Senior Planning Officer - West Midlands

Morgan Hunt is recruiting for Senior Planning Officer to work with a Local Council based in West Midlands on a temporary basis. The details of the job are below:

Senior Planning Officer

Hours: 37 hours - Mon to Fri - between 9am to 5pm - 2 days per week site based & 3 days remote working

Pay Rate: £39ph to £45ph Ltd depending on experience

Location: West Midlands

Duration: 6 months on going contract

Skills & Experience

• Diploma in Town Planning or equivalent giving exemption from final examination of Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)
• Full RTPI membership or having all of the following: extensive practical experience in development management; an RTPI accredited qualification; a demonstrably ability within six months of appointment to be able to submit an application for full RTPI membership, and a clear willingness to work towards achieving this.
• Experience of working in a planning applications team
• Sound knowledge of planning legislation guidance and procedures
• Full driving licence. Access to car and ability to undertake site visits

Role Purpose
To process and determine major and complex minor planning applications and to carry out all other associated professional duties appropriate to the grade in accordance with agreed current service delivery standards

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

This job description is not exhaustive and the candidiates may be asked to carry out other tasks and duties as assigned by your line manager, commensurate with the post and grading.

• To process and determine all applications submitted under the Town and Country Planning Acts and other related legislation, with minimal supervision. Whilst the majority of these applications will comprise major and complex minor application, you may on occasion also be asked to process other types of applications as workloads require.
• To validate applications, carry out of site visits, professional interpretation of relevant policies and guidance, assessment of comments and consultation responses received, appropriate liaison with colleagues, consultees, elected members, Parish Councils and other third parties, negotiation with applicants, attendance at meetings (on your own or with a more senior colleague), preparation of delegated and committee reports and issuing decisions in accordance with the delegated authority to be given to you in writing by the Head of Service. It also requires good judgment of when to escalate concerns about a case to the appropriate line manager.
• To regularly present your own and colleagues' applications at planning committee and audit & regulatory committee with the support of one of the Planning Managers or the Head of Development.
• To provide high quality written pre-application advice in accordance with agreed current service delivery standards, as well as advice by telephone as part of the "duty officer" rota. To arrange and attend meetings when this is the best way of progressing negotiations.
• To provide appropriate responses and to negotiate with developers as required on discharge of conditions applications and sign off associated decisions.
• To prepare written representations appeal statements; prepare for and act as the Council witness at informal hearings and public inquiries; prepare a draft statement and provide support for an elected member acting as witness for the council; prepare to claim or defend any associated costs case on behalf of the Council; advise the Planning Manager or Head of Service on other witnesses required to defend an appeal.
• To provide support to the enforcement team by acting as case officer in major enforcement cases that require a significant professional planning involvement particularly those linked to the submission & determination of associated planning applications or lawful development certificate applications and including associated informal hearing/public inquiry work when asked to do so by the Planning Manager (Applications & Committee) or Head of Service.
• To take an active role in staff induction process for all new members of staff within the planning applications and committee team.
• To take an active role in delivering excellent work-shadowing opportunities for elected members and in providing work experience opportunities to young students throughout the year.
• This role includes delegated authority for checking and signing other officers' reports (both delegated and committee), when asked to do so, for any planning or related applications, including LBC's and Notices of Decision for TREE and TPO applications.
• To provide support, information and advice to colleagues within and outside the team, including any Head of Service or the Chief Executive, as well as to elected Members, Parish Councils and third parties.
• To be aware of your responsibilities in terms of health and safety, including identifying at your appraisal, appropriate health and safety training.
• Through the Appraisal Scheme, review and identify your own training needs for discussion with your line manager.
• To contribute at all times to the teams' delivery of an excellent service and to current service performance measures.
• This is a politically restricted specified post as defined by the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and the Local Democracy, economic Development and Construction Act 2009.

Morgan Hunt is a multi-award-winning recruitment Business for interim, contract and temporary recruitment and acts as an Employment Agency in relation to temporary vacancies. Morgan Hunt is an equal opportunities employer, job suitability are assessed on merit in accordance with their skills, qualifications and abilities to perform the relevant duties required in a particular role.