Job Description

Located at the heart of England’s Northwest and with a varied mix of cultural and leisure facilities and unique industrial heritage, St Helens offers great opportunities as a place to live and work. St Helens Borough Council plays a key role in the Liverpool City Region and wider area and has an acknowledged reputation as providing excellent planning services.

We are dealing with an exciting range of planning challenges, balancing needs for major new development linked to the Council’s growth agenda, against the protection of the Borough’s greenspaces and other environmental assets. We have recently adopted our ambitious new Local Plan.

The new Local Plan includes site allocations for development, and in particular the Bold Forest Garden Village allocation for approximately 3,000 dwellings and associated supporting infrastructure, which is the largest residential allocation in the Borough, and significant in terms of the Liverpool City Region. The preparation of a masterplan for the site is required to enable the subsequent delivery of a high quality, well designed and sustainable development.

Making A Difference as a Lead Masterplanning Officer (Bold) in the Strategic Growth Department.

We are looking for a Lead Masterplanning Officer (Bold) who will lead work on the preparation of the Bold Forest Garden Village Masterplan Framework and subsequent site delivery, along with the support of a dedicated Masterplanning Officer (Bold) and the wider Planning Service. The role will have a focus on project management, including collaborative working with colleagues and key stakeholders, and liaising with members of the public, as well as managing technical consultants in the detailed masterplanning work.

You will have knowledge of relevant current planning legislation, guidance and procedures, and an understanding of, interest in, and genuine enthusiasm for, the successful delivery of strategic sites is essential. Excellent communication skills with varied audiences are required. You will be able to work independently to tight deadlines and be an effective team player, as well as possess skills of negotiation, persuasion, analysis, and decision making. Experience of working in a town planning team, or related environment, will be beneficial.

In line with our new ways of working, this role is hybrid and will involve a mix of working from home and working in our agile hub at Atlas House in St Helens Town Centre. https://youtu.be/7tXXInE7T0s

Interested to Find Out More?

You can review our full job description details, and person specification information on our website, via the advert link.

You are also welcome to contact us to discuss this exciting role, please contact Lucy O’Doherty (Development Plans Manager) at lucyo’doherty@sthelens.gov.uk  or Kieran Birch (Head of Planning) at kieranbirch@sthelens.gov.uk.

Thank you for your interest in working for us. If you are experiencing issues with applying online, you can contact a member of the team at Recruitment@sthelens.gov.uk and a form will be sent to you to complete.

Please note we reserve the right to close the advert early should we receive a sufficient number of applications and encourage you to apply early, to avoid disappointment.

Equality & Diversity

St Helens Borough Council respects and values the individuality that every employee brings. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, who share our values, our commitment to inclusion, and who will help us on our journey to transform our organisation. Further information about Equality & Diversity at St Helens Borough Council can be found here https://www.sthelens.gov.uk/equality

St Helens Council is a Disability Confident Employer. This means that the Council guarantees an interview to disabled applicants who demonstrate that they meet the essential criteria for the job, as detailed on the Person Specification, and will, for qualifying disabled candidates, make reasonable adjustments within the interview/selection process.

NOLAN Principles of Conduct in Public Life

All Council employees are required to abide by the ethical standards embodied by the 7 Nolan Principles: Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty, and Leadership.

Closing date: 9th September 2024.