Bracknell Forest Council is a Unitary Authority with a regenerated town centre and significant housing developments. To support the high levels of growth in our area, we are expanding our Development Management Team and seeking a dedicated planner to join us. About you You will be an enthusiastic, self-motivated, and dependable individual with a strong commitment to customer service. You will be capable of handling a diverse range of responsibilities aligned with the role. You will have the opportunity to collaborate within a team and contribute to the provision of a high-quality, efficient, and user-focused planning service that aims to protect, enhance, and promote both the natural and built environment of the area. You will have a degree (2:2 or higher) or an equivalent qualification, preferably in a planning related field. About the team The Development Management Team is a friendly and busy team, mainly dealing with householder planning applications, and schemes up to 10 dwellings/1,000m 2 of commercial floorspace and planning enforcement matters. The work can be challenging, however, the team shares issues and experience to deliver positive results and creative solutions. The weekly applications meetings are a great opportunity to deal with any concerns and input your own ideas on a huge range of applications and every day is different. Key responsibilities Within the Development Management Section, the role involves processing and evaluating planning and related applications, undertaking any associated appeals and responding to pre-application enquiries. As a Planning Assistant your will have good communication skills to provide advice to those using our services, particularly responding to enquiries from members of the public in relation to householder and smaller commercial developments. The successful candidate will work in the Development Management Team and gain valuable experience in dealing with sites through the whole process from pre-application to appeal. There will also be opportunities to present your cases to the Planning Committee. Our benefits 25 days increasing to 28 days after 3 years’ continuous service. The opportunity to buy up to 10 additional days annual leave per year and sell 5 days. Hybrid working opportunities to support your wellbeing and work-life balance. An inclusive and social working environment with a variety of staff networks. Local government pension scheme. Career development through internal and external training opportunities. Paid Annual Subscription to a professional body. A great office location next to travel links and Bracknell Forest’s thriving town centre. Sports and Social Club. Staff dental and health plans. Discounted leisure centre and gym membership. Supermarket discount. ( pro rata part time) Our values At Bracknell Forest Council our values define who we are and what is important to us. Our core values are inclusive, ambitious, and always learning. These values influence the way we work with each other and the way we serve our residents and engage with our communities. We make our values real by demonstrating them in how we behave every day. If you’re excited about joining a diverse team that celebrates learning and strives for excellence, we’d love to hear from you. We are committed to ensuring an inclusive recruitment process for all applicants. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application or interview, please let us know by contacting recruitmentbracknell-forest.gov.uk. We will work with you to support you throughout the process. Interview date Interviews will be held on Monday 14 April 2025 Interviews will be conducted in person, providing candidates with the chance to personally meet some of the team and experience our work environment. We will be reviewing applications regularly and reserve the right to close the advert early if suitable candidates are identified. To avoid disappointment, you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible. Please note AI is prohibited during the interview, any candidate using AI will be withdrawn from consideration. Want to ask us a question? For an informal discussion or to ask any questions about this role, please contact: Basia Polnik, Development Management Team Manager Phone Number: 01344 351134 or basia.polnikbracknell-forest.gov.uk or Jo Male, Assistant Director: Planning Phone Number: 01344 351128 or jo.malebracknell-forest.gov.uk At Bracknell Forest we champion equality, diversity and inclusion. At Bracknell Forest Council, we are always learning, ambition and inclusive. Please see our candidate pack for more details. Bracknell Forest Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect everyone employed with us to share this commitment. We can only accept applications from candidates currently residing in the UK. Candidates currently residing in the UK who require sponsorship to work are encouraged to assess their eligibility for a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) based on the relevant criteria. Please be aware that sponsorship availability varies and is subject to eligibility requirements and budget limitations. As a result, we cannot guarantee sponsorship for all roles and will evaluate sponsorship requests on a case-by-case basis. No agencies please.