Principal Town Planning Consultant - Zero Hours Contract in London

We’re looking for a skilled and experienced Principal Planning Consultant to join our market-leading Planning Resilience team at Capita. This is a flexible contract opportunity, open to applicants across the UK and Northern Ireland, where you’ll be paid for the hours you work. As the Principal Planner, you’ll be able to demonstrate at least 8 years of experience within Planning Policy or Development Management. You will be expected to lead on major planning applications, provide expert advice on local plans, and help drive service improvements for our Local Authority clients. With access to a wide range of projects and a supportive team of planning professionals, this is a chance to make a real impact—on your career and the communities we serve. This role will be paid on an hourly rate based on variable hours, depending on work available.

What you’ll be doing:

• Process major planning applications in a timely manner, producing robust reports and recommendations to achieve desired and deliverable outcomes.
• Undertake pre-application discussions on major proposals, some under Planning Performance Agreements.
• Prepare and present evidence on appeals for external clients.
• Work with our clients and partner Councils on a range of projects across strategic planning and development management including Local Plans and supporting evidence, Supplementary Planning Documents, CIL/S106 and Sustainability Appraisal.
• Provide high quality timely professional advice and direction on planning matters being proactive and problem-solving as required by the client.
• Lead on consultation and engagement activities, including coordination and review of public consultation representations and responding to queries from members of the public or Councillors as required.
• Contribute to the delivery and improvement of business management systems, procedures and processes.
• Provide support and guidance to peers and more junior staff and ensure contemporary planning issues and legislation are cascaded and understood.
• Support the growth of the team by making a positive contribution to business development, securing repeat work and applying a commercial lens to all work undertaken.
• Provide consistently high quality professional advice on planning matters to clients, members of the public, councillors and others as necessary.
• Negotiate with applicants and a wide range of stakeholders in order to obtain high quality outcomes within given time constraints set out in our contractual arrangements with clients.
• Provide concise, accurate, justified and timely reports and recommendations on major planning applications and pre-application discussions applying current legislation and policy changes as appropriate.
• Keep up to date with current and emerging policy development at a local, regional and national level so that clients are in a strong position to benefit from existing policies and potential changes.
• Be involved in service improvements and our business operations to ensure resilience, competitive edge, efficiency and effectiveness going forward.

What we’re looking for:

• Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute.
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience, including proven expertise as an expert witness at Planning Inquiries/Local Plan Examination.
• Demonstrable experience working as a Principal Planning Officer or Consultant in the public sector; experience across both public and private sectors would be advantageous.
• A high level of knowledge, understanding and application of current and emerging planning legislation.
• Full, clean UK Driving License with the willingness to travel to meet our client requirements.

About Capita Local Public Service:

Capita Public deliver services and solutions that keep the UK government including local councils running and improving services to the public. Capita Local Public Services (LPS) is a £170m business with 3,000 staff working in a matrix operating model to deliver services to over 50 clients, encompassing both Local Government and Community Health (NHS). Capita has a long and rich history working with Local Government and the NHS and both markets are central to our growth strategy for the next 5 years.

Unlock Your Potential with Capita:

At Capita, your career can take you wherever your ambition leads. You are part of a diverse network of talented, forward-thinking professionals working across a wide range of disciplines and sectors. We’re committed to your growth — offering exciting opportunities to expand your skills, explore new paths, and advance your career.

Equal Opportunities:

At Capita, we’re committed to providing an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment process and working environment for everyone. We want everyone to have the best chance of succeeding as they move through their application and start their career with us. We are an equal opportunity and Disability Confident employer; we want to hear from you if you’d like to discuss any adjustments you might need during your recruitment process.