Planning Officer

About the role

This is a new role which provides a rare and exciting opportunity to join a multi-disciplinary team working in one of the country’s finest and most accessible protected landscapes.

The Chilterns Conservation Board (CCB) is a statutory body established by Parliamentary Order in 2004. It is one of only two conservation boards set up so far under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Our primary role is to promote to conservation and enhancement of the natural beauty of the Chilterns AONB. Where it would be compatible with that role, we also promote the understanding and enjoyment of its special qualities, and – in partnership with others – seek to foster the economic and social well-being of local communities. In doing so, we are required to have due regard to the needs of agriculture and forestry, the economic and social interests of rural areas, and the protection against pollution of water, whether on the surface or underground.

Influencing planning policies and decisions is a key means of achieving these objectives, and CCB employs a small planning team, supported by a Planning Committee, for this purpose. The Board has no specific planning powers and relies on engaging with policy- and decision-makers and, principally, responding to consultations, in order to fulfil its role.

The team currently comprises two professional planners: our Head of Strategy and Planning and a part-time consultant Planning Adviser. Casework is divided between planning policy and development management (planning applications) respectively, with some overlap between.

About you

The Chilterns AONB is under huge pressure from development and infrastructure projects, and we have identified a need to increase our capacity to respond to changes in local and regional planning policy at a time when the context for the management of this National Landscape is also evolving. We are therefore seeking a qualified planning professional with practical knowledge and experience of working with development plans, who can take on a large proportion of our planning policy casework, focusing on statutory development plans and other plans and strategies. This will also include transport and other infrastructure plans, with opportunities to engage with a broad range of other casework types.

A demonstrable interest in landscape, natural beauty and both natural and cultural heritage would be an advantage, as would experience of planning for transport, minerals and waste and/or other infrastructure planning projects.

You will ideally be a chartered member of the RTPI, or similar, or working towards membership. You will be both a team player and a self-starter who is able to work largely unsupervised. You will have excellent written and presentation skills, strong attention to detail, and be able to demonstrate a passion for and knowledge of the environment to bring added value to the CCB’s work.

Please see job pack below for full details.