Senior Planning Officer - Strategic Major Sites

How you'll make a difference

As Senior Planning Officer, you will take a lead role in delivering newly identified strategic development sites, helping to create thriving, sustainable communities for current and future generations. Working at the forefront of place-making, you will ensure that new developments provide high-quality environments, infrastructure and services that enable residents to live, work and enjoy.  

The Planning Service is entering an exciting time for development with the draft Local Plan currently progressing through Examination in Public and anticipated to be adopted in 2027. In addition, part of the district has been shortlisted for the Government’s New Town Programme.

What you will be doing

• Acting as the lead officer for strategic development, you will project manage the applications for various sites.
• Providing technical expertise in the delivery of the council’s Major Sites planning and other corporate policy objectives, you will be involved with managing consultations, preparing reports and formulating well-reasoned recommendations for determination in accordance with council policies, procedures and statutory requirements.
• You will support the development of junior colleagues, providing guidance, mentoring and regular opportunities for learning and professional growth through regular meetings, knowledge sharing and team training initiatives. 
• It will be your responsibility to respond to enquiries, concerns, complaints and Freedom of Information requests, ensuring all matters are handled professionally, efficiently and in accordance with council procedures and timescales.
• Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, you will collaborate with planners, urban design officers, landscape architects, ecologists and public opens space officers.

What we need from you

• You will hold a degree relative to town and country planning and be a full Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute or another relevant professional body.
• It is essential that you have experience of planning, managing and delivering work programmes within a planning or related service, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements and the successful achievement of service objectives.
• You must have a good knowledge of the relevant legislation and regulatory framework for the provision of the Strategic Major Sites service.
• We are looking for someone with strong negotiation and stakeholder management skills, with experience of leading effective consultation and engagement activities involving representatives of the public, community groups, the business community and other interested parties.
• You will have experience of working collaboratively with applications and development partners through Planning Performance Agreements (PPAs).
• As this role involves regular travel across the district, you will need to hold a full, valid driving licence and have access to a vehicle or alternative means of travel. 

What you need to know

• You will be expected to travel throughout the authority and surrounding area so you must have a full, valid driving licence with regular access to a vehicle or have an alternative means of travel.
• This role is hybrid, with a mixture of working at our office in Yate and working from home.
  
  

Interviews will be held week 27th July 2026.

How a career at South Gloucestershire Council is different

• We know our team work best when they have balance in their lives, and we offer genuine flexibility to help them achieve that work/life balance
• What’s special here is the strength of the team ethos, the support and the training.  
• We recognise that our diverse team of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and developed on the basis of their merits and abilities. 

Our teams at South Gloucestershire Council are making a real difference to the lives of people who live, work and learn here.  

• We're building and shaping communities which people are proud of.  
• We're planning for the future; building and improving the roads, railways, schools, green spaces, and houses.  
• We’re providing essential services across our communities to ensure they are safe and well maintained. 

We've achieved a great deal, but we need talented and dedicated people to ensure we continue to make a difference.

We’re making a difference be part of it!