Senior Planning Officer - West Midlands

Morgan Hunt is recruiting for Senior Planning Officer to work with a Local Council based in West Midlands on a temporary basis. The details of the job are below:

Senior Planning Officer

Hours:

37 hours - Mon to Fri - between 9am to 5pm - 2 days per week site based & 3 days remote working

Pay Rate: £39ph to £45ph Ltd depending on experience

Location:

West Midlands

Duration: 6 months on going contract

• Diploma in Town Planning or equivalent giving exemption from final examination of Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)
• Full RTPI membership or having all of the following: extensive practical experience in development management; an RTPI accredited qualification; a demonstrably ability within six months of appointment to be able to submit an application for full RTPI membership, and a clear willingness to work towards achieving this.
• Experience of working in a planning applications team
• Sound knowledge of planning legislation guidance and procedures
• Full driving licence. Access to car and ability to undertake site visits

To process and determine major and complex minor planning applications and to carry out all other associated professional duties appropriate to the grade in accordance with agreed current service delivery standards

This job description is not exhaustive and the candidiates may be asked to carry out other tasks and duties as assigned by your line manager, commensurate with the post and grading.

• To process and determine all applications submitted under the Town and Country Planning Acts and other related legislation, with minimal supervision. Whilst the majority of these applications will comprise major and complex minor application, you may on occasion also be asked to process other types of applications as workloads require.
• To validate applications, carry out of site visits, professional interpretation of relevant policies and guidance, assessment of comments and consultation responses received, appropriate liaison with colleagues, consultees, elected members, Parish Councils and other third parties, negotiation with applicants, attendance at meetings (on your own or with a more senior colleague), preparation of delegated and committee reports and issuing decisions in accordance with the delegated authority to be given to you in writing by the Head of Service.
  
  It also requires good judgment of when to elevate concerns about a case to the appropriate line manager.
• To regularly present your own and colleagues' applications at planning committee and audit & regulatory committee with the support of one of the Planning Managers or the Head of Development.
• To provide high quality written pre-application advice in accordance with agreed current service delivery standards, as well as advice by telephone as part of the "duty officer" rota. To arrange and attend meetings when this is the best way of progressing negotiations.
• To provide appropriate responses and to negotiate with developers as required on discharge of conditions applications and sign off associated decisions.
• To prepare written representations appeal statements; prepare for and act as the Council witness at informal hearings and public inquiries; prepare a draft statement and provide support for an elected member acting as witness for the council; prepare to claim or defend any associated costs case on behalf of the Council; advise the Planning Manager or Head of Service on other witnesses required to defend an appeal.
• To provide support to the enforcement team by acting as case officer in major enforcement cases that require a significant professional planning involvement particularly those linked to the submission & determination of associated planning…