Assistant Planning Officer
Hertford, SG13 8EQ
Contract Type: Permanent
Salary: Grade 4-6 - £28,869 - £36,830 including local weighting
Working Hours: 37
Job Category: Planning
Closing date: 04/05/2025
Reference: eastherts/TP/160/60
Job Introduction
About the role
Are you just about to embark on a career in Planning? If so, East Herts Council is looking for an Assistant Planning Officer to come and join our welcoming and progressive Development Management team.
East Herts is District rich and diverse in character with attractive market towns and villages and special landscapes, natural and built heritage features, including 42 Conservation Areas and over 3,000 listed buildings. It is also experiencing significant growth and we have a number of strategic sites coming forward for development including a new settlement of 10,000 homes within the emerging ‘Harlow and Gilston Garden Town.’
Our ambitious planning policies aim to maximise affordable housing delivery, secure sustainable, environmentally progressive development and deliver the highest quality built environment, whilst respecting, celebrating and protecting the District’s distinct rural character and unique heritage.
We are looking for enthusiastic, hard-working individuals who are keen to learn and share our aims and ambitions. Good customer skills, being able to communicate effectively (written and verbal) and efficient time management are essential skills for this role.
In return, we offer the opportunity to work on a varied and interesting caseload of work, working as part of a fast-paced, friendly and experienced team that will support you to develop your skills and progress your career. Whilst you’ll have your own portfolio of work, we encourage career progression through mentorship from experienced officers and opportunities to work as part of a project team on some of our strategic development projects.
East Herts also offers a great working environment, flexible/home working options and many benefits including opportunities to gain further qualifications in the town planning field through the town planning apprenticeship pathway.
Key Responsibilities
- Responsible for a varied case load of planning and other related applications
- Provision of pre-application advice
- Provision of the Council’s duty officer service
- Ensuring that development of the highest quality is secured, meeting policy and corporate objectives
The ideal candidate will have
- A good standard of general secondary education including GCSE qualifications in Maths & English and a minimum of 2A/AS levels or equivalent
- A planning or related degree such as geography or environmental sciences is desirable
- Willingness and ambition to train further in the town planning field through the town planning apprenticeship pathway
- Good communication skills with the ability to deliver planning information in a positive and proactive way
- The ability to assimilate, understand and articulate issues rapidly
- Excellent time management skills and the ability to meet deadlines
- Excellent written skills
- A valid, full driving licence
To apply for this role, please select the apply button shown.
If you do not hear from us within 2 weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful.
If your application has been successful, the recruiting manager will contact you to invite you to an interview. Please note that all interviews will be in person at the Council Offices and we will be unable to offer online interviews.
We hope you enjoy the process and look forward to making contact with you very soon.
EHC is an equal opportunity employer committed to embracing a diverse and inclusive work environment. We aim to attract and retain the best people regardless of their gender, marital/parental status, ethnic origin, nationality, religious belief age, background, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.
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