If you’re looking for a challenge, have a recognised professional planning qualification and sound local planning authority or private consultancy experience, this is an excellent opportunity for you.

We are looking to recruit a a Principal Planning Officer for up to one year's maternity cover.

If you are looking for an opportunity to be part of a bold and innovative organisation that has big ambitions both for our borough and for our staff, this could be the job for you. Driven by fresh thinking and imaginative new ideas, we do things differently at Basingstoke and Deane. We go beyond expectations to nurture and develop our communities and our colleagues. We support each other and work together to achieve shared goals and excel in everything we do.

You will be working to deliver an outstanding planning policy service. The council has just started to update the adopted Local Plan, providing you with the opportunity to shape the Plan from the start and gain experience of all stages of the Local Plan making process. You will also help to support communities in the delivery of robust neighbourhood plans. You’ll bring your expertise and vision to help us develop our approach, delivering expert guidance and working closely with colleagues and stakeholders to deliver key projects. Significant growth and change is due to take place in the borough over coming years and you will take a key role in shaping this change.

A thorough knowledge and detailed understanding of current issues and professional practices is important, combined with excellent communication and team working skills. A customer-focused approach is also important, plus the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues, business units, partners, stakeholders and local communities.

We can offer real variety of work as our location not only puts you in easy reach of the picturesque North Wessex Downs, but offers a mix of large scale major growth town projects alongside more community focused and rural development for your professional progress.

So you can look forward to real quality of life, particularly since we offer a flexible approach to working hours. There’s also an excellent range of benefits including free parking (subject to a waiting list), healthcare cash plan, pension scheme, generous leave entitlement and more.

The council signs up to the Disability Confident scheme (formerly known as the ‘Two Ticks’ scheme). If you have declared a disability on the application form we can guarantee you an interview if you meet the essential criteria for the job.