/life balance, valuing our employees, and enabling them to make a difference to the local community.

Please note that all our vacancies require you to live and work in the UK, and selection interviews are face to face in our Letchworth offices or other nearby council sites.

At North Herts Council we are proud to be a Disability Confident employer, and we guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum requirements for the job.

If you would like an informal chat about the post, you can contact Anne McDonald Development Management Team Leader on 01462 474634.

Closing Date: Noon 29/09/25

Interviews: 14/10/25

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient suitable applications. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.