DLP is one of the UK’s leading employee-owned planning‑led practices, providing tailored multidisciplinary advice to our clients across the development sector.
Joining DLP brings with it the opportunity to gain valuable experience working alongside skilled professionals who will provide you with essential guidance and support to grow your career as a professional planner. You will also have the opportunity to work for a wide variety of clients and projects across both the private and public sector. Our Bedford team currently has an exciting pipeline of work including:
* Residential applications of all scales
* Local plan promotion work
* Enforcement appeals
* Care Villages / Retirement living schemes
* Change of use proposals
You will also work alongside colleagues in the wider DLP Group’s core business sectors which include:
* Planning Research & Analysis
* Transport & Infrastructure
* Sustainability Engineering
The range of benefits that we offer to our employees includes private healthcare with BUPA, life insurance, company pension with a salary sacrifice option, cycle to work scheme, contributions towards professional subscriptions and enhanced maternity scheme.
Why Bedford?
Bedford sits at the heart of the Oxford to Cambridge corridor and is set to experience significant growth and development in the future. Nationally significant projects such as East‑West Rail, Universal UK Resort and several new towns in the pipeline locally provide lots of optimism about Bedford’s future, making it a really exciting place to live and work.
Who are we looking for?
Due to continuing growth, we are looking for a qualified Town Planner to join our friendly and busy team in Bedford. Ideally you will have a minimum 3 years’ professional experience post qualification (in either the private or public sector). You must have a degree in town planning or a related subject.
You should possess a good knowledge of the planning system and experience of a wide range of planning issues. You should have good interpersonal communication and relationship management skills and have the ability to manage and prioritise projects on a day‑to‑day basis.
We are looking for candidates who are well motivated and ready to get involved in projects of all scales and types, instilling high standards of work and building up good, strong client relationships.
We support our staff with a very active training and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme which is intended to educate, inform and invite feedback.
Our CPD programme involves presentations from both external speakers and internal staff members, with all staff encouraged to present on a relevant topic to develop their presentation skills.
Every staff member is formally reviewed at least annually. During this process, achievements and future targets are reflected upon and discussed – always with the aim of learning and moving forward.
As an Employee Ownership Trust, our staff, their wellbeing and their personal and professional development is of paramount importance to us.
Our commitment to diversity, inclusion and wellbeing throughout DLP includes:
* Actively contributing towards enhancing social value, including through our impacts on the environment, communities, local economies and innovation.
* Promoting mental, physical and social wellbeing in the workplace.
* Actively promoting, celebrating and enhancing diversity across the organisation.
* Cultivating and promoting an inclusive culture that maximises the talent, skills and diversity within our workforce.
What do we expect from you?
As a Senior Planner you will work under the supervision of senior staff but also be given the opportunity to lead on small projects subject to experience. You will:
* Provide commercial planning advice to a range of clients.
* Prepare high‑quality planning reports and submissions.
* Liaise with and manage technical consultants as part of a wider project team.
* Build strong client relationships through networking and maintaining existing client relationships.
* Proactively manage engagement with the local planning authorities and other key stakeholders.
* Represent our clients’ commercial interests throughout the planning process.
* Have excellent written, verbal and technical skills appropriate to your role.
* Generally show a positive attitude and contribute to the growth and success of the Bedford office.
We offer hybrid working and therefore need a commitment from our staff to work collaboratively in a face‑to‑face environment on ‘core’ office days. Should you choose to work from home on ‘non‑core’ days, you will be trusted to work independently but you will still have the support of colleagues who will be available via telephone and video call.
How can you apply?
If you are interested in a Senior Planner position at DLP then please send us your current CV to careers@dlpconsultants.co.uk and our HR team will be in touch.
“I joined DLP as an Assistant Planner after graduating from the University of Sheffield. I have been with the company for 17 years now and during this time I have worked on a wide range of projects. Over the last 9 years or so I have specialised in heritage planning. This has enabled me to work on all kinds of projects relating to heritage assets and has not only developed my knowledge in this area of planning but allowed me to work on some fascinating and iconic historic buildings.”
“The mentoring provided to support you through the APC process is second to none. You are allocated a mentor as soon as you join and they support and guide you through the process as much or as little as is required, making the whole process smooth and much easier to navigate. If you have a particular interest then people are always around to listen and provide the opportunities to develop your skills further, something that has been a personal experience of mine in my role as Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Ambassador, which was an opportunity provided due to my own interests in this topic.”
“The experience I have gained at DLP since I first started as a graduate back in 2017 has been invaluable. I have been involved first hand in every type of planning application and planning appeal there is, and due to DLP being a multidisciplinary company I have also been able to learn from others in the office about various topics such as transport and urban design (alongside my role as town planner). My colleagues in all offices are always supportive, and I am grateful to work in such a friendly environment.”
“I started in the Sheffield Office in September 2023. Having had to move to Sheffield for the job and being in a new situation, I was taken aback by how straightforward it was to settle into the office and wider company. DLP has provided me with excellent opportunities to develop new skills and progress my career. The office provides a great social working environment which allows everyone to excel in a team-focused setting.”
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