Principal Planning Officer (East West Rail Lead)
Team: Planning Delivery – Strategic Delivery Team
Job Family: Enabling - CBG13
Salary: £51,471 - £55,585 per annum pro rata plus £3,000 MRS per annum pro rata
Hours: 37 hours per week
Location: You will be expected to attend a CBC office location as often as needed to carry out your role, which will be no less than once per month - You will also be required to travel across Bedfordshire as needed to carry out your role.
Contract type: Hybrid - Fixed Term - 2 years
Closing date: 5th September 2025
Interview Date: TBC
About the role:
There is already a lot happening in Central Bedfordshire and this has been elevated further by the recent positive announcements by the Government on significant new infrastructure and major projects. East West Rail (EWR) will run through the heart of Central Bedfordshire, bringing huge benefits to the area, not just in terms of sustainable travel, but from an economic and social perspective too, serving significant housing and employment growth like the 5000 dwelling Marston Valley development and making the potential Universal Studios theme park more accessible. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to work on a project of this scale and importance in the early stages, helping the Council influence the proposals to deliver positive changes to the area.
We are looking for an organised, forward thinking and innovative candidate with significant knowledge and experience in Development Management work. You will have demonstrable skills leading and dealing with a range of major planning applications and complex projects, ideally with experience of project managing Development Consent Orders. As the lead officer for the EWR project, you will project manage and deal with the pre-application and application stages of the future Development Consent Order, providing evidence at hearing sessions and writing responses, on behalf of the Council. You will meet with the EWR project team on a regular basis to represent the Council’s interests. You will need to have a strong understanding of technical planning information, in addition to being able to assess and communicate technical details and data.
We are a friendly and supportive team, using flexible working practices. The Council expects the highest standards of customer service, maintaining the Planning Delivery Team’s Customer Service Excellence Standard.
Job Requirements:
- Chartered member of RTPI
- Significant experience of Development Management work
- A full UK driving licence
Our Offer
We have a number of rewards and benefits available to our staff, to view these please visit our Rewards and Benefits page
Our aspiration is to be a truly flexible employer. We welcome discussion on location, hours and working pattern as part of the application process.
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You will be expected to demonstrate how you meet the key accountabilities and competencies in this Recruitment Pack.
Our Competency Framework and Qualification Guidance are to be read in conjunction with our Recruitment Pack.
For an informal discussion about this position, please contact: Stuart Robinson at stuart.robinson@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk or call 0300 300 4822
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To maintain a fair and consistent approach for applicants, it is Central Bedfordshire Council's policy to only consider applications made via our online application system and we therefore thank you for not submitting your application offline.
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