Senior Planning Project Officer (Compliance and Community Engagement)

Job Introduction

Do you want to be at the forefront of shaping high-quality prosperous new communities?

Are you a planning or project management professional looking for a new challenge and be involved in one of the country’s largest new garden town developments?

Would you like to use your organisational skills to ensure development milestones are met and quality objectives are achieved?

Are you passionate about supporting communities through change and helping them to understand development proposals?

If so, we are looking to expand our Gilston Area Planning Team with a new role to help us ensure the Gilston Area development achieves a high-quality standard and meets the objectives and commitments made during the planning application process. 

The Gilston Area is a new development of 10,000 new homes plus community infrastructure that will take around 25 years to complete.  Planning permission was granted in January 2025 that secures the delivery of the infrastructure needed to support a whole new community as well as financial contributions towards infrastructure beyond the development. As the project progresses there will be multiple detailed planning applications and conditions to be approved. Keeping track of each workstream will be crucial to the Gilston Area Team and to the community. 

What you will be doing

When construction kicks off you will play a key part in ensuring that approved designs are implemented and that infrastructure is delivered on time and to a good quality:  

• you will ensure that information required in the legal agreement is provided.  
• you will inform stakeholders and local communities about construction milestones and workstreams as necessary.
• you will have experience of managing complex minor and major planning applications or planning policy projects or have experience of complex projects with multiple interested parties and workstreams.
• you will liaise with officers, developers and their agents, statutory bodies and stakeholders as well as with existing and new communities.  As such, the ability to understand and relay sometimes complex concepts to a variety of audiences is key to providing a transparent and effective service.
• you will be able to manage, record and report information is a key part of this role and have the ability to understand legal documents and relay key elements in easy to understand language is a desired skill.
• you will be required to visit and inspect land and development sites and other locations both within and beyond the district.

Additionally, you will:

• keep up to date with case law, national and local policies and community needs to ensure that the planning process can deliver the best outputs and outcomes
• Present monitoring reports to committees and in other public meetings such as Community Forums, Development Management Forums and Steering Groups. 
• Respond promptly to customers’ needs. 
• Provide guidance, training and support to other team members

So, if you want to join us at the head of the curve and become an innovator, designer and environmentalist helping to plan a prosperous future for East Hertfordshire, then apply today!

About You

To be considered as a Senior Planning Project Officer, you will need:

• Experience dealing with major development proposals or multi-strand projects
• Experience and understanding of the planning legal obligation process-
• Project management experience
• Experience dealing with planning issues and communicating these at committees and public meetings
• Experience guiding, mentoring and supporting junior colleagues
• A degree or post graduate qualification in Town and Country Planning, or equivalent such as project management or engagement
• A current, valid driving licence, access to your own vehicle and the ability to travel across the district, occasionally at short notice

What can we offer you?

• Opportunities for growth and cross- department working, learning new skills and service area
• 26-29 days annual leave rising to 34 days with 5 years' local government service
• Usage of our e-fleet during business hours for business-related visits
• Employee well-being programme
• Employee events group
• Regular opportunities to socialise with other teams within the council
• Flexible working arrangements, including flexi-time
• Up to 50% working from home for eligible posts
• Free parking in our offices and select council owned car parks during business hours
• Access to wellbeing and occupational health schemes such as the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Local Government pension scheme
• Discounts at council-owned leisure centres
• Opportunity to network with colleagues across councils in Hertfordshire and the East Of England
• Professional environment where your career path really matters and your development is supported by the organisation

How to apply

For an informal discussion regarding the Gilston Area role please contact Martin Plummer, Service Manager Development Management and Enforcement on (01992 532080) or Jenny Pierce, Gilston Area Team Leader on (07936 925718) 

We as a council are ambitious. To find out more about our ambitions and what it’s like working at East Herts, hear from our employees on our careers site.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, valuing diversity and maintaining a firm commitment to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants. We believe that creating inclusive environments leads to stronger collaboration and better outcomes in our work.

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