Temporary Principal Enforcement Planning Officer

Reference no:  Rochdale 0007 1E72 / 1

Pay Rate: £18.81 per hour PAYE

This opening assignment is for 3-4 months

Hybrid working - 2-3 days in the office

A senior planning enforcement officer required to assist team in planning enforcement investigations. Must have experience of drafting and serving notice.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist in the delivery of a professional, efficient and cost effective Planning service that meets legal and policy requirements, performs above national and corporate performance targets and standards and is transparent and accessible to customers.
• Lead on investigations of enquiries or complaints arising out of alleged breaches of planning control including unauthorised uses of land and buildings. (Note: this does not include unauthorised development or uses of Council-owned property which will be matters dealt with by the appropriate land-owning Service).
• Lead on investigation of enquiries or complaints regarding the condition of land and buildings. (Note: this does not include action over the condition of land and buildings in Council ownership which will be matters dealt with by the appropriate land owning Service).
• Lead on investigations of alleged breaches of planning conditions or legal agreement and through the monitoring of development sites, including minerals extraction and waste disposal sites, ensure compliance with the approved plans and conditions of any planning permission, or terms of any legal agreement.
• Collect evidence, prepare correspondence, legal notices and files for delegated authorisation to proceed with any necessary legal action and to prepare prosecution files, and on occasion give evidence for Appeals attending as necessary public inquiries, court hearings or similar proceedings.
• Advise members of the public, developers, other professional groups, organisations and individuals, Council services and elected Members on development management and enforcement issues and procedures offering advice and guidance, including the initiation of correspondence, on such matters in accordance with Service and Council Policies and objectives.
• Update and maintain accurate files and records relating to investigations into enquiries, complaints and enforcement proceedings and to maintain all pertinent records of activities and time recording for statistical returns and administrative and professional purposes.
• Lead the development of performance management systems to monitor the performance of the Enforcement Team in relation to best value and service targets and to maintain accurate records relevant to the Service.
• Professionally process planning applications and appeals arising from enforcement cases in an efficient and effective manner, including carrying out site visits and meetings, ensuring that statutory requirements are fully complied with and national and local performance targets are met.
• Provide effective, integrated and timely advice to planning and enforcement staff on the need for, and appropriate use of, enforcement powers relating to complaints received by the Service, and to oversee cases to authorise enforcement action were expedient.
• Display a high level of professional competency, maintaining a thorough and up to date knowledge of legislation and guidance and apply this to ensure legally sound recommendations and decisions in accordance with legislation, policy, best practice and guidance.

“Role Requirements” – to give yourself the maximum chance of success please try and ensure your CV addresses the following essential criteria:

Qualifications:

1. Recognised qualification in Town Planning or equivalent.

Experience:

1. Minimum of 5 years work experience within a local authority planning service or equivalent private sector experience
2. Demonstrable experience of handling and resolving complex Town Planning Enforcement cases, including legal proceedings.
3. Experience of undertaking planning enforcement or other regulatory enforcement work in a public sector organisation, including your experience of PACE interviews, injunctive action and giving evidence in court
4. Previous experience of interviewing/questioning and negotiating with developers and/or members of the public to collect evidence and resolve complaints effectively
5. Ability to keep accurate records and organise your case files and correspondence to meet deadlines and priorities.
6. Please provide details of your experience of undertaking site visits, survey work and gathering evidence to inform your recommendations.
7. Experience of developing and monitoring enforcement performance management systems, and identifying and implementing business improvements to improve customer outcomes and maximise efficiency.
8. Experience of working as a team and mentoring junior members of staff, with minimal supervision, to work effectively and efficiently to meet customer and management expectations.
9. Experience of handling customer enquiries tactfully and with sensitivity, and of resolving initial enquiries from Members of the public/elected Members with speed and diplomacy.

Skills & Abilities:

• Ability to organise your workload, work under pressure and prioritise effectively to meet deadlines.
• Ability to research and analyse historical or statistical information and use this information to prepare recommendations and reports.
• Ability to communicate effectively with other colleagues, developers and the public both in writing and verbally.
• Ability to demonstrate numeracy and literacy skills to a high level of accuracy.
• Experience of preparing appeal statements, witness statements, and/or Proofs of Evidence for enforcement appeals and your attendance at hearings/Inquiries and court proceedings.
• Ability to access, interrogate and maintain electronic databases and files.

NB: Please feel free to apply to us direct via [email protected] by quoting the job reference and job title exactly. SEE DETAILS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS AD.

If you have previously applied to one of our vacancies and have already sent the required supporting documentation to us, please make this clear when you re-apply as this will help speed up your application.

To help speed up the process of uploading your CV to the client we would suggest that you send us your CV in Word format (or equivalent) if possible, rather than as a PDF

If you are successful in securing this role, please note that for the entire duration of this contract, regardless of extension you will be working this role at the PAYE rate that has been advertised. For absolute clarity, we only work on a PAYE basis, rather than entertaining umbrella pay terms, we do not offer Ltd/umbrella or outside IR35 rates. If you wish to understand PAYE vs Umbrella more, please let us know and we can send you some additional information for clarity.