Planning Officer

Overview

As a Planning Officer at Buckinghamshire Council, you’ll not only be offered a competitive benefits package, you’ll also be part of a team working on a broad range of projects, committed to shaping the future of Buckinghamshire for generations to come.

Our Planning, Growth and Sustainability directorate work with partners to help shape the future of Buckinghamshire. We deliver services on planning, economic growth, regeneration, strategic infrastructure, transport and property.

Our key priorities include developing the economic narrative for Bucks, creating more jobs and delivering the right infrastructure to help businesses and residents thrive. We also aim to provide a proactive planning service that is responsive, whilst making the best use of the Council’s land and property portfolio. This will in turn support community services and create housing, jobs, regeneration and income to support public services.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.  

About the role

Working as part of a friendly team you’ll manage a diverse caseload of planning applications and lead on providing high-quality service through all stages of the planning process, including pre-application and planning appeals. 

The role is based in our North area team, which includes the market towns of Winslow and Buckingham. The area covered by the team extends to the boundary with Northamptonshire in the north, Oxfordshire in the west and Bedfordshire to the East and offers a wide range of opportunities across both urban and rural environments. A full driving licence and access to a vehicle are therefore essential to this role. This is a highly rewarding and fulfilling role - you’ll see the impact of your work in front of you.

Faye, a Planning Officer at Buckinghamshire Council, recently described her experience of working at Buckinghamshire:

"I have worked for Buckinghamshire Council for over three years. I initially started as a Graduate Planner and within six months of joining I was afforded the opportunity to progress to a Planning Officer. I work with an incredibly friendly and supportive team, who have helped me to grow my knowledge and skills as a Planner, gaining experience across a wide range of planning applications. The workload is varied which makes every day interesting; we are blessed that we work in a diverse area offering both rural and urban experiences. Alongside my work in the North Area Planning Team, I have also been very fortunate to have gained experience in the Majors Planning Team by co-working with colleagues on projects at Silverstone and the National Trust."

Career development is something we take seriously at Buckinghamshire Council; we love nothing more than seeing our colleagues grow with us, with many members of the team progressing quickly as they gain more experience and responsibilities within their specialist areas. We are committed to building an exceptional Development Management Team, utilising our colleagues’ talent, and making the most of what they have to offer. With a strong and supportive management team behind you, you’ll play a key part in helping us achieve our Planning and Environment Business plan and drive forward our vision as a unitary authority. 

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

Relevant experience within the development management, planning or environmental sector are essential in this Planning Officer role, and you should apply if:

• You have excellent communication skills and experience in dealing with complex customer queries. 
• You come to us with the relevant specialist experience within the service or a related area.
• You have a proven ability to manage a demanding workload
• You are people-focussed and enjoy building new relationships, with the welfare of our residents at the heart of what you do.

Candidates will also be considered with transferable skills so please detail them in your cover letter.

Other information

We actively encourage our colleagues to adopt a flexible working approach and take control of their work-life balance. This vacancy is flexible and part-time work will be considered. Although this role will primarily be based in our Aylesbury office we also have an office location in High Wycombe.

For an informal chat about this role in more detail, please contact Laura Pearson on 01296 585076 or [email protected]  or Ben Robinson on 01494 732042 or [email protected]

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Our Planning, Growth and Sustainability directorate works with partners to help shape the future of Buckinghamshire.  We deliver services on planning, economic growth, regeneration, strategic infrastructure, transport and property.

 Our key priorities include developing the economic narrative for Bucks, creating more jobs and delivering the right infrastructure to help businesses and residents thrive. We also aim to provide a proactive planning service that is responsive, whilst making the best use of the Council’s land and property portfolio. This will in turn support community services and create housing, jobs, regeneration and income to support public services.

 It’s a great time to join one of our teams. As part of the Planning, Growth and Sustainability function you will not only get to help shape the economic future of Buckinghamshire; you’ll also be involved in delivering high-profile development projects and work on some of the biggest infrastructure projects in the UK. You will support us to deliver the results that our local residents and businesses deserve.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. We also offer a salary sacrifice personal car lease scheme to those who are eligible and have passed their probation period. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/