Senior Development Management Planner Ref: 19-25

Salary: Grade 7, (£36,841-£42,811) per annum (pro-rated)
Hours: Part-time, 30 hours per week
Place of Work: Dereham
Basis: Permanent 

Would you like a job where what you do:

• Makes a difference to the communities within Breckland.
• Allows you to shape the environment within which you and the residents of Breckland live, work and play.
• Creates opportunities to learn and grow within a close team to develop your experience and expertise.

We are seeking a Senior Development Management Planner to work as part of a team of development management specialists helping deliver an effective and efficient planning service through the determination of a varied caseload of planning applications ranging from householders to major development proposals.

We regulate the use of land in the public interest. Providing a framework for the delivery of sustainable homes and jobs for Breckland residents in the long term.

You Will:

• Manage a personal caseload of all types of applications to include some major applications.
• Deal with all aspects of the Development Management process to include consultations and negotiations with applicants and agents to obtain quality outcomes.
• Provide timely, comprehensive and accurate reports and recommendations on planning applications to meet relevant targets.
• Provide pre-application advice.
• Attend the Planning Committee and Chairman's Panel and present applications as required.
• Provide professional advice on planning matters to clients, the public, Members of the Council, and others as necessary.
• Be a mentor and provide guidance and support to other members of the planning team.
• Prepare appeals in relation to planning and enforcement matters. Attend and provide expert evidence at Informal Hearings and Public Inquiries as necessary.
• Attend public meetings as required
• Keep up to date with current legislation and comply with Health and Safety rules for the safety of yourself and others.
• Such other duties as may, from time to time, be allocated appropriate to the grade and contributing to the purpose and objectives of the post

About you:

The right candidate will have the following characteristics.

Collaborative

• I look for ways to work in partnership and listen supportively to the ideas of others, building on their ideas, while sharing my views and knowledge.
• I recognise the skills, talent and experience of others and reach out to them for their contribution and input

Ambitious

• I always ask myself 'How could we do this better?', taking ownership of change and helping others to understand, adapt, implement, and embed it.
• I have an open mindset, take risks and explore new ways of doing things.
• I am a proud ambassador, taking pride and responsibility for the work we do and encouraging others to do the same.

Results-driven

• I make sure I am clear on what I need to achieve, keeping a focus on results and solutions.
• I am driven, showing courage and resilience even when things don't go to plan.

Empowering

• I ask for help and support when needed, and take responsibility if things don't go well, learning from it for my own and for the organisation's development

Supportive

• I treat others as I would want to be treated myself, ensuring that I am welcoming, friendly and approachable.
• I give time to colleagues who need help or support

OK, I'm interested...but is it really the job for me?

As our Senior Development Management Planner you will have:

• A thorough knowledge of current legislation relating to planning and enforcement matters.
• Experience in dealing with major planning applications and legal agreements.
• Experience of presenting planning applications to Planning Committee.
• Good verbal and written communication skills to include an ability to make concise focused oral presentations.
• The ability to consider a wide range of complex planning and related issues and balance those issues to make a clear and reasoned judgement.
• Good time management skills with the ability to prioritise and manage large workloads and to work flexibly
• Good analytical skills to be able to challenge evidence submitted in connection with land use planning matters
• The ability to prioritise and manage a significant workload, and to work flexibly
• Hold a current driving licence and access to your own vehicle

We will encourage you to use your own initiative within a supportive framework to solve challenges and find solutions.

You will need to enjoy working with internal and external stakeholders and have experience of dealing with customers through various communication media. 

​​​​​Closing date: 9am Monday 16^th June

Job summary

Description of duties

• Manage a personal caseload of all types of applications to include some major applications.
• Deal with all aspects of the Development Management process to include consultations and negotiations with applicants and agents to obtain quality outcomes.
• Provide timely, comprehensive and accurate reports and recommendations on planning applications to meet relevant targets.
• Provide pre-application advice.
• Attend the Planning Committee and Chairman's Panel and present applications as required.
• Provide professional advice on planning matters to clients, the public, Members of the Council, and others as necessary.
• Be a mentor and provide guidance and support to other members of the planning team.
• Prepare appeals in relation to planning and enforcement matters. Attend and provide expert evidence at Informal Hearings and Public Inquiries as necessary.
• Attend public meetings as required
• Keep up to date with current legislation and comply with Health and Safety rules for the safety of yourself and others.
• Such other duties as may, from time to time, be allocated appropriate to the grade and contributing to the purpose and objectives of the post

Primary Line/Performance Management Objectives of the Role

Work as part of a team of development management specialists helping deliver an effective and efficient planning service through the determination of a
varied caseload of planning applications ranging from householders to major development proposals

This job description is not exhaustive.

The job description outlines the current position and will be subject to review in the light of development within the service, in consultation with the post holder as detailed in your Contract of Employment.

