Principal Planning Officer
Grade 15 salary £49,282 to £51,356 plus annual market supplement of £5,000
Senior Planning Officer
Grade 13 salary £42,839 to £45,091 plus annual market supplement of £5,000
These are exciting times in Harlow as the Council delivers on its ‘Building Harlow’s Future’ plan that will see a once-in-a-generation programme to transform our council, rebuild our town and secure our future. As part of these missions we want to create one of the best town centres in the UK, an exciting, dynamic space that serves people of all ages, at all times of the day. From new shops, bars, and restaurants to vibrant cultural spaces, entertainment venues, and world-class public realm, Harlow will be a destination where people come to live, work, and play.
Harlow is also at the centre of the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town which is delivering sustainable, inclusive growth and regeneration in and around the district over the next decade and beyond, which will see over 19,000 new homes, a 50% increase in employment opportunities, a new hospital and a comprehensive Sustainable Transport Corridor network. Of the four garden town communities that make up the Garden Town, the strategic housing site at East of Harlow will be coming forward within Harlow District for 2,600 new homes and associated infrastructure.
With an immediate pipeline of regeneration projects coming forward within the town centre as well as wider schemes across the district, Harlow Council is seeking an experienced and motivated Principal Planning Officer and Senior Planning Officer to strengthen our Development Management planning team.
We want to appoint highly skilled, motivated and committed officers to join our planning service which deals with a wide range of planning applications from complex town centre regeneration schemes, and strategic housing proposals, to householder extensions, changes of use, leisure and retail schemes. With a proud New Town heritage and the only designated Sculpture Town in the UK, Harlow also has 10 conservation areas, listed buildings and protected green spaces which
require protection.
We want to attract the best staff, so we offer excellent benefits, including a competitive salary with market supplement, generous annual leave plus Christmas close down period, membership to Local Government Pension Scheme, payment of one professional membership per annum, mileage allowance and training and development opportunities.
Harlow Council is committed to equal opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We offer flexibility with purpose through our Dynamic Working approach. While office-based work is the norm, most full-time employees attend the workplace at least four days a
week (pro rata).
We also support a range of flexible arrangements to help balance work and personal life and provide health and wellbeing initiatives and an employee assistance programme.
As a Disability Confident Employer, we guarantee an interview to disabled candidates who meet the Essential Criteria on the Employee Profile.
To apply for these roles, please click on the link to the Council’s website where you will find adverts for each role along with job descriptions and employee profiles. Closing date 23:59 on Sunday 4 January 2026. Interviews for each position are expected to be held during week commencing 12th
January or 19th January 2026.
For an informal discussion about this role, please contact Peter Alsop, Director Planning and Garden Town peter.alsop@harlow.gov.uk
