Senior Town Planning Officer - Council in Northampton

Role: Senior Town Planning Officer REF 1725162

Contract Length: Initially 12 weeks with likely extension for a further 12 weeks

Location: Hybrid/Northampton – minimum of 1 day per week (Usually Wednesday)

IR35: Inside

Pay Rate to Intermediary: £45 per hour

Spinwell is recruiting for a Senior Town Planning Officer for an excellent opportunity within the public sector.

Responsibilities of the Senior Town Planning Officer

• To make a proactive and positive contribution to the effective delivery of the Planning Service, this will include working flexibly and positively to achieve the objectives of the council.
• To deliver excellent customer service in every interaction for all internal and external customers, including Councillors.
• To respond in a timely and professional manner to requests for support from members of the public seeking to engage with the Planning Service. This will include providing support to the Customer Contact Centre and the Complaints and Customer Feedback teams where required.
• To support timely responses to customer, MP and Councillor complaints and feedback to ensure the Planning Service is consistently meeting corporate service standards.
• To support the regular entry of data into DEF and our IT systems to ensure the Planning Service is consistently meeting, and exceeding, its statutory and corporate Performance Indicators and demonstrating best practice.
• To implement the Council’s place shaping agenda and its objective to be positive and proactive in terms of allowing the ‘right schemes’ in the ‘right place’ at the ‘right time’.
• To provide appropriate technical advice to the public, developers, agents, Members, other departments of the Council and other persons and bodies as appropriate in connection with development proposals and related matters in writing, by telephone or in person.
• To proactively process and formulate timely recommendations on minor and other applications that are submitted to the Planning Authority including the preparation of reports, securing extensions of time and Planning Performance Agreements where required.
• To support the Major Projects Team where large-scale projects require additional technical resource and input.
• To provide support to pre-application enquiries, Planning Performance Agreements, extensions of time, appeals, enforcement cases and any other processes carried out within the team / service and in accordance with agreed service standards.
• To input into the formulation of planning policies and to provide support to the Planning Policy team where required.
• To attend site visits, meetings with external organisations, Planning Committee and working parties as and when required.
• To support the Assistant Director and Head of Development Management with aspects of process improvement and systems review where needed.
• To support the Assistant Director and Head of Development Management with the delivery of aspects of the Planning Service’s Communications and Engagement Strategy where required.
• To support the Assistant Director and Head of Development Management with the co‑ordination of the Agents and Developers Forum, Member training, Parish and Town Council training and staff CPD programmes as required.
• To take responsibility and encourage personal development and continuous improvement within the team alongside the Development Management Team Leaders to develop a thorough understanding of current issues, processes, legislation or systems.
• To follow, at all times, all planning and other legislation such as Data Protection – GDPR, Freedom of Information (FOI) and Health & Safety at work.
• To undertake any other duties commensurate with the general level of responsibility of this post.
• To maximise personal productivity, minimise duplication and errors; and manage our information efficiently and securely to reduce risk, through effective use of Office 365 and our internal IT systems and applications.
• Actively challenge and seek to eliminate any directly or indirectly discriminatory practice or behaviours.
• Demonstrate awareness and understanding of other people’s behavioural, physical, social and welfare needs and ensure that reasonable care is taken at all ties for the health, safety and welfare of yourself and other persons.

Skills/Experience of the Senior Town Planning Officer

• Displays a positive, ‘can do’, proactive and supportive attitude in a team environment
• Consistently strives for continuous improvement and excellence
• Time/priority management: high level of proficiency
• Ability to work under pressure, handle stress and to deadlines
• Displays good attention to detail and accurate research skills
• Good negotiation skills
• Verbal: excellent level of professional ability; exhibits a clear & comprehensible verbal style
• Self-awareness: Ability to communicate and display consistent professional conduct with a wide range of people, in person, by telephone and email
• Writing: excellent level of professional ability; exhibits a clear & comprehensible writing style in line with Plain English principles
• General IT skills: basic keyboard/typing skills, use of Windows, word‑processing and email
• Specialist IT skills: DEF MasterGov or other planning related system, QGIS or other mapping software, Microsoft Office packages, such as Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, etc., ERP Gold (or other finance/HR system) & any other system used within the service or Council
• Good knowledge of working effectively in a political environment with a wide range of stakeholders
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in Development Management and dealing with planning applications and appeals
• Relevant undergraduate degree

We welcome all applications regardless of background, in line with our commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.