Principal Planning Officer

Guildford Borough is a regional centre for leisure, business, education, retail and culture.  Guildford is a thriving market town that has maintained much of its historic character and is a principal shopping destination with a vibrant night-time economy. The town’s location provides excellent transport links as well as providing the balance of being surrounded by beautiful countryside, including the Surrey Hills National Landscape. All of these factors contribute to a quality of life that makes it one of the best places to live in the UK.

We want to appoint two enthusiastic and committed Principal Planning Officers to join our skilled Planning Development Management Service which deals with a wide range of planning applications.    

It is an excellent time to work at Guildford, the Authority has an up to date local plan, with a keen focus on preserving the Borough’s heritage and landscape whilst ensuring that the Borough provides high quality homes and access to employment.

You will have the opportunity to work on a wide range of application types from larger scale major developments to minor applications. You will also be one of the key officers responsible for mentoring junior staff and for authorising some delegated decisions on behalf of the Head of Planning.

The role

As one of a small number of Principal Planning Officers in our Development Management teams, you will play a key role in the assessment and determination of larger major planning applications and pre-applications. However, there may also be the opportunity to work on smaller and larger schemes, as the need arises. The role will involve working with applications in the urban area, the Green Belt, National Landscape, on sites within conservation areas and which impact on listed buildings. The broad variety of work is one of the key benefits of working in Guildford. 

In additional to the assessment of planning applications, the role involves the authorisation and determination of some applications being considered by more junior staff. In addition, you will be expect to mentor junior colleagues to ensure that we are issuing high quality decisions in a timely manner. Please see the Job Description for further information. 

What’s in it for you? 

We are a diverse organisation, delivering a wide range of services and employing people with a broad range of skills. We want to attract the best staff, so we offer excellent benefits, including: a competitive salary; flexible working arrangements; Hybrid working, cycle to work scheme, payment of one professional membership per annum, mileage allowance and training and development opportunities where required.   

We also provide health and wellbeing initiatives, an employee assistance program and staff discounts off a range of well-known high street shops and supermarkets.  

Additional information

For more information about the role and what a successful candidate needs, please see the attached Job Description.

Interview date – early December 2024

If you do not hear from us within two weeks from the closing date you have not been successful on this occasion.   

For more information, please contact either John Busher (Interim DM Manager) (john.busher@guildford.gov.uk) or Justin Williams (Area Team Leader) (justin.williams@guildford.gov.uk).

We are an equal opportunity and Disability Confident employer and value diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need. Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff and post-holders to share this commitment.  To fulfil this commitment we have robust systems in place for the safe recruitment of staff and volunteers.