Principal Planning Consultant

Berrys is a multi-disciplinary consultancy, working nationwide but with our strongest presence in the Midlands. Our mission is to help our clients make the most of their land and property, whether rural or urban, commercial, agricultural or residential. Our town planners work hand-in-hand with our architects, civil engineers, heritage consultants, land valuers and surveyors to take sites from initial concept to spades in the ground.

We are looking to recruit an experienced town planner who can grow and nurture client relationships, lead our largest projects and provide top-level planning advice to our most-valued clients. You will be one of sixteen town planners in our business. Shrewsbury is our largest planning office, with planning colleagues also based in Hereford, Kettering and Towcester. In 2024/25 we were ranked in the Top 25 UK Planning Consultancies by the Royal Town Planning Institute.

Principal Planning Consultant Responsibilities / Duties:

This is a key, client-facing role at the heart of our business. It combines top-level technical knowledge with outstanding customer service. We are looking for somebody who can take an opportunity and run with it; somebody with the confidence to guide a client and steer a project; somebody for whom nothing is too much trouble. You must be responsive, energetic, reassuring and, above all, personable. You will offer first-rate planning advice and will have excellent report-writing skills. Your role will cover both planning application and strategic land promotion work. This is a role for a confident and experienced consultant, from the private or public sectors. You will be comfortable working independently but will know instinctively when to touch base with others. A sound understanding of the UK planning system is a given and experience in environmental impact assessment would be helpful. Membership of the MRTPI is essential and you should be confident handling your own caseload from start to finish, with minimal oversight.

Key responsibilities of the Principal Planning Consultant role include:

• Working with senior colleagues throughout the business to generate work and to develop target clients and markets
• Leading client relationships from start to finish
• Delivering projects efficiently with minimal overspend
• Offering top-level planning advice to clients in the housing, leisure, energy and agricultural sectors, providing reassurance and managing expectations
• Writing and editing fee quotes, planning statements, appeal statements and design and access statements
• Promoting land for development through the local plan review process
• Managing the EIA process and editing environmental statements
• Attending client, LPA and subconsultant meetings, both virtually and in person

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, to be worked flexibly Monday-Friday.

Principal Planning Consultant Benefits:

• The role sits within a friendly and supportive team with opportunities to develop.
• We will offer an excellent salary for the right candidate reflective of your skills, qualifications and experience.
• We will pay all the appropriate professional memberships and fund your attendance at relevant CPD events and time off for approved training.
• We provide Private Healthcare scheme for all.
• We have an Employee Assistance Programme, including a health plan and annual flu jab.
• We have an agile working philosophy allowing for a mix of remote and office working.
• We provide an entitlement of 35 days holiday per annum (pro rata to working hours) inclusive of bank holidays.
• An additional day off to celebrate your Birthday.
• We also give an additional day of holiday for every 3 years of service.
• Potential for discretionary bonus.
• We provide an enhanced workplace pension scheme operated through The National Employment Savings Trust (NEST).
• Following successful probation period, access to employee loan and employee discount on Berrys services.
• We offer salary sacrifice schemes for Electric Vehicles and Cycle to Work schemes.

Closing Date: 15/04/2025. Please note that we may close this role early, if sufficient applications are received, therefore it is recommended to apply early if you match the criteria.