Planning Enforcement Officer

Salary: £38,510 - £40,444 per annum

Hours per week: 37 hours

Fixed term: 12 months, maternity cover

Interview date: To be confirmed following shortlisting

Are you looking for a varied and rewarding role where your judgement, communication skills and planning knowledge can make a real difference to communities?

Our Planning Service is central to shaping sustainable, well-designed places across Wiltshire. We support responsible growth by making robust, proportionate and policy-led decisions that help deliver new homes, employment opportunities and high-quality places in line with our adopted Local Plan.

We are seeking a motivated Planning Enforcement Officer to join our friendly and experienced team on a 12-month maternity cover contract. This is an excellent opportunity for someone with planning or regulatory experience who enjoys problem-solving, site-based investigation, negotiation and working with a wide range of people.

As part of our Enforcement Team, you will help maintain public confidence in the planning system by investigating alleged breaches of planning control and securing positive, practical outcomes.

No two days are the same: you will manage a varied caseload, balance negotiation with proportionate enforcement action, and help remedy planning harm while protecting local amenity and supporting sustainable development.

In this role, you will investigate matters such as unauthorised development, listed buildings, advertisements, protected trees and changes of use. You will assess evidence, visit sites, liaise with applicants, agents, complainants, elected members and partner services, and decide the most appropriate course of action. Depending on the case, this may include resolving matters through negotiation, preparing formal reports and notices, supporting appeals, drafting witness statements and contributing to prosecution files where necessary.

• You may already have experience in planning enforcement, development management, conservation, regulatory investigation or another relevant field; alternatively, you may bring equivalent experience and transferable skills from a related role.
• You will be confident applying legislation, policy or procedures in a fair, balanced and proportionate way, and keen to develop your knowledge of planning enforcement practice.
• You will enjoy investigating issues, assessing evidence, visiting sites, identifying planning harm and making sound recommendations based on the facts of each case.
• You will be a clear and confident communicator, able to explain decisions, manage sensitive conversations and prepare well-structured reports, correspondence, notices or statements.
• You will be organised, resilient and comfortable managing a varied caseload, balancing competing priorities and working effectively with colleagues, customers, elected members and partner services.
• A full UK driving licence is required, as the role involves site visits across Wiltshire.
  This role may be subject to certain security checks; please see the role description for more information.

Wiltshire Council is a friendly, welcoming place to work, with a 'One Council' ethos. Find out more about Our Identity, staff networks, and employee benefits here.

Our hybrid working model means office staff are on site for at least half their hours, community-based staff carry out at least half their admin time in a workplace, and customer‑facing roles work entirely from their service location.

We are committed to creating a workplace where positive relationships thrive and everyone feels engaged, supported and able to do their best. We do not tolerate discrimination, bullying or harassment. Everyone is expected to promote a culture of inclusion, dignity, trust and respect, guided by our…