Location: Buckinghamshire County Wide
Overview
If you are a University Graduate or have completed a Level 7 Diploma or have relevant experience in Planning and have a keen interest in Planning & Environment, this could be the role for you. By joining us as a Graduate Planning Officer at Buckinghamshire Council, you will not only be offered a competitive benefits package, you will also gain invaluable experience and potentially extra qualifications to help you kick-start your career. Through our excellent training programme, we’ll support you to process and determine planning applications and provide a high-quality service that is responsive to our customer demands.
If you are interested in an informal discussion with our planning team, prior to applying, we are holding an open afternoon at our Gateway offices in Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury, on Tuesday 25th November and Friday 5th December between 12 – 4.30pm.All level of planners will be available to have an in-person chat with you about any of the above roles. No appointment is necessary: just turn up at the offices and we will ensure that a member of the planning team is on hand to tell you more about the role(s), show you around the office, answer any questions that you might have and highlight to you why Buckinghamshire is such a great place to work and live.
About us
Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new Unitary organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.
Our Planning, Growth and Sustainability directorate work with partners to help shape the future of Buckinghamshire. We deliver services on planning, economic growth, regeneration, strategic infrastructure, transport and property.
Our key priorities include developing the economic narrative for Bucks, creating more jobs and delivering the right infrastructure to help businesses and residents thrive. We also aim to provide a proactive planning service that is responsive, whilst making the best use of the Council’s land and property portfolio. This will in turn support community services and create housing, jobs, regeneration and income to support public services.
About the role
Working as part of a friendly team on a wide variety of projects, you’ll be based in one of our Buckinghamshire area offices (Aylesbury or High Wycombe), where you’ll undertake hands-on-training and development to gain an overall understanding of how our planning processes work. Throughout your time here, you’ll develop skills that will help shape your career as a Planner, including commercial awareness, great customer service skills and the legislation and regulations expertise required to excel in your profession.
As you grow with us, you’ll start dealing with more complex planning applications and requests for pre-application advice. Career development is something we take seriously at Bucks; we love nothing more than seeing our colleagues grow and develop with us, with many of our graduates progressing quickly as they gain more experience and responsibilities within their specialist areas.
Faye, a Senior Planning Officer at Buckinghamshire Council, described her experience as a graduate planner:
“In 2021 I started at Bucks Council as a Graduate Planner, I subsequently gained promotion to a Planning Officer role and have recently stepped up into the role of a Senior Planning Officer. We are blessed working in a diverse area offering both rural and urban experiences, with application types including householders, agricultural notifications and listed building consents”.
We are committed to building our exceptional Planning Team, utilising our colleagues’ talent and making the most of what they have to offer. In this rewarding and fulfilling role, you’ll see the impact of your work in front of you as you help shape the future of Buckinghamshire for generations to come.
About you
Excellent communication skills and the ability to speak to people at various levels are a must for this role, and you should apply if:
1. You have a keen interest in planning and environmental issues
2. You’re ready to grow and learn from our established team
3. You hold a driving license and have access to a vehicle for site visits.
You are a University Graduate, have completed a Level 7 Diploma, or have relevant experience in Planning (Development Management or Planning Policy) and have a keen interest in Planning & the Environment.