Principal Town Planner

Principal Town Planner

Location:

Sutton Coldfield (Hybrid Working)

Salary:
Highly Competitive + Excellent Benefits

Carrington West are pleased to be working on an exciting opportunity to join a well-established and growing independent planning consultancy based in Sutton Coldfield. Due to continued expansion, our client is looking to appoint an experienced Senior Town Planner or Principal Town Planner to strengthen its successful team.

This is an ideal role for an ambitious planning professional who is looking to work on a broad range of complex residential development projects while benefiting from genuine career progression, ongoing professional development, and a collaborative working environment.

Working closely with senior colleagues and directors, you will play a key role in delivering planning services for a variety of national and regional house builders, taking projects from initial appraisal through to determination and appeal where required.

• Preparing high-quality planning statements, Statements of Community Involvement and other supporting planning documents with minimal supervision.
• Managing and assisting with major planning applications, including outline, full and reserved matters submissions.
• Attending planning committees to present proposals and respond confidently to questions.
• Organising and delivering public consultation events, both in person and online.
• Undertaking planning appraisals and providing strategic planning advice to clients based on development management and local plan policy.
• Developing innovative planning strategies to maximise development potential and overcome planning challenges.
• Managing planning appeals, including written representations, hearings and Public Inquiries, with experience acting as an expert witness highly desirable.
• Preparing representations to Local Plans and promoting sites through the plan-making process, including attendance at Examinations in Public.
• Supporting and mentoring junior members of the planning team.

• MRTPI qualification.
• A minimum of 5 years' planning experience within the private sector.
• Previous local authority planning experience (desirable).
• Strong experience delivering residential planning projects and major planning applications.
• Excellent report writing and communication skills.
• Commercial awareness and the ability to provide clear, strategic planning advice.
• A proactive mindset with strong problem‑solving abilities and confidence in challenging conventional planning approaches where appropriate.
• A willingness to mentor and support less experienced colleagues.
• A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle (preferred).

• Highly competitive salary dependent on experience.
• Hybrid working model (currently three days per week in the office).
• Pension scheme.
• 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Christmas shutdown between Christmas and New Year.
• Ongoing CPD and professional development support.
• Quarterly team events and social activities.
• Planned enhancements to the benefits package, including private healthcare, increased pension contributions and additional salary sacrifice schemes.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a respected planning consultancy with an excellent reputation and an exciting pipeline of residential development projects, offering long-term career prospects for the right individual.