Senior Planning Officer - Planning Applications and Mineral & Waste Planning Policy in Maidstone

Kent County Council

Senior Planning Officer - Planning Applications and Mineral & Waste Planning Policy

Salary £41,782 - £46,606 per annum

Permanent Full Time

Location: County Hall, Maidstone, Kent, United Kingdom

Job Reference: REF/TP/60815/15288

Closing date: 19 October, 2026

Role Responsibility

We are seeking a Senior Planning Officer to join the Planning Applications Group. This is an exciting opportunity to work flexibly across both minerals and waste local plan-making and development management, contributing to the delivery of sustainable development in Kent. You’ll gain valuable in-depth and transferable experience in the county planning function, which will be invaluable for your future career in Planning. This is a superb opportunity to gain wider experience of a specialist planning area.

In the role you will:

• Act as case officer for the determination of a range of the more complex planning applications and submissions for minerals, waste and community development applications
• Work on the Minerals and Waste Local Plan supporting its development and review

You’ll be confident, adaptable, with a good understanding of current and emerging planning legislation and policy and the processes relating to the planning function.

You will:

• Hold a relevant degree (or equivalent), in planning or similar related environmental discipline
• Hold or be eligible for Chartered Membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)
• Have experience in a local authority or similar setting

You will also have:

• Development management experience, including handling major complex development proposals, environmental impact assessment and appropriate assessment development
• Detailed understanding of plan making work
• Experience of either minerals and/or waste development
• Excellent communication skills
• IT skills, including GIS.

This role is subject to holding a Full UK Driving Licence – The Council is committed to making reasonable adjustments so whilst this job requires the jobholder to drive your application will still be considered if you are unable to drive due to a disability.

Based at County Hall, Maidstone, Kent, we offer hybrid working (subject to business needs), typically combining two days a week in the office with home working. The successful candidate will need to live within a reasonable commuting distance of Kent, as the role requires regular attendance at County Hall and travel to sites and meetings across the county, including to locations that may not be easily accessible by public transport.

This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification.

We are also advertising for a Principal Planning Officer – Development Management.

Interviews for the shortlisted candidates will be held in Sessions House, Maidstone.

Contact Details

Sharon Thompson, Head of Planning Applications Group via email Sharon.Thompson@kent.gov.uk

About the Company

Work that works for you and us - let's talk flexibility!

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.