Planning Officer in Stoke-on-Trent

Stoke-on-Trent City Council,
Directorate: Housing, Regeneration and Operations
Section: Planning and Building Control
Location: Civic Centre
Grade: Level 9
Salary: £36,363 - £39,152 per annum
Hours: 37 hours per week
This advert is open to internal applicants only.

About us:

We are a city of strengths, with a proud heritage and bright future. Working for Stoke-on Trent City Council is more than just a job, it's about making, protecting and improving the services for the local population, reducing inequalities and improving independence for the people who live and work in the city. And that's where you come in. We are always looking for people of the highest calibre with skills, knowledge and experience to help us deliver our compelling vision.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council's diverse and talented workforce is its greatest asset and most valuable resource. The skills, knowledge and experience of our c.4,600 employees are essential to delivering our ambitions and vision for our organisation and Stoke-on-Trent. We want to be an employer that people are proud to work for, and where our staff are supported, developed and rewarded in an inclusive way that helps them to excel and to deliver the high-quality services that our residents need.

Further information on the Council and our directorates

The Role:

An exciting opportunity has arisen at Stoke on Trent City Council; the Planning Department are looking to recruit to the role of Planning Officer. Town planning is a challenging and rewarding career. It is aimed at improving the places in which we live, work and play. It is dynamic, reacting to changes in society, the environment and political and legal frameworks in which people live their lives and development takes place. It is not just about telling people what their future environment will be like but working with a wide range of stakeholders such as Heritage, Housing, Economic and Environmental, to bring diverse ideas, wants and needs together. Your people skills will be as important as your technical knowledge; town planning is a test of your all-round abilities and gives you a deeply satisfying career.

Key duties and responsibilities for this post will be to prepare and assist in the production of evidence based documents; preparation and development of the Local Plan and supporting documents; providing specialist advice on planning applications and aiding the delivery of corporate projects.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide thorough advice in respect of statutory spatial planning policy and guidance
• Provide professional planning input to the design and delivery of sustainable site and theme based regeneration priorities
• To contribute in good time to any monitoring, research or investigation into planning and development related issues needed to support policy formulation, determine planning decisions or inform wider corporate regeneration projects

About You:

• Have excellent communication skills it is not just about telling people what their future environment will be like but working with a wide range of stakeholders such as Heritage, Housing, Economic and Environmental, to bring diverse ideas, wants and needs together
• Your people skills will be as important as your technical knowledge; town planning is a test of your all-round abilities and gives you a deeply satisfying career

What we offer:

• A competitive salary based on your skills, experience and talent
• Hybrid and flexible working options
• An excellent local authority benefits pension scheme
• Professional development through learning opportunities, regular training sessions and apprenticeship and management schemes

Further information on our Rewards and Benefits can be found here

Pre-Employment Checks:

• Right to Work in the UK
• Proof of address
• Satisfactory references
• Occupational Health Clearance
• Evidence of professional qualifications or registrations
• DBS check at the appropriate level (if applicable for the role)

The Council will not accept any speculative CVs from employment agencies.

No agency terms and conditions accompanying any such CVs will be accepted by the Council.

Any unsolicited information sent by an employment agency will be treated as the property of the Council.

Please note that if an employee who is currently at risk of redundancy within the organisation applies for this vacancy their application will receive priority. If this happens you will be advised accordingly.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Stoke-on-Trent City Council, we believe our strength comes from the diversity of our community, and we want our workforce to reflect that. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences. We understand that some people, especially those from underrepresented or marginalised backgrounds, may hesitate to apply if they don’t meet all the listed requirements. If this role interests you and you think you could be a good fit, we encourage you to apply. We are proud of what makes each of us unique and are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels included, can be themselves, and can succeed together.