Economy Directorate
Planning Service (Development Management)
Planning Technical Support Officer (Development Management)
Ref: 000893
Contract: Fixed Term 12 months
Salary: £25,183 - £27,269 per annum (Grade 3)
Hours: 36.66 per week
Location: Oldham Council, Spindles Shopping Centre, Oldham, OL1 1LF (with flexible home working arrangements)
Closing Date: Sunday 20th July 2025
Shortlisting and Interview Dates: TBC.
Role Overview:
Oldham Council is looking to recruit an enthusiastic and motivated Planning Technical Support Officer to support the functions of the Planning Service. The role includes registering and validating planning applications, dealing with enquiries by email, telephone and in person from the general public, Councillors, Agents, colleagues and other stakeholders. The successful candidate will need to be organised with good time management and communication skills and work effectively within a dedicated and dynamic team.
Key Responsibilities:
* To validate planning and related applications in a timely, efficient and accurate manner, including ensuring fees are correct and paid in full and that all necessary documentation has been supplied.
* To deal with enquiries from members of the public, applicants/agents, and other service users, in relation to the need for planning permission, and to provide guidance on the information requirements necessary to support applications.
* To support the work of the Development Management and Strategic Planning teams as required, such as assisting in the preparation of Planning Committee agendas and the processing of planning appeals.
* To be the first point of contact for planning related enquiries in the department and to provide appropriate advice.
Key Requirements:
To succeed in this role, you will need as a minimum:
* Experience of working effectively with others to meet targets or deadlines.
* Experience of providing polite, courteous and efficient customer service.
* Be a strong team player with excellent communication skills.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and therefore expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
About Us:
We want Oldham to have vibrant, safe neighbourhoods where people are proud to live with opportunities for healthier, more fulfilled lives; and a sustainable, thriving economy. As we look to the future, the challenges may be significant, but so are the opportunities. We’ve identified three missions with our residents and partners, focusing on what will deliver the biggest impact:
A Great Place to Live, Healthier, Happier Lives, and Green and Growing.
We’re looking for candidates who will support us to achieve our ambitions and we encourage you to download our Corporate Plan: Ready for the Future and our Oldham Plan for further information.
OurVvalues and Behaviours:
By driving innovation, investing in our people, and championing our communities, we will ensure that Oldham continues to be a place where everyone can live their best life. To support this, we have three core values which define who we are and how we operate. These are ‘Proud, Ambitious, and Together’, and they shape our culture, inform our decisions, and inspire us to deliver on our commitments to the people of Oldham.
We have translated these values into five behaviours which guide our actions and are the standards we hold ourselves to, day in and day out:
* Work with a resident focus
* Support local leaders
* Committed to the borough
* Delivery high performance
* Take ownership and drive change
You can find out more about our values and behaviours on our greater.jobs Oldham page
Our Benefits Package:
At Oldham Council we offer a great benefits package for our employees, which includes the following:
* 25 days annual leave which increases after 5 and 10-years’ service
* The option to purchase additional annual leave.
* An attractive LGPS benefit pension scheme with the option to make shared cost additional voluntary contributions.
* Discounted gym membership with Oldham Active .
* Staff discount scheme for shopping, entertainment, eating-out, eating-in, travel, motoring and more.
* Salary sacrifice scheme for home and electronics and Cycle to Work.
* Wellbeing support, including a Mental Health First Aider network and an Employment Assistance Programme that provides 24 hours access to advice and support.
* Staff recognition and celebration events.
* Peer support groups
Inclusive Recruitment:
We work closely with employees to help them work at their best, including making adjustments such as flexible working, describing available working patterns, providing equipment or making changes to the workplace.
If you’re an applicant with disabilities and have previously been in or currently in care, a carer or someone who has served in the Armed Forces and you meet the essential criteria of the role, you are guaranteed to reach the first stage of assessment under our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme .
Data and Privacy:
For details of how we use your data please see our privacy notice .
Important Information:
Please note that should a vacancy that has been released for internal or external recruitment be deemed suitable for a current employee at risk of redundancy, it can be pulled back at any point, up to the post being formally offered to a candidate who is not at risk of redundancy.
Right to Work in the UK from 1st July 2021.doc