Strategic Planning Development Manager - Drive Growth in England

This is a Full Time Permanent Position (up to £57,511 market pay supplement). Recognising the workforce demand, these posts are enhanced with a market rate pay supplement in excess of the top of the substantive grade. An annual review will take place which could reduce, increase or remove the enhancement subject to market conditions.

Two opportunities are being recruited to within Hull City Council as it positions itself to accelerate the production of its New Local Plan and deliver the commitments within the Hull and East Yorkshire Growth Plan and City Centre Vision. Hull is a city going places and is recognised by National Geographic as a top 10 city to visit globally. If you want to be central to delivering these opportunities, there are a number of opportunities available to lead this change or be a key part of the team focused on delivering long term positive change.

Hull is the city at the heart of the Humber Energy Estuary and is the only City with an Offshore Wind Turbine Blade manufacturing centre in the UK, a previous city of culture and has a growing Hydrogen sector.

ROLE & PURPOSE OF JOB

To provide and maintain a high level of professional expertise and advice in the management, organisation and operation of the Development Management team to ensure that the relevant aims of the City Council are met, that the service and its decisions are fair, open and accountable, and to provide a high-quality front-line service to its customers. To prepare and supervise the production of planning application (and other types of consent) reports for determination by the post holder, Head of Planning and/or Planning Committee and to ensure that the Development Management service operates in an effective and efficient manner.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Strategy – Leads and manages the Development Management Team through effective project management and leadership. Manages the team budget and appoints staff to maintain and develop individual and team expertise. Provides mentoring, development, and guidance to team members. Develops the team and team member work programmes. Ensures that working practices, procedures and decisions are regularly reviewed and comply with the Council’s adopted policies and national legislation. Leads on the development and delivery of planning focused elements of the Community and Corporate plans.
• Customer Focus – To provide leadership, professional guidance, and support to team members to achieve a motivated, effective team. To determine planning and other development consents in accordance with the scheme of delegation agreed by the Planning Committee. Lead key areas of professional practice in Development Management to maintain and improve staff professional competence. Leads on the organisation and delivery of pre-application presentations for members of planning committee in conjunction with the Head of Planning and Planning Committee Chairman.
• Performance Management – Work in conjunction with the Head of Planning to develop, implement and monitor organisational structures, systems and procedures for Development Management to ensure these are best suited to deliver the Council’s aims, Service Excellence and Best Value. Contributes to the development of the Economic Development & Regeneration business plan and its implementation. The role is critical in managing the performance of the planning service in accordance with prescribed national targets and to avoid circumstances where failure to meet targets could cause reputational damage and increase the prospect of Government intervention.
• Leadership – Build and maintain working relationships with other service areas to ensure cross-service working in an effective manner and to ensure the provision of relevant and up to date information and professional guidance to all users of the service including Elected Members and the public, through direct contact and the preparation and submission of reports to committees. Provides Elected Members with all the necessary information when undertaking site visits and delivers the new member and annual update training to elected members in connection with the Head of Planning. Represent the Service and City Council at meetings (internal and external) including Committees, working parties, public training sessions, resident events, statutory consultee engagement, and Public Inquiries and Hearings to provide a professional planning service.
• Statutory Obligations – Responsible for the determination of planning applications in accordance with national legislation and the National Planning Policy Framework to ensure Hull City Council fulfils its role as the responsible Local Planning Authority. Leads on ensuring planning applications are determined in line with the scheme of delegation and ensures the Council determines planning applications within the appropriate timelines with the necessary consultation with the public and key stakeholders.

Benefits

• A competitive salary
• An excellent pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Initially 23 days annual leave depending on length of service. You will also get eight public holidays per year, and three additional days off, one in May/August and one during the Christmas/New Year period
• Career development and learning experiences from a range of training courses and learning methods
• Supportive and forward-thinking culture
• Great career development opportunities

We are committed to increasing the diversity, equality, and inclusion within our workforce to represent the people we serve and build an environment in which everyone can feel like they belong. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply. We adopt a ‘name blind’ approach to shortlisting. Recruiting managers will not have access to personal information, including your name and contact details, until a shortlisting decision has been made. Equality monitoring information is not accessible by recruiting managers at any stage.

Application Instructions: Please ensure that you complete and submit your application by midnight prior to the closing date. Please ensure that your application demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria against the person specification as listed in the job description.

Contact: Alex Codd – email (preferred) or telephone.