Senior Planning Officer - Chippenham

Salary: £42,839 - £45,091

Hours per week: 37 hours

Interview date: To be confirmed following shortlisting

Planning - Shaping Tomorrow's Communities Today

Our Development Management Service is crucial in shaping Wiltshire's future by determining planning applications for new developments. While some decisions involve subjective judgment, we adhere strictly to legal and procedural guidelines to ensure compliance with legislation and policy. We support the council's business plan by fostering new development, driving economic growth, and promoting environmental protection and sustainability.

As a Senior Planning Officer, you will lead different planning projects, working closely with the community and stakeholders to create important new developments. You will assess various planning applications, enquiries, and appeals to help shape Wiltshire's overall vision for the future. While you won't manage others directly, you will mentor junior planning officers, ensuring their work follows council rules and national standards.

We are looking for a qualified planner (degree or equivalent experience) with strong IT and GIS skills, expert knowledge of planning legislation, experience of handling complex cases, appeals, and negotiations. You will need great communication, organisation, and decision-making skills, plus a good understanding of local government processes.

This role will require successful candidates to hold a full UK driving licence and have access to their own motor vehicle to undertake the full duties of this position.

Why us? Wiltshire Council is a friendly and collaborative place to work, with a strong "One Council" ethos. We offer flexible working, hybrid arrangements, modern offices, generous pension benefits and meaningful career development.

New to Wiltshire? Wiltshire is a beautiful county, home to vibrant communities, historic towns and world‑famous heritage sites such as Stonehenge and Avebury. The rich heritage, beautiful landscapes and vibrant communities make it a fantastic place to live and work. We border Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, Dorset and Somerset. Almost half of our county is labelled as a Natural Landscape, and we are home to iconic world heritage sites like Stonehenge and Avebury.

Please download and read the role description and person specification carefully before you apply as well as Our Identity. The council is committed to creating an environment of positive working relationships where everyone feels engaged, supported and able to thrive. Our Identity is a framework which sets out how we are all expected to lead, work and act to deliver our services. We will not tolerate discrimination, bullying or harassment of any kind. Everyone is expected to promote a culture of inclusion, dignity, trust and respect which is underpinned by our vision and Our Identity framework.

For more details, contact Victoria Davis, Planning Manager (Development Management). We understand that AI tools can support candidates in preparing job applications. However, at Wiltshire Council we value authenticity and encourage applicants to ensure their submissions genuinely reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While we welcome applications from job seekers who require skilled worker sponsorship, we are not able to issue a defined certificate of sponsorship due to limitations in our sponsorship capacity. This role may be subject to certain successful security checks; please see the role description for more information.

We are firmly committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and to the principles of inclusion and diversity in both employment and the delivery of services.

Disability Confident Employer

Application process: Please ensure to regularly check your spam/junk folder for any communication from us regarding your application status. We wouldn't want you to miss out on any important updates or interview invitations. Thank you!