Senior/ Principal Planning Officer
Salary: Up to £52,805 pa (Plus Essential Car User Allowance up to £1,239 pa) (Pay award pending)
Hours per week: 37
Contract type: Fixed Term until 31 March 2027
Closing date: 09 Jun 2025 12:00
Interview date: 19-23 Jun 2025
Ref: P1711
About the role:
Horsham District Council is looking for a Principal Planning Officer and two Senior Planning Officers to work within our Development and Building Control department. These are additional posts within the department currently funded for a two year period until 31 March 2027 to support the department through a period when we expect to receive a significant number of major planning applications.
Horsham is an area with beautiful countryside but also significant housing pressures. We consider around 3,000 applications each year and are anticipating a significant uplift in major development in the next two years following the Government’s changes to the NPPF. We work from a modern office building in Horsham Town centre where you will be working with a friendly, supportive and dedicated team.
Principal Planning Officer role:
The Principal Planning Officer role would be based in the Major Applications Team with a focus on managing large and complex development proposals alongside day-to-day support of the Major Applications Team Leader including undertaking case reviews with junior officers and authorising decisions under delegated powers.
As a Principal Planning Officer, you will have demonstrable experience in managing a caseload of complex major development proposals, taking ownership of the application process for development schemes from pre-application discussions through to determination and implementation, attending planning committees and defending the Council at appeal as required. You will have experience of negotiating complex s106 legal agreements and be able to articulate complex policy considerations in well-structured reports, and be able to offer clear advice to applicants, members and the general public.
Please note for the salary for Principal Planning Officer is £48,710 - £52,805 pa (Plus Essential Car User Allowance up to £1,239 pa) (Pay Award Pending).
Senior Planning Officer roles:
The first Senior Planning Officer role would be based in the Major Applications Team with a focus on managing major development proposals (depending on experience the successful candidate may alternatively be asked to take a role in the Minor Applications Team).
The second Senior Planning Officer role would also be based in the Major Applications Team, but with a focus on managing applications for Council development projects, reporting as necessary to the Head of Development and Building Control.
As a Senior Planning Officer, you will have demonstrable experience in managing a caseload of more complex development proposals, taking ownership of the application process for development schemes from pre-application discussions through to determination and implementation, attending planning committees and defending the Council at appeal as required. You will have an understanding of s106 legal agreements and be able to articulate complex policy considerations in well-structured reports, and be able to offer clear advice to applicants, members and the general public.
Please note for the salary for Senior Planning Officer is £43,693 - £47,754 pa (Plus Essential Car User Allowance up to £1,239 pa) (Pay Award Pending).
About you:
To succeed as a Principal or Senior Planning Officer you will be a highly motivated individual who has a willingness to learn and is adaptable to change. The successful candidates will be required to travel around the District, therefore, the role requires a current UK driving licence and access to a car.
For an informal discussion about this role please call Adrian Smith, Major Applications Team Leader on 01403 215460.
PPA
Applicants invited for interview will be asked to complete a Thomas’ Personal Profile Analysis (PPA) which provides a rapid and deep insight into behavioural preferences and communication style.
About us:
We have a friendly and supportive working environment and being a smaller Council, you can really get to know everybody.
We encourage and support our employees to have a healthy work life balance by offering 28 days’ (207.2 hours) annual leave plus bank holidays (pro-rata), and flexible/hybrid working options where applicable.
We offer a generous benefits package including an online platform offering discounts from online retailers and access to a car lease scheme. Staff are also eligible to join the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), where the Council contributes circa 20% of pensionable salary.
To support employees’ professional development the Council provides reimbursement for professional subscriptions and a number of training opportunities, including extensive in-house learning resources, short courses, Apprenticeships, and qualifications such as Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM), Master of Business Administration (MBA).
Visit our Jobs and careers page to find out more about Working for Horsham District Council and Our employment commitments.
To apply:
If you would like to apply for the role, we highly recommend you show clearly within the ‘Experience Section’ of the application form how you meet the essential criteria detailed within the Role Profile when applying. If you do not make this clear, it is unlikely you will be shortlisted for interview.
Internal applicants, if you would like to apply for the role, please submit an expression of interest to HR@horsham.gov.uk explaining clearly how you meet the criteria and what you feel you can bring to the role.