Planning Officer (Minerals and Waste)
Salary: £37,938 to £40,476
2025 Pay Award Pending
Based at Tŷ Dewi Sant, Ewloe with Hybrid Working
Full Time Temporary Contract
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our growing dedicated regional team in the North Wales Shared Planning Service which is hosted by Flintshire County Council and we are looking for recruit two Planning Officers. The regional Shared Service operates on a collaborative basis for the 7 local planning authorities across North Wales and also Powys, and Flintshire is the lead authority. The role involve working as part of the Shared Service; a team of well supported, skilled strategic planning officers who cover a broad spectrum of strategic planning matters including minerals and waste matters including an increasing amount of large infrastructure projects. This entails giving pre-application advice, making site monitoring and enforcement visits and investigations, making recommendations, discharging conditions and representing the council in appeals and at committee if appropriate. You will also get involved in planning policy work at a local, regional and national level; covering the whole breadth of the planning spectrum.
Over recent years, the Shared Service has been asked to assist our partner authorities in the consenting of renewable energy and infrastructure projects. Often these projects are considered to be Developments of National Significance (DNS) and Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) due to their scale. The increase in renewable energy and carbon capture and storage infrastructure projects across North Wales has been in response to ambitious Welsh Government decarbonisation targets to strive to become ‘Net Zero’. To assist the Shared Service in the consenting of these infrastructure projects on behalf of the North Wales Authorities, the Shared Service has been awarded a grant from Welsh Government to fund two new posts who would work within the Regional Planning Team based in North Wales.
The Shared Service covers an interesting and diverse geographic area from urban and industrial to rural, coastal and mountainous environments. It includes wide variety of interesting and challenging work and an equally diverse range of minerals and waste developments, from major hard rock quarries, slate, sand & gravel workings, industrial and energy minerals to waste transfer stations, energy from waste, anaerobic digestion, landfill and waste reprocessing facilities. You will be given the opportunity to be involved in a wide range of projects including taking the lead in handling some of our more complex planning and renewable energy/carbon capture and storage projects. This exciting opportunity involves shaping the landscape at the cutting edge of these technological advances and it is hoped that the funding will be extended to provide permanent posts beyond the temporary period.
We are looking for a person who ideally has experience in strategic planning, holds a relevant degree, and is a Chartered Member of a professional institution such as RTPI/RICS/CIWM or equivalent. Applicants with relevant general planning experience will also be considered. Exceptional graduates looking for their first planning role may also be considered. The position requires the skills of diplomacy and pragmatism when dealing with elected members, the public, developers and other service users. The ability to speak Welsh is desirable. We will also support employees who wish to learn Welsh or improve/develop their Welsh language skills.
As one of the largest employers in Flintshire, we offer a minimum of 34 days’ (pro rata) annual leave including bank holidays, increasing up to 41 days (pro rata) • Flexible working hours policy • Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme • Generous family friendly and work-life balance schemes • Hybrid working • Access to a range of development opportunities • Free employee assistance programme • Cycle to Work Scheme •
