Planning service career opportunities

Our all-new planning service is at the heart of change and development in communities across our vast and varied county. Find out about exciting career opportunities in our planning service.

Join our new planning service, one of the largest in the country.

Shape our place, shape our service, shape your career!

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Planning opportunities at North Yorkshire Council

This is an extremely exciting time to join us as we are now well established and into the second year of the unified North Yorkshire Council. We are now reaping the benefits of the newly integrated services that service the whole of the region and we are investing in and expanding our planning service.

Planning is at the heart of change and development within communities across our vast and varied county, making it one of the largest planning services in the country. We tackle diverse projects from domestic through to national infrastructure – offering opportunities for staff to develop expertise and contribute to projects that shape our county. If you are ambitious about your future in planning services this is a great time to join us as we invest in building a world class planning service, whilst being community focussed on a local level.

You will be inspired by new opportunities and the exposure and experience to develop your skills. You will join a highly experienced and friendly team who have a vision to embrace the exciting challenges that lay ahead including growth ambitions for North Yorkshire and a new local plan. Working with us you will have the opportunity to make a real difference for our communities, securing ‘Growth’ with new housing projects and regenerating our town centres, leading on major commercial, leisure developments and infrastructure projects. The council also offers the unique opportunity to deliver these projects alongside shaping and protecting our thriving towns and rural areas set within the North Yorkshire countryside. If you are looking for a new challenge, career progression and a modern working culture, come and join us on our journey, and shape our place and our service.

North Yorkshire is a special place. It is a great county with people and businesses who are proud to live here, proud of what they do and of who they are. We are passionate about the place that we work in and the communities of which we serve. We are proud about what we have achieved, confident about the services that we provide and ambitious for the future even through challenging times.

Through local delivery hubs situated across the county we can offer staff increased flexibility as to how and where they work, for some roles the freedom to work anywhere across the county. In North Yorkshire we are extremely well connected, with great road and rail links across the country. We are also within easy reach of some of the UK’s leading cities including Newcastle, Leeds and York.

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The roles

Planning and development play a fundamental role in improving the lives of residents, businesses and visitors across North Yorkshire. Managing the natural and built environment, ensuring that the future development needs of the county can be accommodated to make it a better place in which to live and work. Whether it be business development or residential, minerals or waste, collectively we strive to deliver the best services we can for the communities we serve. This also provides opportunities for you to work across a wide variety of interesting projects.

We operate a hybrid model of working, offering the opportunity for our staff to work from home, but also from a base within your chosen ‘patch’ to enable you to be fully emersed within the community in which you will provide your skills and expertise. Bases of work include, Harrogate, Malton, Northallerton, Richmond, Scarborough, Selby and Skipton.

As we invest in our new planning service we are currently recruiting to a number of opportunities.

Planning officer – development management - entry level

Location: North Yorkshire - hybrid working 

You can work from home and from one of our office bases in Harrogate, Malton, Northallerton, Richmond, Scarborough, Selby and Skipton, whilst you cover an allocated part of the region.

Salary: Grade I (entry Level) - from £32,076 to £35,745

Contract: permanent, part time and full time contracts available

Role summary

As an entry level planning officer for the council, you will act as a case officer for householder and minor planning applications. You will complete detailed assessments of application submissions and provide sound advice on suitability. With an understanding of national and local policies and regulations, you will promote sustainability and design and environmental quality, ensuring excellent customer care is at the heart of what you do.

To be successful in the role you will require the following experience and qualifications:

  • educated to A Level or equivalent
  • ability to read and check accuracy of plans on site and in the office 
  • capability to work to tight timescales and to achieve targets 
  • good negotiation, communication and interpersonal skills 
  • preparing accurate and timely officer delegated reports and written responses
  • ability to work under pressure and prioritise a workload
  • after the initial training provided to you, you will have an awareness and understanding of national and local planning legislation, policy and guidance and will have an understanding of key issues in planning and of the council’s objectives

Planning officer – development management - higher level

Location: North Yorkshire - Hybrid working

You can work from home and from one of our office bases in Harrogate, Malton, Northallerton, Richmond, Scarborough, Selby and Skipton, whilst you cover an allocated part of the region.

Salary: Grade JK (higher level) - from £35,745 to £40,221

Contract: permanent, part time and full time contracts available

Role summary

As a higher-level planning officer for the council, you will prepare reports for planning committees, public meetings and working parties. You will be a representative of North Yorkshire Council’s planning service at these meetings, presenting your reports appropriately. You will assist in dealing with planning appeal procedures, preparing evidence and advice. You will negotiate community benefits from development proposals through legal agreements and in line with council policies and have a commitment to maintaining your professional development.

