Area Planning Advisor

Job summary

The Area Planning Advisor will be responsible for co-ordinating and providing detailed planning responses to consultations for Spatial Development Strategies (SCS), Local Plans, Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), Town and Country Planning Act (TCPA) planning applications and advice for decision makers on tree and woodland issues across our Area Teams. They will work closely with members of the area and national teams to protect, improve and expand woodland though proactively engaging with planning authorities & systems and supporting capacity building within the Area Team and the woodland sector.

We are recruiting for five roles across the following regions:

South East and London
South West
North West or West Midlands
East of England or East Midlands
North East, Yorkshire and the Humber

When submitting your application, please state in your personal statement which region would be your preferred location to work in.

Job description

Key work areas

1. Co-ordinate and triage consultations related to the FC’s planning work, across Area and National Team colleagues. This will include managing a number of hand offs’, case conferences and where necessary small project teams to respond to key consultations and engage with targeted authorities and development projects.
2. Proactively engage with the planning system to improve woodland outcomes from development via formal responses to National Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP’s) as well as TCPA planning applications and proposals. Engage with local authorities, conservation organisations and partnerships to encourage production of tree and woodland strategies and to consider trees and woodlands part of their responsibilities/remit. Take a lead on both standard and bespoke responses to planning applications, and the FC’s charged for service in regards to our advice.
3. Champion the role of trees and woodland as part of green infrastructure via the planning system and by working with key stakeholders/partners such as catchment partnerships, National Parks, Protected Landscapes and landscape / woodland partnerships. Collaborate and support Area Team colleagues with the development of innovative and effective promotion and engagement to deliver woodland creation.
4. Work collaboratively with Mayoral Authorities and Local Authorities on the development and adoption of their Spatial Development Strategies and Local Plans, acting as project management and liaison support for the delivery of this work.
5. Support the wider Area Team including Local Partnership Advisers, Partnership and Expertise Managers, Nature Recovery Advisers, Ecologists, etc. to engage effectively with the planning system. This will include working with Defra, Natural England and the Environment Agency to support local authorities with Local Nature Recovery Strategies.
6. Work within the National Planning, Infrastructure and Built Environment (PIBE) Team to improve practice, build capacity and develop new resources that will improve the FC’s responses to planning consultations.

The successful applicant will have a passion for woodlands and forests and for the benefits to society, the environment and the economy they provide.

They will advocate with knowledge and enthusiasm the environmental and other benefits that woodlands provide.

Person specification

Essential

• Degree/Higher Diploma in Town and Country Planning or forestry/land management/countryside management/ environment management/ and/or significant related experience in partnership working centred on land management / planning / tree and forestry issues.
• Competent and effective IT user with experience of MS Office and also including remote working and associated communication tools (e.g. MS Teams).
• Experience of stakeholder management - building strong business relationships and collaborative working to deliver mutually beneficial results.
• Confident interpersonal and communication skills with experience of presenting to a range of audiences, both verbally and written.
• People management experience or the capability to take on this responsibility.

Please clearly demonstrate how the above applies to you throughout your application. Failure to do so will mean that your application is automatically sifted out.

Desirable

• Member, or eligible for membership, of one of the following, Royal Town Planning Institute (MRTPI), Institute of Chartered Foresters (MICFor), CIEEM or other relevant chartered body.
• Experience of influencing external organisations to achieve environmental benefits

Technical:

• Experience and knowledge of both the TCPA and NSIP planning process and associated policy and guidance for trees, woodlands and forestry
• Experience and knowledge of forestry, ecology and /or environmental assessment
• Experience and knowledge of Forestry Regulations
• Able to assess and analyse planning documents (plans, surveys etc)
• Comfortable with interrogating maps/spatial data

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Changing and Improving

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• You will be asked to prepare a presentation as part of the interview

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,388, Forestry Commission contributes £11,700 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• A range of family friendly benefits.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• A culture which promotes a diverse and inclusive work environment.
• A range of wellbeing benefits including discounted Civil Service Healthcare, access to an Employee Assistance Programme 24/7, Bike to Work Scheme, plus many more.
• 25 days annual leave, with 1 additional day for each years’ service up to 5 years (pro rata), plus 10.5 bank holidays/privilege days (pro rata).
• Ability to buy or sell 5 days annual leave.
• 3 days volunteering per year (pro rata).

We aim to provide a great place to work, whichever location you work from. Blended working forms part of our flexible and inclusive approach to future ways of working. It is an informal arrangement which gives you the option to work some of the week from home, and some of the week from our Forestry Commission workplaces, subject to role requirements, business needs, and regular review. Informal blended working arrangements will be available as agreed with the line manager.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our