Career Grade Planning Officers

Our ambition

We're determined to make Islington more equal. To create a place where everyone, whatever their background, has the opportunity to reach their potential and enjoy a good quality of life.

We also have an ambitious goal – to be the best council in the country – with every employee clear about the part they play and inspired, focused and supported to give their very best.

We want to build an organisation where employees feel valued, inspired and empowered to help us achieve our goals and provide the best services possible to our residents.

Our values and behaviours

‘Be Islington’ is about setting a clear challenge about what it means to be an Islington employee and sets the standard for every new recruit.

We ask our employees to ‘Be Islington’ – playing their part in working together for a fairer borough and to always be collaborative, be ambitious, be resourceful, and be empowering (‘CARE’).

Interested in knowing more about our values, our vision and our priorities? Check out these videos from our Leader, Cllr Kaya Comer-Schwartz and Chief Executive, Linzi Roberts-Egan:

Leader, Cllr Kaya Comer-Schwartz https://youtu.be/LfdyvXRk5a0

Chief Executive, Linzi Roberts-Egan https://youtu.be/BxluG_h2hQU

Job overview

The Planning and Development Department are dynamic and forward-thinking with a can-do approach. As a service we seek continual improvement to the service we provide, the quality of developments and the consistency of decisions.

The role focuses on processing householder applications, adverts, certificate of lawful uses to larger minor schemes for conversions and new builds up to nine residential units to commercial changes of use and mixed use schemes just below the majors thresholds.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for passionate, experienced and enthusiastic planning professionals to join our fast paced, enthusiastic, varied and inherently interesting Planning Service to support the delivery of Islington Council’s key objectives.

If you have initiative, a positive attitude and problem-solving skills then we want to hear from you.

As part of a welcoming and experienced team you will deal with a large breadth of varying complexities of minor applications within all areas of Islington ranging from residential areas, key Town Centres, the City Fringe and the Central Activities Zone. So you need to be customer-focussed, well organised, able to communicate effectively (written and verbal) and effectively manage your workload.

To apply you will have the following qualifications: (SO1 you should be attending a relevant disciplined course and for SO2 and above, you will have obtained qualifications from a relevant disciplined course).

You will also have the skills and experience to:

• Assess and negotiate amendments and write up detailed recommendations at delegated and Committee levels on a range of complex minor planning applications
• Write up appeal statements accurately, applying all relevant planning policies and material planning considerations and to explain complex matters verbally and in writing in a clear and concise manner
• Work closely and collaboratively with Senior Planning Officers within the Planning Applications Team and other consultees
• Look for and find creative solutions, pay attention to detail and take responsibility for delivering high quality work
• Work well under pressure, manage competing priorities and meet tight deadlines
• Work productively with stakeholders including residents, councillors, contractors and other partners.

If this is you then we want to hear from you.

The job specification provides useful details and information relating to the roles within the Planning Applications Team.

For an informal discussion about the available roles, please contact Siobhán Mc Cool, Team Manager-Planning Applications on 0207 527 2700 or siobhan.mccool@islington.gov.uk

Closing date: Sunday 3rd July 2022 at 23:59

Interview Date: TBC