Principal Planning Officer (Development Management)

• You will be leading a small area team within Somerset and carrying a caseload of major applications.
• Due to the need to undertake site visits you will need to be in the office 1-2 days a week with the option for home working the rest of the time
• This role provides 33 days annual leave
• As a developing service you would be in a position to inform and develop process improvements
• Scale of Somerset means there are CPD opportunities the shadow investigations through the processes and peer support
• Permanent Role

As a Principal Officer you would be assessing and determining a range of major applications including Residential, Commercial, Allocated sites and the opportunity to manage Planning Performance Agreements to provide for the 18,000 homes allocated in the Local Plan.

You would also manage a small team of Planners and Senior Planners (4-7 people) providing support through one to ones and team meetings. Within each area of Somerset there are 2-3 Principal Officers enabling peer support. 

The scale of the authority is significant, as is the skill set of the existing team and the variety of surrounding development management experience. 

Within Somerset we have a huge breadth of work, and plenty of interesting projects. These currently include:
• Local Development Orders
• Development Consent Orders
• Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects
• Major residential and Commercial developments
• Our Emerging Local Plan

We also have a successful history of gaining Levelling up and Homes England funding - which means there will be a range of new things to work on in the coming years as we deliver key community facilities, infrastructure and public realm improvements.

Given the size of the area and the team there is a full range of experience for peer support or shadowing through processes that you have not yet experienced. You will be directly managed by one of the two area leads who will have oversight of Planning and supported by the Planning Service Manager in delivering a high quality and improvement driven service. 

As the second largest and newly formed Unitary we are also actively leading on improvement projects throughout the service and are engaging with staff to influence the outcomes. We are working to combine the best practices of 4 former Districts and a County to streamline processes and present a unified front. 

All this means that you’ll have the chance to develop your experience and skills with us the range of which will be difficult to match elsewhere.

We continue to shape our service as a new authority and we’re not sitting still. If you relish opportunities to inform, influence and streamline you could be a key part of the evolution of Planning in this Authority.

We are looking for qualified planners, with experience of determining and negotiating on complex caseloads within a Local Authority environment. You would need to be or be eligible to become a Chartered Planner, if you are not already Chartered, this will be encouraged for your development once in the role.

For this role, it would be ideal if you had some management experience but if you’re a Senior Planner and feel ready to step up, we’ll support and help development you into a Principal role.

We’re proud to be here for the people of Somerset. And that means everyone in Somerset. An important part of this is ensuring that we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve. 

We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our team. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if there’s anything you want to talk about before you apply.

The ability to shape a mould the future enforcement service for Somerset within a team that offers a supportive and rewarding environment. The team are passionate about the work they do and work collaboratively to ensure the best outcome for all, to improve the lives of people in Somerset.

We offer a variety of training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

•    We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
•    Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave
•    Staff discounts in gyms.
•    Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
•    Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
•    A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
•    My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more

The Salary for the Principal Planning Officer role is Grade 8, £50,000 per annum, which includes a remuneration package of £2,246 per annum for up to 3 years.

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Gary Collins via email at garycollins@somerset.gov.uk or Thomas Jones at Thomas.Jones1@Somerset.gov.uk  

Interviews will be held between March 26th - 28th 2025

When completing your application/ CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment. 
If you have everything you need, just hit the apply button. We can’t wait to hear from you.