New Development Planner

New Development Planner

Washington
37 hours per week
Temporary 6 month contract

We are working in partnership with Northumbrian Water to recruit a Development Planner to join their New Development Planning team. This is a key role supporting the planning application and strategic policy consultation process, ensuring the protection of water and wastewater assets while delivering high-quality customer service to developers, local authorities, and internal stakeholders.

You will act as a decision maker on planning consultations, provide technical expertise on complex applications, and help shape planning policy to ensure sustainable development across the North East.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as a decision maker within the planning application and strategic policy consultation process, ensuring the protection of water and wastewater assets to agreed quality standards and timescales.
• Meet agreed personal and team performance targets, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.
• Provide planning technical support to New Development Planning Assistants on larger or more complex planning applications and strategic policy development.
• Lead day-to-day consultation with local authority planning officers, developers, consultants and contractors on planning applications and strategic planning policy.
• Proactively manage customer, developer and local authority expectations in line with company policies, procedures and operational requirements to minimise SIM activity.
• Engage with internal stakeholders to discuss capacity and asset protection issues, ensuring appropriate escalation to the Team Leader when required.
• Ensure all planning consultation activity is accurately captured on relevant corporate systems.
• Prepare written reports and performance updates as required, including monthly reporting data.
• Identify and influence process improvement opportunities internally and externally with stakeholders.
• Ensure all risks are managed in line with business processes and that PPE is maintained and worn as required.

Essential Requirements

• Educated to degree level or higher in a relevant discipline.
• Minimum 3 years' postgraduate experience in Development Management and/or Policy Development.
• Strong understanding of the planning system, planning law, and policy relevant to the water industry.
• Sound understanding of planning policy and practice across the North East region.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to manage a wide range of stakeholders.
• Full valid UK driving licence.

Desirable

• RTPI membership
• RTPI-accredited qualification