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Enquiries / Assistant Planning Officer (Entry Level)

Employer
South Oxfordshire District Council & Vale of White Horse District Council
Location
135 Milton Park, Oxfordshire
Salary
£23,031 - £26,897 per year, Grade 3. £26,897 - £31,471 per year, Grade 4
Closing date
16 Aug 2021

Job Details

This is an entry level role to join our shared planning team at an exciting time in a busy and forward looking planning service. This role provides an opportunity to gain experience in different areas of the service including enforcement, policy, appeals and development management.

The successful applicant for this role will join the councils at an important time to help deliver the work of the policy team. The immediate focus will be to play a part in preparing a new joint Local Plan between South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse, along with working on projects such as the Oxfordshire Plan 2050, CIL, SPDs and other planning policy project work.

You’ll need to be enthusiastic, dedicated, have a strong customer service ethos and be driven to achieve targets. If that sounds like you then this is the job for you.

Enquiries / Assistant Planning Officer Responsibilities:

  • assist in the production of documents making up the development plan.
  • assist in the carrying out of research into a variety of topics as part of the work on the preparation of the development plan and other policy documents.
  • assist in the writing of briefs for consultants and in managing their contracts for specialist work and projects.
  • assist in the preparation of draft sections of the local plan and supplementary planning documents and papers and reports on the development plan and other planning policy issues, including consultation documents for officers and Members.
  • Attend meetings (including evening meetings when requested).
  • assist in the preparation and conduct of consultations on the development plan and other planning policy documents including attendance at exhibitions and meetings.
  • assist in the preparation and presentation of evidence supporting the Council’s case at Examinations, Hearings and Public Inquiries.
  • provide professional advice (in written form, by email, over the phone and in person) and training on planning policy and development matters to the public, Members and other professionals.
  • provide professional advice and input into other Council policy documents and initiatives and to the Development Management team on minor planning and other applications, where planning policy issues are involved.
  • assist in other aspects of the team’s work including input into county and other larger than local planning arrangements, management of the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, nature conservation and transportation matters.
  • assist in monitoring planning policies. process more straightforward planning and associated applications.
  • undertake specific projects within the planning service (such as participating in continuous development).

In addition to achieve grade 4:

  • process a wider range of planning and associated applications.
  • provide pre-application advice in respect a wide range of planning work.
  • more complicated planning enforcement work.
  • write appeal statements in respect of written representation cases and contributing to hearing and public inquiry cases as and when required.
  • present applications to planning committee.
  • more complicated planning policy work.


Enquiries / Assistant Planning Officer Requirements:

Your essential skills, knowledge and experience:

  • excellent interpersonal skills.
  • good IT skills including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet and email.
  • good oral and written communication skills.
  • ability to interpret scale drawings and Ordnance Survey maps.
  • Grade 4: Working towards RTPI Student member expected; Some experience of working in planning; Present at Cabinet Member Briefing and Round Table session with support.


Your essential qualifications:

  • grade 3: 2 A-levels or an equivalent level of qualification or appropriate experience or planning degree.
  • grade 4: Planning degree or an equivalent level of qualification with at least 1 years’ experience in a planning related role.

If you have the following experience or qualifications – it’s a bonus:

  • experience of project management.
  • advanced level MS word, excel and PowerPoint.
  • associate membership of the RTPI.

About the councils:

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils are forward-thinking local authorities, based in one of the most attractive areas of the country.

Location: 135 Milton Park, Oxfordshire

Salary: £23,031 - £26,897 per year, Grade 3, £26,897 - £31,471 per year, Grade 4

Type: 12 months

Hours: 37 per week

Closing Date: 16th August 2021


Under Government guidelines, many of our employees are being asked to undertake their roles from home. This will be discussed in more detail during this roles interview process where required.

Benefits:

  • A basic 24 days annual leave per annum, rising to 29 days after five years. You also have all the bank holidays to look forward to and time off between Christmas and New Year.
  • Flexible working and annualised hours – a flexible approach to work that our employees love!
  • Salary pay awards – most jobs give scope for a pay increase after six months or the following April (depending on your start date) and we also review salaries each April.
  • A generous career average pension scheme which includes life insurance of three times your salary
  • No car park costs as there’s ample free parking
  • The opportunity to purchase a bike through Cyclescheme (cheaper than directly through a store) so that you can cycle to work!
  • A salary sacrifice car lease scheme – a fully inclusive driving package for a fixed monthly cost
  • Various schemes to keep you healthy (reduced gym membership, free swims, workplace exercise classes, contributory medical schemes, wellbeing appointments, free eye tests for DSE users and more)
  • We give you two days per year to volunteer within the local community.


You may have experience of the following: Administration Assistant, Administrator, Office Assistant, Planning Administrator, Town Planner, Local Authority, RTPI, Project Management, Planning Officer, Planner, Policy, Legislation, Royal Town Planning Institute etc.

Ref: 101 151

Company

As a district council we collect council tax on behalf of other organisations, such as the county council and the police, and we use around ten per cent of what we collect to help pay for services we provide such as:

To find out more about South Oxfordshire and where you live, you can click on the information about your area section of our home page or for more detail about the district you can head to our where I live page

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