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

• A thorough knowledge of current legislation relating to planning and enforcement matters.
• Experience in dealing with major planning applications and legal agreements.
• Experience of presenting planning applications to Planning Committee.
• Good verbal and written communication skills to include an ability to make concise focused oral presentations.
• The ability to consider a wide range of complex planning and related issues and balance those issues to make a clear and reasoned judgement.
• Good time management skills with the ability to prioritise and manage large workloads and to work flexibly
• Good analytical skills to be able to challenge evidence submitted in connection with land use planning matters
• The ability to prioritise and manage a significant workload, and to work flexibly
• Hold a current driving licence and access to your own vehicle

Desirable

• The ability to use your own initiative to solve challenges working as part of a team and under direction
• Experience of dealing with customers by phone, e-mail and face to face
• Experience of acting as expert witness at Planning Inquiries and Hearings.

Qualifications

Essential

• A degree qualification in Town and Country Planning or working towards a formal qualification or demonstrable experience of working as a Senior Planning Officer
• 2-5 years' experience in development management working within a busy team environment delivering a range of planning applications and appeal casework preferably within a Local Authority

Desirable

• Membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute

Behaviours

Collaborative 

• I look for ways to work in partnership and listen supportively to the ideas of others, building on their ideas, while sharing my views and knowledge.
• I recognise the skills, talent and experience of others and reach out to them for their contribution and input

Ambitious 

• I always ask myself 'How could we do this better?', taking ownership of change and helping others to understand, adapt, implement, and embed it.
• I have an open mindset, take risks and explore new ways of doing things.
• I am a proud ambassador, taking pride and responsibility for the work we do and encouraging others to do the same.

Results-driven 

• I make sure I am clear on what I need to achieve, keeping a focus on results and solutions.
• I am driven, showing courage and resilience even when things don't go to plan.

Empowering

• I ask for help and support when needed, and take responsibility if things don't go well, learning from it for my own and for the organisation's development

Supportive 

• I treat others as I would want to be treated myself, ensuring that I am welcoming, friendly and approachable.
• I give time to colleagues who need help or support

Health & Safety (exposure to risk)

The postholder is part of a small team and therefore the post holder needs to demonstrate ability to deal
with frequent interruptions and demands on a daily basis.

What's it like to work for us?

We are passionate about our people and pride ourselves on being a great place to work, we genuinely care and know that a happy workforce is a productive and motivated one! If you're still not sure, here are some stats from our 2024 staff survey to convince you..

• 94% said they feel trusted and empowered
• 90% of staff recommend Breckland as a great place to work
• 89% said they have had opportunities to learn and grow in the last 12 months
• 94% think Breckland provide positive action on health and wellbeing
• 91% said they felt supported by their manager

If you STILL need convincing, here's what some of our staff say...

• "Breckland is a fantastic employer, lots of opportunities and support"
• "Having only just started, it is a great place to work, everyone says hello, is smiley and chatty. I like the groups that are on, like carers shed and neurodiversity"
• "We are encouraged to take regular breaks and there are mental health first aiders and a wide range of good promotional aspects of healthy living and wellbeing."
• "In times of need the council offers excellent support."
• "BDC really does seem to care about the wellbeing and happiness of their staff."

At Breckland Council we have embraced the Government's agenda to modernise local government. Our approach is to lead change rather than follow it, and to add the best value we can to our communities. We achieve this by developing our employees to their full potential, providing them with the relevant knowledge, equipment, and authority to carry out their duties.

We are a dynamic and innovative organisation that is always testing and learning as we seek to continually improve. We have never stood still in response to the emergence of new opportunities, changing customer demands, and ongoing funding challenges. We have exciting plans for how to deliver the best possible services to our residents and businesses.

Breckland as a district is a special place nestled in the heart of rural Norfolk, spanning over 500 square miles of beautiful countryside and forest, with five Market Towns and over 140,000 residents. We care, we listen, and we support people and businesses within our district. We have big ideas and we are innovative in our approach, coming up with ways to meet the needs of the local communities that we serve. Through our actions, we want to make things better.

But we know that we can't do it alone. We are a collaborative organisation and we work together with others to make a greater impact. We are also an organisation where our employees can grow and develop and are empowered to achieve and succeed. We are proud of our area, and by driving investment and enabling opportunities, we can maximise its full potential. We want to inspire aspiration to live, work, visit, or do business here: we want our district to be one of choice.

We will support and enable growth and change in our thriving, welcoming places where people and businesses choose to be, knowing their ambitions can be not just fulfilled but exceeded. By listening to people, by understanding what they need and by working together, we can shape what we have to offer. By doing so, we can benefit those who are already here and those who choose to come to live, work, visit, or do business.

We offer excellent conditions of service, including:

• A local government pension scheme (14 per cent employer contribution).
• Attractive holiday package (25 days increasing after three years' continuous Local Authority service by one day per year up to the maximum of 28 days, plus bank holidays)
• Free car parking.
• Remote-enabled working arrangements.
• A newly refurbished office. See what it is like working here by watching this short film: 
  

Our commitment to talent development, on the job learning and upskilling, training and professional memberships, will keep your knowledge and skills up to date.

If you would like an informal chat regarding this role please contact Chris Hobson - Principal D M Planner/Team Leader by emailing chris.hobson@breckland.gov.uk.

Closing date - Monday 16^th June 2025, 9am

APPLY ONLINE

Equal Opportunities

We are committed to being an Equal Opportunities employer, recognising the benefits of sustaining a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community we serve. We welcome applications from anyone who feels they meet the requirements of our vacancies. These are listed as essential requirements on the person specification.