To be successful in the role you will require the following experience and qualifications:

  • degree in planning or related subject
  • acting as a case officer on planning applications 
  • using experience of practical application to contribute to challenge, review and rationalise policies, procedures and work standards 
  • ability to resolve conflicting interests 
  • ability to interpret information and make balanced judgements in the public interest
  • ability to work under pressure and prioritise a workload
  • after your initial training with us, you will have a clear understanding of the role of planning and how it supports the delivery of the council’s objectives, alongside an awareness of council vision, values and priorities
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What you will bring

Public sector knowledge is not an essential requirement. However, you will have a passion for having a positive impact on local communities, that will be central to your approach and will enable you to gain job satisfaction. Whilst at this time we are seeking planning officers, we are always keen to hear from planning professionals at all stages of their careers. We are looking for people who are strong communicators, adopt a conscientious approach to their work and have the ability to work well under pressure with conflicting demands/challenges.

More opportunities

These immediate opportunities not quite what you are looking for? As a large service we will have future opportunities that might be just what you are looking for. If you are an experienced planning professional please send our resourcing professionals your CV to Anna.Jones@northyorks.gov.uk. Alternatively, please look out for future opportunities within our growing and ambitious planning service.

What we can offer you

We are offering a unique professional development opportunity. Colleagues will be provided with comprehensive levels of professional development, alongside the opportunity to work with experienced colleagues in our Planning teams.

We have embraced modern work practices, enabling colleagues to work from home or their chosen base, with office across the geography of North Yorkshire to choose from. We regularly come together as a team for development, connection and collaboration, otherwise we work where its most productive to do so. You will be provided with technology to enable efficient and effective work, ensuring that you are connected and well supported. You are provided with a comprehensive benefits package with an excellent employer defined pension scheme, enhance holidays, flexible working to help you thrive at home and well as work.

Key documents

Views of towns in North Yorkshire.

Why work for us

We are strong performing authority, with supportive political leadership, and talented teams providing the platform to have a fulfilling, challenging and successful career in a truly stunning place.

A recent peer challenge found that the council is a good place to work, with strong leadership and a loyal and committed workforce who have access to well-regarded training and development.

We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice, offering a range of training and development opportunities and career progression allowing you to manage your own development journey and empowering you to control your career. Your career can change with your life here in North Yorkshire.

We positively encourage flexible working and we provide you with the technology you need to work from a wide variety of locations.

We believe in the importance of inclusion, which is why we are always working towards being a more diverse, equitable and inclusive employer. Find out more about our equality, diversity and inclusion work on our working for us page. You can bring your whole self to work, and we will support you to be the best that you can be.

Our values, behaviours and ambitions underpin everything we do.

In addition to your salary, we offer a range of great benefits to help you financially make life a bit easier. These include:

  • a local government, career average employer contribution pension scheme
  • family friendly leave
  • salary sacrifice schemes
  • modern flexible working practices
  • learning and development packages
  • career advancement opportunities
  • employee discount benefits including shopping and gym discounts
  • green car and cycle schemes
  • travel loans

You can find more information on the range of benefits we offer on our total rewards page.

Watch this video to find out about our employee networks.

Living and working in North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire is a thriving county that adapts to a changing world and remains a special place to live and work.

North Yorkshire's natural beauty is captured in its three areas of outstanding natural parks, national nature reserves, stunning coastlines, scenic rural villages, vibrant cities and market towns. North Yorkshire really is a beautiful, thriving and special place to live and work, rich in heritage and culture.

North Yorkshire features significantly in the ten best places to live in the UK in Halifax Quality of Life Survey. The Quality of Life index aims to quantify where living standards are highest in the UK by ranking local performance across a range of indicators. Local areas featured in the top ten included Richmond, Selby and Malton.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics bulletin positions North Yorkshire as the safest place in England with extremely low crime rates.

In addition, the county benefits from excellent road and rail links, with easy access via the east coast mainline, the A1(M) and A19. Leeds, York, Newcastle, Durham and Teesside are all easily commutable, and London and Edinburgh are just two hours away by train.

From its lively cities to pretty villages, rolling countryside and grand coastline, Yorkshire has so much to offer including great employment opportunities for your family members, along with a higher proportion of schools which are good or outstanding compared to national figures.

You can find out more about what North Yorkshire has to offer on the No place like North Yorkshire website.

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Application tips

Find advice on making your application.

Contact us and apply

If you feel you have the skills, passion, and drive that we are seeking, we want to hear from you!

For an informal conversation about this opportunity, please contact Martin Grainger, Head of Development Management on martin.grainger@northyorks.gov.uk.

To apply please submit your application via our jobs and careers site.

We will not accept applications from agencies.

Key dates

Closing date: 27 May 2024
Interview date: Week commencing 3 June 2024

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