Planning Officer – AR

Planning Officer

Location: Barnet
Working Arrangement: Hybrid working (office attendance required on fixed days each week)
Service Area: Planning & Building Control

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced Planning Officer to join the Council’s Planning & Building Control service. The successful candidate will support the delivery of an effective, high-quality planning service that aligns with the Council’s aims, objectives, and priorities.

This is a generic Planning Officer role, with the opportunity to work across different planning specialisms through a rotation programme. The post holder will be expected to take responsibility for allocated areas of work, ensuring tasks are delivered to agreed quality standards, performance targets, and within required timescales.

Key Responsibilities

• Process and manage planning-related work, including assessing applications and providing professional planning advice.
• Prepare clear, accurate reports, recommendations, and correspondence relating to planning matters.
• Support the delivery of the Council’s planning objectives and ensure decisions are made in accordance with relevant legislation, policies, and guidance.
• Provide advice and guidance to applicants, residents, developers, and internal Council teams.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues, external stakeholders, and consultees to support effective planning outcomes.
• Manage allocated workloads efficiently, ensuring performance targets and service standards are achieved.
• Contribute to different areas of the planning service as part of the rotation programme.
• Attend Council offices on designated hybrid working days and travel outside of the borough when required to deliver Council services.

Essential Experience & Skills

• Experience working within a planning environment, ideally within a Local Authority setting.
• Experience managing planning applications or development management casework.
• Knowledge of planning legislation, policies, and procedures.
• Ability to produce professional planning reports and recommendations.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to liaise with residents, applicants, developers, and stakeholders.
• Ability to prioritise workloads and deliver work to deadlines.

Desirable Experience

• Experience using planning systems such as Idox, Uniform, or similar.
• Understanding of Development Management processes within a Council environment.
• Experience working across different areas of planning services.

Suitable Backgrounds

Candidates with experience as a:

• Planning Officer
• Development Management Officer
• Development Control Officer
• Town Planner
• Assistant Planner
• Senior Planning Officer
  would be well suited to this position.