Assistant Planner

In a Nutshell…

We have an exciting opportunity for an Assistant Planner to join our team within Vistry South West Midlands, at our Coleshill office. As our Assistant Planner, you will appraise new development opportunities, implement strategies to achieve planning for housing sites, assist in securing planning permissions which meet the requirements of Vistry Group and support post‑planning approval activities for major developments.

We value in‑person collaboration and team culture, but we’re also committed to supporting flexible working where possible. We encourage you to raise any specific requirements during the interview process so we can explore how this could be accommodated.

Competitive basic salary and annual bonus

Company car, car allowance or travel allowance

Salary sacrifice car scheme available to all employees

Up to 33 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing to up to 39 days with service

2 volunteering days per annum

Private medical insurance, with employee paid cover

Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave

Competitive pension scheme through salary sacrifice

Life assurance at 4× your annual salary

Share save and share incentive schemes

Employee rewards portal with many more benefits…

Behave in line with our company values – Integrity, Caring and Quality

Degree accredited by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)

Chartered Membership of the RTPI or demonstrable progress towards completing Assessment of Professional Competence (APC)

A good understanding of the planning system including experience of preparing representations

Preparation and submission of planning applications

Ability to assess and analyse information

IT skills including Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook

Ability to monitor and manage budgets

A pragmatic approach to problem solving

Excellent communication skills

Ability to work under pressure and prioritise tasks accordingly

Ability to work independently with a high degree of accuracy

Discretion and integrity in attitude and approach

Previous experience working for a house builder or Local Authority

Previous experience in respect of strategic land

Appeal experience (including Planning Inquiry)

Experience managing Section 106 Agreements or working within CIL regimes

Understanding of development viability

Promap / CAD skills

Commitment to Continued Professional Development (CDP)

Strong negotiating and networking skills

Appraise land with potential for development in accordance with the Company’s requirements.

Prepare bid documents and planning reports to facilitate the acquisition of new land assets.

Monitor development plans and associated evidence‑base documents to identify new opportunities and to assess the impacts of emerging policy on existing sites and those being considered for acquisition.

Identify and coordinate appropriate consultant teams to prepare planning applications (note, overseen by Planning Manager).

Engage with local planning authorities and other relevant bodies and stakeholder groups regarding the development of sites. Assist in the coordination of planning consultation events as required.

Submit and monitor pre‑ and post‑planning approvals and report these as required.

Assist the Planning Manager with the negotiation of planning permissions during an application’s determination period, including preparing Section 106 heads of terms and monitoring S106 requests made by the LPA.

Submit and monitor S106 approvals and report these as required.

Monitor the Judicial Review period associated with planning permissions.

Consult with relevant internal departments within the company on all aspects of planning as and when necessary.

Ensure that contractual obligations are understood and complied with on every site. Liaise with the Planning Manager to ensure that landowners/agents are kept informed as required by the contractual agreements.

Provide regular updates to the Planning Manager and Land and Partnerships Director on the progress of planning applications and any significant proposals affecting the development environment within the operating area.

Where…