Planning Officer
Exeter, England / Bristol / St. Austell, England / Bournemouth, England
South West Water – SWW - Engineering /
Permanent full-time /
Hybrid
At South West Water we believe that the strongest businesses are built on solid, stable foundations - with a vision and a culture that gives them the freedom to change, improve and innovate.
We’re proud to be responsible for providing reliable, efficient and high-quality drinking water and wastewater services for the beautiful South West area.
And we have huge ambitions.
Not only are we committed to reaching net-zero by 2030, but we’ve also partnered with wildlife charities, National Parks and local partners to help ensure a better future for generations to come.
So, if you want to be part of a diverse team where opportunities flow and fresh ideas are welcomed, #JustAddWater.
We currently have an opportunity for a Planning Officer to join our team, the team are based in Exeter but we also have offices in Bournemouth, Bristol and St Austell or you could work remote with travel to Exeter once a week. Joining us on a full-time permanent basis, you will receive a competitive salary of £35,000 - £40,000 per annum plus excellent benefits.
As a Planning Officer, you will work within the Pre-Development Team. The team are responsible for the coordination of all our responses to pre-development enquiries, these include the reviews of planning applications within the business. The role is responsible for influencing external stakeholders whilst ensuring that our planning response process is as robust and in line with legislation. The post holder will work alongside our Strategic Planning Team and our Legal Team to create our future strategy on responses.
What you'll be doing:
- Responsible for reviewing and responding on any planning application that impacts South West Water’s assets. This will include making material consideration comments on planning applications to planning authorities.
- Responsible for reviewing and keeping up to date our standard responses used to respond to planning applications.
- Responsible for the delivery of point of connection response in line with the business and wider requirements of Ofwat/Water Industry Act.
- Represent SWW at meetings with customers, developers, planning authorities and other interest groups to ensure South West Water position is maintained and supported.
- Reviewing and responding to pre-application on surface water strategy on development sites.
- Where appropriate, undertake capacity checks of the waste water network. This will involve liaison with other departments to confirm deliverable timescales.
- Responsible for delivering of the projects in line with the financial rules within the business and wider requirements of Ofwat/Water Industry Act.
- Hold effective cross functional relationships to support with the management of applications and onward delivery of schemes and work in accordance with our Service Level Agreements and target customer experience.
What we are looking for:
- 5 GCSE’s or equivalent at Grade C or above in Maths and English
- Level 4/HNC/HND – Town Planning
- Royal Town Planning Institute (RTP – Chartered Accreditation)
- Experience in a Customer Service Environment
- Microsoft Office 365 experience
- Organised and strong decision maker
- Ability to prioritise work
- Willing to learn and expand skills
What's in it for you:
- Generous holiday allowance plus bank holidays
- A discretionary Bonus
- Competitive Contributory Pension
- Share-save Scheme
- Various health benefits
- Wellbeing support programmes
- A range of Group Discounts
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Financial support services
- And plenty more!
We know that the support and commitment of our staff is key to our success so you will receive the opportunity for ongoing development and training for a long-term career with us. We’re one of the largest companies in the South West and are proud to have been awarded Investors in People recognition. In return, we offer an excellent range of benefits including:
Closing Date: Wednesday 15th May 2024
Please note that the successful candidate will be subject to a mandatory DBS check as part of the onboarding process.
Be yourself, we like it that way. Together, we will build a culture of belonging, where inclusion is instinctive. Diversity is our strength and a reflection of our communities. We care, we value everyone, we celebrate uniqueness.
Our core values which are essential to our success are:
Be Rock Solid - Build trust and be trusted. Be the one we all look to and can depend on.
Be You - We want you to bring your best everyday. Be yourself and make your mark in your individual way.
Be the Future - Embrace change. Drive Progress. Own the challenge.
