Team: DEI - Planning Enforcement

Job Family: Directing CBG13
Salary: £46,660 to £50,584 per annum pro rata

Hours:  37 hours per week 

Location: Working from home and any CBC offices, including Priory House, Shefford. You will be expected to attend a CBC office location on a monthly basis, and as needed to carry out your role

Contract Type: Hybrid -  Permanent 
Closing Date: 25th June 2023
Interview Date: TBC 

About Us

Central Bedfordshire is an ambitious authority, determined to be an exemplary one. Our strategic location and high quality of life mean we are one of the fastest growing areas in the country.

As a council we face the same challenges every business does - investing in the right places and delivering great results. Except for us, it’s all about our 289,000 residents. We’re totally focussed on helping to improve their lives and making Central Bedfordshire a great place to live and work.

We have set values and principles to represent the way we work and how we operate as an organisation. You can view a list of these in detail on our website.

This is a great time to join us on our journey.

 About the role

The planning enforcement team provides an essential, high profile and customer focussed service to prevent and remedy inappropriate and unauthorised development across Central Bedfordshire and ensuring that we have the right development in the right place. 

As one of the largest Unitary Authorities in the country, this is a really exciting time for you to join Central Bedfordshire Council as our unique geographical location means we are at the forefront of national conversations around growth. The government has identified the Oxford to Cambridge Arc as a priority area for development and economic investment, with ambitions to deliver substantial growth, which, alongside significant investment in key infrastructure schemes such as East-West Rail, has the potential to act as a catalyst for future growth in Central Bedfordshire.  

Your role 

This is your chance to play a key role as part of our busy enforcement team to help create a great place for our residents to live and work.   

You will use your significant knowledge and experience of planning enforcement to maintain a caseload of the more technical and contentious cases in accordance with the council’s Planning Enforcement Plan.  In addition, you will deputise for the team leader and assist in mentoring and directing the work of the planning enforcement and compliance officers.   

As a large unitary authority, the work is varied and often includes opportunities to respond to breaches of planning control where minerals and waste, archaeology, highways and ecological issues are involved. 

Your qualifications, skills and experience 

You will have a degree in town planning or demonstrable significant experience of planning enforcement, ideally in a local authority, including the preparation of reports and statements for formal action and representing the council in court and at appeal. 

Excellent communication skills and an insistence upon high standards are a must to provide the customer focus that is required. 

This is an excellent opportunity for an already experienced principal to bring their knowlege and experience to the team or for somebody who is looking for a step up in their career.  

 There are excellent opportunities for career progression within Central Bedfordshire Council. We are a recognised RTPI Learning Partner, demonstrating our commitment to the training and development of our staff. 
 
Join us, and take advantage of a generous rewards package, agile working and the chance of continuous professional development. Find your greatness playing your part in our area’s growth.

What we can offer you 

As well as joining a friendly, dedicated, and hardworking team you will have access to numerous benefits, including:

• A hybrid working arrangement giving you the option to work from home and access any CBC office location. We recognise and value the importance of supporting our employees to balance their home and work life and to be able to work in the most efficient way.
• A £250 one-off hybrid worker payment to help you adapt your home for safe and suitable working conditions
• A comprehensive IT package to support you to work safely and effectively
• The ability to work abroad for up to a month a year
• Generous family friendly policies and practices
• A welcoming and inclusive environment that empowers differences
• Friendly and supportive staff networks
• Annual leave allowance 25 days + statutory holidays rising to 32 days with length of service.
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). This is a valuable part of our rewards package for employees and includes Life Assurance. You can find out more on the Bedfordshire Pension Fund website.
• An exceptional Employee Assistance Programme which helps support employees with workplace changes as well as other work, family and personal issues
• A huge variety of courses and role-specific training and learning to help you succeed and develop
• Access to discounts on top UK retailers and local retailers

Central Bedfordshire Council has its own vision and values that are integral to everything we do. Our area vision is to make Central Bedfordshire 'A great place to live and work’.

Sustainability matters to us. We aim to lead by example in tackling climate change. Read more about the action we’re taking on our website: Climate change – tackling it and our strategy

Our aspiration is to be a truly flexible employer.  We welcome discussion on location, hours and working pattern as part of the application process.

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To apply for this role, you will be expected to demonstrate how you meet the key accountabilities and competencies detailed within this Recruitment Pack; Principal Planning Officer - Enforcement 

For an informal discussion about this position, please contact: Richard Proctor, Planning Enforcement Team Leader at richard.proctor@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk or call 0300 300 4864. 
 
For queries related to the recruitment of this vacancy, please contact: The Recruitment Team at  recruitment@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk 

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Central Bedfordshire Council is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to improving the diversity of our workforce to better reflect the communities we serve.  Therefore we welcome applications from everyone. In addition we are a  Disability Confident employer, we are working to become a Disability Confident leader in our community.

To maintain a fair and consistent approach for applicants, it is Central Bedfordshire Council's policy to only consider applications made via our online application system and we therefore thank you for not submitting your application offline.

If you require assistance to apply for our roles, help with writing your CV, interview techniques or careers advice please contact our team of careers advisors at ncs@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk Our service is confidential, impartial and free for all.