Principal Planner

Are you ready to take the next step in your planning career? Join one of England's newest and largest unitary authorities, responsible for delivering services across a unique and diverse area. Our Planning Service plays a vital role in supporting sustainable growth, protecting our outstanding natural environment, and helping create thriving communities. We have office locations across several areas of the region and are looking for individuals based in each of these locations. In the East, our offices are located in Scarborough, Malton, and Northallerton. In the West, we have offices in Richmond, Northallerton, Skipton, and Harrogate. For the South, our offices are based in Harrogate and Selby. We are keen to hear from candidates in all of these areas.

About the Team

Are you an experienced planner looking for an opportunity to work on significant, complex, and high-profile development proposals that genuinely shape communities and places? North Yorkshire Council’s Planning Services are at the heart of change, helping communities grow and thrive across one of the most diverse landscapes in the UK. As a team, we work on a diverse set of projects, from domestic through to national infrastructure – offering opportunities for staff to develop expertise and contribute to projects that shape our area. If you are ambitious about your future in Planning, this is a great time to join us as we invest in building a world-class planning service, whilst being community-focused on a local level. We operate a hybrid model of working, offering the opportunity for our staff to work from home, but also from a base within your ‘patch’ to enable you to be fully immersed within the community in which you will provide your skills and expertise.

Role summary

As a Principal Planning Officer, you will be trusted to manage a varied portfolio of major and complex planning applications, guide strategic development projects, and influence decisions that will have a lasting impact on North Yorkshire's communities, economy, and environment. Planning experience is fundamental to success in this position. We are looking for someone who can confidently navigate complex planning issues, balance competing priorities, and provide professional planning advice at the highest level.

Key responsibilities

• Leading on major and strategically important planning applications.
• Manage complex development proposals from pre-application stage through to determination and appeal.
• Present reports and recommendations to Planning Committees.
• Acting as case officer for major and often high-profile planning applications and appeals.
• Project managing strategic development sites.
• Negotiating community benefits through Section 106 agreements and CIL.
• Providing expert planning advice to stakeholders and colleagues.
• Mentor and support colleagues, sharing your planning expertise across the service.
• Investigating and responding to planning-related complaints and queries.

This is a role where your professional judgement, planning knowledge, and experience will directly influence the future development of North Yorkshire.

Knowledge and Experience

• Degree, Post-Graduate Degree or master’s in planning or related subject.
• Eligible for Membership of RTPI.
• Evidence of working on major and complex cases.
• Able to demonstrate an excellent knowledge of planning legislation and regulations.
• Ability to organise workloads and manage time to work to strict deadlines.
• The ability to work confidently within a political and stakeholder-rich environment.
• Experience supporting, mentoring, or supervising planning colleagues.

Why Join Us?

• Hybrid working with flexible working practices and hours, supported by effective technologies that enable you to work remotely.
• A generous annual leave offer; 28 days of holiday (pro-rata), increasing to 34 days after 5 years’ service – plus public holidays.
• A generous pension through our Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Supportive team culture: Work alongside experienced professionals in a collaborative, forward-thinking environment.

Contact and Apply

Take the next step in your career and help shape the future of North Yorkshire’s communities. To learn more about this exciting opportunity, please contact John Worthington, Development Service Manager on John.Worthington@northyorks.gov.uk or Nick Turpin, Development Service Manager on Nick.Turpin@northyorks.gov.uk.

We are committed to meeting the needs of our diverse community and aim to have a workforce reflecting this diversity. We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. North Yorkshire Councils’ purpose is to deliver services and facilities to the diverse residents and visitors of North Yorkshire. To ensure we deliver inclusive services, we strive to have a diverse workforce where everybody can be themselves by respecting differences and embedding equality of opportunity. We celebrate diversity and recognise each other’s contributions; we therefore welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds.