Senior Planning Officer

Your new company
Hays are pleased to have partnered with the London Borough of Ealing to recruit a Career Grade Senior Planning Officer to join the team.The London Borough of Ealing celebrated ranking Platinum by the Planning Magazine for the decision-making service, putting them in the top 12 Authorities across the country in 2024. The council's platinum rating means it performed on average between 33-35% above the national quality threshold, meaning it was rated as the top London borough and placing it amongst the top performers in the country. The Planning team is a very stable department with the entire service being permanently employed by the Council, meaning the team acts well together to deliver a quality level of service to applicants.
We are looking for a senior planning officer to provide a dedicated planning resource for the Councils response to the Heathrow Development Consent Order programme and related Heathrow expansion work. The planning officer will lead on coordinating the Council's planning response, working across development management, Planning policy and wider council services, whilst managing engagement with Heathrow Airport Limited, statutory consultees and other stakeholders.
This a high-profile role requiring strong planning judgement, stakeholder management, and project coordination skills, with responsibility for ensuring that the Council is effectively represented throughout the DCO process and that opportunities for mitigation, infrastructure investment and wider community benefits are identified and secured where possible.

Your new role
We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated planning professional to lead the Council's response to the Heathrow Development Consent Order programme - one of the most significant infrastructure planning projects affecting the borough.This is a high-profile opportunity to play a central role in shaping the Council's engagement with a nationally significant infrastructure project. The postholder will provide specialist planning expertise, coordinate technical input across council services, and manage engagement with Heathrow Airport Limited, statutory consultees and other key stakeholders.
The successful candidate will help ensure that the Council is well positioned throughout the DCO examination and implementation process, including the preparation of evidence, submissions and negotiations within fixed statutory timescales.
The role will be critical in protecting the Council's interests and securing the best possible outcomes for local communities, including in relation to environmental impacts, transport, regeneration, housing, employment, place-shaping, infrastructure improvements and mitigation measures.
Working across Development Management, Planning Policy and wider council services, the postholder will coordinate complex technical responses, manage programme deadlines, support negotiations and help identify opportunities for funding, infrastructure improvements and community mitigation associated with the Heathrow DCO programme.
This is a role for someone who can operate confidently in a complex, fast-moving and politically sensitive environment. The successful candidate will need strong planning judgement, excellent stakeholder management skills and the ability to work collaboratively across disciplines while maintaining focus on statutory deadlines and strategic outcomes.
For the right candidate, this is an opportunity to make a tangible contribution to the Council's response to a nationally significant infrastructure project and to help influence outcomes that will affect residents, businesses and places across the borough.

What you'll need to succeed
You will be qualified with a degree accredited by the RTPI or RICS in Town and Country Planning or equivalent. You will need to have experience in Development Management, including assessing planning applications across both residential and commercial areas. You must be confident writing appeal statements and providing practical advice on development proposals, being able to explain complex planning issues to a range of stakeholders. You will need to demonstrate a passion for creating sustainable and vibrant spaces that benefit the wider community.

What you'll get in return
The service offers flexible hybrid working with one core day in the office and flexible working around that. The salary banding has recently been benchmarked and now ranges from £40000 to £48000 plus public sector pension and holiday days. The Principals and Team Leaders in the service were all promoted internally, so career progression is high on the agenda within the Borough, and they pride themselves on developing staff.

What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV to Ben Styles in London, or call us now.
If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.

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