Planning assistant

Planning Assistant - Temporary | Belfast City Council

Adelaide Street, Belfast City Centre BT2 8GD
(with site visits across Belfast)

£13.45 per hour (PAYE)

37 hours per week (office-based during training, then 3 days in the office and 2 from home)

Starting Monday 2 November 2026

Hatched Recruitment Group is recruiting a Planning Assistant to join Belfast City Council's Planning Service. This is an excellent opportunity for a planning student to gain real-world experience supporting planning officers on live applications across the city. No previous experience is needed.

What you'll be doing:

Helping process planning applications and cases where planning rules may have been breached
Assisting with reports and recommendations, working with the Senior Planning Officer
Answering planning enquiries from the public in person, by phone and by email
Carrying out site visits across Belfast to record site information
Researching planning histories and other planning matters
Supporting the business support team with validation, consultation and publicity
Assisting with studies for Belfast's new development plan

What you'll need:

To be studying for a relevant third-level qualification, such as Planning and Property Development, or equivalent
A full driving licence valid in Northern Ireland and a car available for work (you'll make site visits across Belfast)
A good understanding of, and interest in, the planning field
Strong customer care and communication skills, both written and spoken
Good IT skills, including Word, Excel and databases
Good organisation, accuracy and attention to detail

What's on offer:

£13.45 per hour, paid weekly
Hybrid working after your initial training
Valuable experience to kick-start a career in planning
Holiday pay accrued in line with statutory entitlemnt
Pension auto-enrolment (subject to eligibility)

You must be eligible to work in the UK and able to provide your driving licence at application stage.

Interested? Send your CV - Early applications are encouraged