Senior Planning Enforcement Officer

• JDPS_Senior_Planning_Enforcement_Officer

We have an ambitious development agenda and have a vacancy for a Senior Planning Enforcement Officer in our Development Management team to help ensure new development accords with the high standards expected for development within the district. 

Ranked in the Sunday Times as one of the best places to live in the UK, and in Lonely Planet as one of the best places to visit in the world, Folkestone & Hythe is a dynamic and innovative place to live, work and visit. 

Based in our offices in the heart of Folkestone, you’ll have easy access to transport links including HS1, Folkestone’s regenerated town centre, the seafront and old town creative quarter, and our extraordinary and vibrant landscapes and communities.  

Recognised by Best Companies as an outstanding organisation to work for, we have a real focus on supporting career development, wellbeing and family friendly initiatives, and a hybrid agile working culture that enables flexible and remote/home working.

You can also expect an excellent benefits package that includes corporate membership, discount and salary sacrifice schemes, reimbursement of professional membership fees, up to 31 days holiday and Christmas closure, access to the Local Government Pension Scheme, and much, much more.

About you
You will be an experienced planning enforcement professional with a strong working knowledge of planning enforcement legislation, policy and practice. Confident working on your own initiative, you will have experience investigating complex breaches of planning control, gathering evidence to the required standard, drafting formal notices and witness statements, and making sound professional judgements on contentious cases.

You will be a skilled communicator and negotiator who can build effective relationships with colleagues, councillors, developers, agents and members of the public. Resilient and professional, you will be comfortable dealing with challenging and occasionally confrontational situations, balancing strong enforcement action with a practical and proactive approach to achieving positive outcomes. Excellent investigative, report-writing and organisational skills are essential, along with the ability to manage a varied caseload and prioritise competing demands.

For more information, please see the attached job description and person specification.

The closing date for the receipt of all completed applications is 23:59 on 6th September 2026.

Please note: This vacancy may close earlier than the advertised closing date if we receive a high volume of applications. 

Interviews will take place on w/c 21st September 2026.

For an informal discussion please contact:
Lisette Patching, CIL & Enforcement Team Leader at: [email removed] / [phone removed] or Rob Bailey, Development & Enforcement Manager at: [email removed]  / [phone removed].