Sustainability Officer

Redbridge is an ambitious, diverse and exciting east-London borough. What we do is driven by changing our relationship with local people to support our vision. As a result, we've developed innovative ways to build our communities and transform our Council.

We're one of the fastest growing parts of the country and the third most diverse London borough. Our communities are attracted by a mixture of excellent schools, relatively affordable housing, high-quality open space and rapid transport connections into the heart of the City

This is an exciting time for the London Borough of Redbridge; we are at the heart of regeneration and change in East London, with unprecedented investment in the area expected in the next few years and Cross Rail will open up new opportunities for new homes and jobs.  We benefit from excellent transport links across London and Essex and our offices, based in Ilford, are only 9 minutes from Stratford and 18 minutes from Liverpool Street, in the heart of the city.

Following the declaration of a climate emergency in June 2019, the Council has already starting to reduce its emissions. Councillors have committed to making all of the council's operations carbon neutral by 2030 and reduce all emissions to zero by 2050. A cross-party Corporate Panel of councillors was set-up to lead this work

Buildings account for around 49% of the borough’s direct greenhouse gas emissions. However, seen in a London context (research undertaken by company Migrate compiled information from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) ranked Redbridge as the sixth greenest council and has a CO2 emissions rate of 2.64 tonnes per person, which equates to a 38.8 per cent decrease over 10 years. This is a fantastic achievement but there is still a long way to go both in terms of making all the council’s operations carbon neutral by 2030 and reducing emissions in the wider community.

Within the property, energy, and planning sector there is the challenge that we are dealing with the fact that around two-thirds of the buildings that exist today will still be here in 2050, as well as an increase in new developments.

About the Role

The council is now recruiting for a hugely exciting role to lead on the provision of providing advice to shape our environmental sustainability related planning policies and oversee their implementation through the development control process.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Ensure that all new developments in Redbridge meet the highest environmental standards
• Provide climate change policy advice to development management and develop Local Plan and other planning policy related documents.
• Monitor sustainability policies/planning obligations/ planning conditions including policy requirements from the London Plan such as “Be Seen” Energy, whole life-cycle assessment, circular economy, and urban greening factor.
• Shape our environmental sustainability related planning policies and oversee their implementation through the development control process.

A Degree in Environmental/Environmental Science/ Carbon Management / planning/engineering specialism, or at least 3-years’ experience within the Sustainable Energy industry is required.

For further information about the job role please contact: -

Suzanne.lansley@redbridge.gov.uk