Planning Policy Officer
Team: Planning Policy/ Strategic Plan Partnerships, Strategic Growth
Job Family: Enabling - CBG9
Salary: £33,731 - £36,397 per annum
Hours: 37 hours per week
Location: Hybrid - Working from home and any CBC offices, including Priory House, Shefford. You will be expected to attend a CBC office location on a monthly basis as a minimum, and as needed to carry out your role.
Contract Type: Hybrid - Permanent
Closing Date: 11th May 2025
Interview Date: w/c 19th May 2025
About the role
We are seeking to appoint a Planning Policy Officer within Strategic Growth. This is an exciting time for Central Bedfordshire. As one of the largest Unitary Authorities in the country, our unique geographical location means we are at the focus of national conversations around growth. The government is reintroducing the Oxford to Cambridge Corridor as a priority area for development and economic investment, which along with potentially significant investment in infrastructure, with schemes such as East-West Rail, has the potential to act as a great catalyst for future growth in Central Bedfordshire.
Working within the Strategic Growth team, you will be responsible for helping to deliver the Council's statutory and non-statutory functions, including the creation of evidence-based policies and guidance. You will be involved in policy planning projects from conception to conclusion including supporting the commissioning and preparation of evidence for the Council to support the new Local Plan.
As the new Local Plan is still in the early stages of development, now is a great time to be joining the team. You will be involved in the first statutory stage of consultation right through to the examination and adoption.
As a Planning Policy Officer, you will be part of the Strategic Plan Partnership and the Planning Policy teams within Strategic Growth, supporting Managers, Principal and Senior Officers as well as managing your own workload. Your ability to communicate effectively, work under pressure, prioritise and manage workloads to meet identified deadlines all to a high standard, is therefore essential.
You will play a big part in helping to achieve the Council’s priorities and objectives. With both internal and external customers depending on your skills, you will find your greatness using your professional expertise in a strategic as well as local environment. You’ll work across the full range of Planning disciplines and with a variety of customers, including Councillors and developers looking to you for specialist support and guidance, it is vital that you understand and uphold best practice.
You will have a relevant Masters Degree (or equivalent qualification), be a Member, or working towards becoming a member, of the Royal Town Planning Institute and have some relevant experience working in a forward planning environment within a local authority. With emerging political and commercial awareness and good communication skills, you will have a desire for helping to influence others and working in partnership and be committed to evidence-based decision making.
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: Lynsey Hillman-Gamble, Strategic Plan Partnership Manager at lynsey.hillman-gamble@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk or call 0300 300 5247.
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