Senior Planning Officer

Job Details

Purpose

To assist in providing a high quality, customer-focused planning service by dealing efficiently and effectively with pre-applications, planning applications and planning appeals and by making a positive contribution toward the achievement of high performance and cost effective service.
To contribute to the review and formulation of planning policies and site development proposals. To support, as directed and necessary, the Planning Performance Agreement programme and/or council led projects.

Key Unit Accountabilities

1. Negotiate all potential types of S106 agreements, including financial contributions
2. To deal with a range of development control issues, including major and complex cases, undertaking negotiations with applicants/prospective developers and representatives of other parts of the Council, as required.
3. To undertake the tasks required for the accurate validation and allocation of in-coming applications for all category types.
4. To contribute to the review of the Local Plan and the formulation of new strategic policies and site proposals.
5. To prepare and present quality professional advice, briefing information and reports, to appropriate individuals and bodies at all levels of the council’s governance arrangements and to external organisations, public meetings and site visits as required.
6. To prepare and present statements and evidence for public inquiries and informal hearings for Major appeals and in court.
7. To ensure appropriate public participation on planning applications and development projects, and to analyse the results thereof.
8. To provide advice to applicants and the public on planning applications and development proposals under the supervision of a more senior officer.
9. To provide advice, as required, on all aspects of the planning process on the telephone, in writing, by email and face to face with visiting customers.
10. In conjunction with the Principal Planning Officer prepare briefs for external consultants and undertake day to day supervision of appointed consultants work.
11. To maintain a current knowledge of relevant law, policies, working practices and procedures.
12. To help ensure effective liaison and co-ordination with other parts of the Council, and with other services as required on planning and other related matters.
13. To contribute to the development of a strategic planning function, which promotes the Council’s regeneration framework and provides an integrated approach to policy, regeneration and development issues.
14. To provide advice and guidance to nominated trainees and new starters in conjunction with the Principal Planning Officer and/or Area Team Manager.
15. To work flexibly in undertaking the duties and responsibilities of this job and participate as required in multi-disciplinary and cross-organisational groups and task teams.
16. To take responsibility, relevant to the post, for ensuring that Council statutes and government legislation is upheld. This includes, amongst others, Management Compliance Charter, Environmental Policy, Data Protection Act, Race Equality Action Plan, Quality Assurance Plan, Health & Safety, Sustainable Construction and Recycling.
17. To take responsibility, appropriate to the post for tackling racism and promoting good race, ethnic and community relations.
18. To deal with all types of application, plus the full range of complex Major applications, together with the negotiation of all potential types of S106 agreements, including financial contributions.
19. To prepare complex briefing notes for senior officers and members, as required.
20. To prepare and present statements and evidence for planning appeal including public inquiries and informal hearings for the full range of Major and complex applications and in court.
21. To undertake the tasks required for the accurate validation and allocation of the full range of in-coming applications.
22. To support as directed the Planning Performance Agreement programme and provide supporting information in relation to developments. To provide advice, guidance and supervision to more junior officers and provide cover for Principal Planning Officers.

Pay rate: £33.04 per hour umbrella

Three to six months contract with view to extend or make permanent