Principal Planning Officer - Development Management, Strategic Projects

• Salary is £56,528 per annum (which includes a recruitment allowance of £7,246.00 per annum payable for up to 3 years).
• Reporting to the NSIP Strategic Planning Lead.
• Permanent position, 37 hours per week, part time hours will be considered.
• Flexible and Hybrid working (1-2 days per week in the office).
• Generous pension scheme and 30 days’ annual leave.
• Extensive CPD and peer support.
• Opportunity to work on a wide range of interesting projects, offering unique opportunities to develop your experience and skills.
• Travel will be required across Somerset's rural areas with some lone working.

Are you ready to join a forward-thinking council committed to innovation, economic growth and sustainable development, working on high profile projects that will shape Somerset’s future?

We’re looking for an experienced Town Planner to join our Strategic Planning team. This is your chance to influence nationally significant infrastructure projects such as Hinkley Point C and associated national grid upgrades and other major projects such as Bridgwater Tidal Barrier and Gravity ensuring delivery of sustainable development that supports Somerset’s wider growth.(see also https://www.somerset.gov.uk/business-economy-and-licences/major-developments/ for further information on major developments)

As Principal Planning Officer, you will lead the delivery of various strategic infrastructure projects across sectors such as Energy, Renewables, Nuclear, and Water. You’ll work at the heart of strategic planning and will be responsible for the processing of a varied caseload of Town & Country Planning Act applications (TCPA), Local Development Order (LDO) Compliance Applications, discharge of Development Consent Order (DCO) requirements, discharge of conditions and Section 106 obligations associated with the Strategic Planning projects.

You will:

• Lead on consenting regimes for major infrastructure projects (DCOs, TWAOs, LDOs, TCPA).
• Negotiate and collaborate with stakeholders to deliver essential infrastructure.
• Represent the Council at key meetings and influence outcomes.
• Manage complex projects and provide expert advice on planning matters.
• Support and mentor junior team members.

You will need:

• Strong knowledge of planning legislation, policy frameworks, and consenting regimes.
• Experience in infrastructure planning or major infrastructure/planning projects.
• Degree in Town Planning or related subject.
• Membership (or eligibility) of RTPI.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and project management skills.

We’re proud to be here for the people of Somerset. And that means everyone in Somerset. An important part of this is ensuring that we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve.

We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our team. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if there’s anything you want to talk about before you apply.

You’ll have the opportunity to engage with improvement projects currently running throughout the service and help to shape a future planning service for Somerset within a team that offers a supportive and rewarding environment. The team are passionate about the work they do and work collaboratively to ensure the best outcome for all, to improve the lives of people in Somerset.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
• Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave through a salary sacrifice scheme.
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
• Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
• A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more.

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Nick Tait via email at nick.tait@somerset.gov.uk

When completing your application/ CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment.

If you have everything you need, just hit the apply button. We can’t wait to hear from you.