Senior Planner

South London

£22-£25ph

A Senior Planner required to deliver high quality, robust and transparent decision making within tight time frames on conservation and/or urban design matters to ensure that the Planning and Transport Division is recognised as delivering an excellent planning service for all of our customers.

The Senior Planner will independently manage an area of conservation and/or urban design, providing comprehensive and detailed advice on high profile planning applications, pre-application advice requests and correspondence to agreed and identifiable timescales, to deliver a successful planning outcome and provide a high quality urban environment / public realm and to protect the borough's heritage assets.

To independently manage key specialist projects related to conservation and design and its broader implementation within the borough, as allocated by the Principal Conservation and Urban Design Officer and Policy and Design Team Manager.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

Responsible for delivering a high quality conservation and urban design service in line with national and regional planning policy guidance. Undertaking all required community and stakeholder engagement and meeting the requirements set out in the prevailing legislation.

Responsible for the application of conservation and urban design expert advice on a full range of development management case work including complex and/or high profile planning applications and pre-application advice in response to planning best practice, procedure or policy within a legal/organisational policy framework.

To work independently and take personal responsibility for a full range of conservation and urban design work including the development and review of specialist conservation and urban design areas, pre-application advice, the input of conservation and urban design advice to complex and high profile planning applications, working to identifiable deadlines in a manner that is consistent with meeting corporate targets and objectives.

To work independently to assess, engage and set out clear and robust conservation and urban design guidance in an accurate and well written officer report based on an up to date and relevant evidence base.

To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of national and regional planning policy and relevant legislation and to take a proactive approach to relevant changes in legislation and update junior staff on those changes.

That you are proactive in identifying issues and proposing improvements and creative solutions within the context of current and future service requirements in order to continually deliver high quality, customer focused planning services to managers and our full range of customers including developments in information technology systems, customer service and other processes and procedures and best serve to protect the borough's heritage assets.

To ensure that all conservation and urban design guidance, including conservation area character appraisals and management strategies is up to date and consistent with broader planning policy.

To implement self-contained projects or components of larger projects in order to deliver organisational objectives as well as enabling agreed changes in planning practice and processes to take place, taking a detailed project management role.

On occasions to present your own recommendation(s) to the Strategic Planning and Transportation Overview and Scrutiny Committee, WCAAC or other appropriate committees and other internal and public meetings on complex and/or controversial planning issues in a clear and concise manner including providing expert professional advice to Members and the public.

To lead on the preparation of specialist evidence in respect of appeals including presenting evidence at Public Inquiries, Hearings and written representation.

To initiate and participate in matters relating to policy compliance and enforcement matters and conflict resolution to ensure high quality innovative outcomes that reflect Council-wide objectives and policies.