Project Officer| Permanent| Full-Time

Salary £36,363-£40,777 Per annum | Permanent | Full Time - 37 hours per week

International Sponsorship – this role is not open to international sponsorship

Housing Coordinator (Grade
8) | Education – School Place Planning Team |
Location: County Hall / Hybrid

Lancashire County Council is committed to ensuring every child has access to the right school place at the right time. As housing growth continues across the county, we are seeking a motivated and analytical School Place Planning Officer (Housing) to help ensure that education infrastructure keeps pace with new development. This is an exciting opportunity to work at the intersection of education, planning and housing, influencing how communities grow and helping secure investment in school places for future generations.

As part of the School Place Planning Team, you will support the coordination of Lancashire County Council's education response to housing growth and development proposals. Working closely with district planning authorities, developers and internal colleagues, you will assess the impact of housing developments on school place demand and help secure appropriate mitigation through the planning process. You will monitor planning applications and local plans, analyse education sufficiency data, prepare evidence-based responses to consultations, and oversee developer contributions secured through Section 106 agreements.

This role offers variety, responsibility and the opportunity to make a tangible difference to communities across Lancashire.

• Monitor district planning portals and assess housing developments for their impact on school place provision.
• Prepare educational infrastructure assessments and consultation responses for planning applications.
• Support responses to Local Plans, masterplans and strategic planning documents.
• Analyse pupil place planning data and identify future education infrastructure requirements.
• Monitor Section 106 agreements, including payment triggers, indexation calculations and clawback provisions.
• Coordinate the collection and sharing of housing and planning information with school place planning colleagues.
• Support statutory returns, including Infrastructure Funding Statements.
• Maintain accurate records and provide regular performance and service updates.
• Work collaboratively with planning authorities, developers, schools and other stakeholders to secure positive outcomes for Lancashire communities.
• Contribute to the continual review and improvement of processes, procedures and methodologies.

• Educated to degree level, working towards a degree, or able to demonstrate equivalent relevant experience.
• Experienced in working across multiple stakeholders with differing priorities.
• Skilled in analysing and interpreting complex data.
• Confident in preparing clear, evidence-based reports and written responses.
• Able to understand and interpret legislation, policy and guidance.
• An excellent communicator with strong interpersonal and influencing skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.
• Organised, methodical and able to manage competing deadlines.

• Experience of working within education planning, local government, planning, housing, infrastructure or a related field.
• Understanding of the Education Act and Town and Country Planning legislation.
• Experience of working with large datasets and producing analytical reports.
  
  Knowledge of developer contributions and planning processes (desirable).

Continuously learning, developing and improving.

Taking responsibility and delivering high-quality outcomes.

Approaching challenges positively and seeking solutions.

Making a meaningful difference for Lancashire's residents and communities.

• Competitive salary
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements
• Generous Local Government Pension Scheme
• Excellent annual leave entitlement
• Learning and development opportunities
• A supportive and collaborative team environment
• The opportunity to influence strategic education planning across Lancashire