Town Planner

**Location**: Hybrid/London
**Contract**: Full time, Permanent
**Salary**: £35,000 - £40,000 per annum plus bonus and 25 days annual leave

This role is a fantastic opportunity for someone looking to develop their career through a broad range of planning projects and issues. You will be working as part of a small team which provides exposure to architects, technical specialists and clients, and across different areas of planning. As a Town Planner you will be engaged in a variety of project types, including residential, care, commercial and community propositions of varying scales; from one-off bespoke buildings, to major city-centre and other significant development proposals, along with more eclectic planning issues; ad-hoc advice and defense from enforcement to name just two.

You will work closely with the founder, a planning consultant with 20 years experience and previous Director of a successful west-end planning consultancy, to continue developing your existing skills, so you can take on greater levels of autonomy and project leadership. In time, you will gain more exposure to clients, understand their objectives and tailor advice accordingly, including through contributions to the preparation of project bids and fee proposals

The development of our team is crucial to growing our business. Your development will be supported through a combination of on the job learning, CPD and assistance in completing your APC (if not already qualified). You will also have the opportunity to contribute to the development of less experienced team members.

**Your main responsibilities will include**:
Providing important input into the development of planning strategies
Drafting of authoritative site appraisals and topic-focused papers.
Reviewing the progress of Local Plans and other emerging policy and guidance documents
Ensuring statutory and other responses are followed-up
Accompanying senior colleagues to site visits, client and Council meetings
Liaising with other consultants and architects to lead the coordination of projects

You will be a post-graduate (i.e., RTPI accredited Masters) with at least two years post qualification experience. You may be a well-established Planner seeking a new consultancy to help drive towards Senior Planner status. You might equally be a planning officer keen to move into consultancy. There is a requirement to travel regularly to client sites in the UK so a full driving license is essential.

**To be successful you will be able to demonstrate**:
A tenacious and forensic approach to research
An ability to synthesise and reconcile multiple information/data streams
Strong written and language skills and ability to convey complex issues simply
Excellent communication skills, able to adapt to different audiences
Robust organisational skills to manage competing deadlines
A firm grasp of planning and property legislature

Most importantly, you will have an established passion for planning and property, and for helping to develop creative solutions to planning problems. This may include areas of specialist areas of interest or understanding which you are keen to develop further. A commitment to project delivery and client care is essential.

In addition to a competitive salary and bonus package, assistance will be given to completing your APC, or if already complete, sustaining your CPD. Professional fees and training costs will be paid. Everyone in the business shares in its success, and the role is immediately included within the bonus scheme.

Westbourne provides independent town planning services to a broad range of clients, including housebuilders, boutique developers, operators, family offices and HNWI. With our office located in Sevenoaks, Kent, we primarily act in London and the southeast. With a clear market position and excellent client retention, we are now seeking to expand to meet project demand.

You may have experience of the following: Planning Officer, Local Authority, Policy, Town Planning, Council, Planner, Project Management, Planning Policy Manager, Town Planner, Legislation, RTPI, etc.

REF-206 296