About The Role
This is an exciting opportunity to advance your planning career in a career graded post in an award‑winning planning team. Crawley Borough Council’s planning teams won Local Planning Authority of the Year for the South East region in 2025, reflecting the commitment and positive achievements of the planning staff.
The role gives you the chance to work in an interesting planning role in one of the UK’s most successful New Towns. Crawley has a historic core alongside the post‑war town centre, surrounded by carefully planned residential neighbourhoods. Crawley is the economic hub of West Sussex, with a large employment area at Manor Royal. Gatwick Airport, with approval to expand, is also within the administrative boundary and plays a major economic role. Crawley has excellent rail and road links to London, Brighton and Hove, Horsham and the south coast.
Our Strategic Planning team has a recently adopted Local Plan. They are progressing supplementary guidance, a town centre masterplan and regeneration programme, design codes and infrastructure planning to ensure the Plan is successfully implemented in order to address the challenges facing the Borough in delivering housing, a strategic employment site and other services to meet local needs to 2040. The Strategic Planning team is small and adaptable, with all officers taking ownership of key areas of work but also supporting one another. The Strategic Planning trainee/planning officer will have a varied workload and the opportunity to develop specific areas of expertise, as well as developing an awareness of all areas of strategic planning.
You will be expected to have a genuine interest in strategic planning, and to be flexible and hardworking. The role is suitable for applicants with planning knowledge and/or experience wanting to undertake an undergraduate course in planning, or for a suitable graduate with a related degree interested in undertaking a planning masters qualification whilst gaining work experience, or an enthusiastic recently qualified planner in the early part of their planning career.
Crawley is a great place to work, with a thriving business district and excellent transport connections including nearby Gatwick Airport. We are based in our modern Town Hall which opened in 2023 and is located a short walk from the town centre and railway station.
Additional Information
Occasional support at evening meetings required.
Employee Benefits
We offer a generous employee benefits package, with a range of discounts, benefits and wellbeing incentives to suit everyone. At Crawley Borough Council, you will have access to a structured programme of learning from day one, designed to help you succeed in your role and grow your career.
Safer Recruitment
Crawley Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer of first choice reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all under‑represented groups.
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