Planning Enforcement Officer

About us

At Hillingdon we’re proud of our commitment of ‘Putting our residents first’, ensuring they’re at the heart of everything we do! We want to attract talented individuals like yourself who share our aspirations for the borough and can support us to deliver exceptional services for Hillingdon.

With an ambitious strategy we pride ourselves on delivering services that improve the lives of all our residents, businesses, and partners. Embarking on a journey of continuous improvement, we’ve set an agenda to ensure the provision of; safer communities, a thriving local economy, a greener more sustainable environment, whilst increasing our digital capabilities.

Working at London’s second largest borough can be tough, particularly with government reforms, budget restrictions, and political attention – but it’s enough to keep us busy and ensures no two days are the same!

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a high performing Planning Enforcement Team, following a recent transformation of the service which has grown the team.

As a Planning Enforcement Officer you will be responsible for investigating alleged breaches of planning control within the Borough, and taking appropriate action in order to protect amenity and provide confidence to residents.

Duties of the role include undertaking site inspections across the Borough, together with interviewing members of the public, owners and occupiers of land, plus applying your own investigative skills and liaising with colleagues across the Council.

The postholder will be involved in, and will assist with all stages of the investigation and planning enforcement process, helping to provide an end to end service from the receipt of a complaint through to the investigation and closure of cases. This will include the preparation and service of Planning Enforcement Notices, together with assisting in the prosecution process where required.

This role benefits from an optional retention allowance of approximately 5% (in addition to the advertised salary), subject to terms and conditions.

Candidates are required to have a minimum of 12 months planning enforcement experience, which should include involvement in appeal work, prosecutions and service of a range of planning enforcement related notices.

With proven negotiating and influencing skills, you will be able to build effective relationships, and manage a busy schedule of investigative work. In addition, you must have the ability to understand, interpret and apply planning legislation and case law effectively.

Strong communication skills will be key, as you will need to communicate in writing and verbally with a range of audiences, including complainants and those about whom a complaint is made.

A full driving licence, as well as the ability to work in a systematic way, paying attention to detail are also essential for the role.

For full details of the essential criteria for the role, please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

We value our employees and are committed to ensuring that they enjoy a fulfilling and rewarding career with us. We understand that a happy and motivated workforce is essential for the success of our organisation. That is why we offer a wide range of employee benefits to enhance your work-life balance, financial wellbeing, health, and professional development.

Here’s a comprehensive overview of the fantastic benefits we provide :

• Flexible Working Hours – We recognise the importance of flexibility in managing your work and personal life.
• 36 Hour Week – Enjoy a standard 36-hour workweek for all full time staff.
• Generous Holiday Entitlement – You will receive a minimum of 26 days annual leave each year, in addition to bank holidays. This entitlement increases to a maximum 37 days after 10 years of service.

• Hillingdon Sport Leisure – Stay active and healthy with discounts at council owned leisure centres and swimming pools across the borough.
• Cycle Purchase Scheme – Promote eco-friendly commuting with our cycle purchase scheme.
• Discount on Golf…