Principal Planning Officer X2

About the Role

Maidstone Borough Council is a progressive and pro-active local authority with strong ambitions for Kent’s County Town and surrounding countryside. This is an exciting opportunity for planners wishing to grow their strategic planning experience.

Maidstone offers a unique opportunity to work on major planning, development, and investment projects. We work on a varied canvas - embracing growth and enabling infrastructure, whilst enhancing our significant local heritage and identity at the heart of Kent.

To help plan pro-actively, Maidstone Borough’s Local Plan was adopted in March 2024, and we are now focusing on sustainable delivery, including master-planning two new garden communities. We are also progressing a Design and Sustainability Development Plan Document and Gypsy and Traveller Development Plan Document and will be reviewing our Community Infrastructure Levy and progressing a Maidstone Town Centre Strategy. These roles will therefore provide superb experience for enthusiastic individuals within a dynamic environment where strategic planning is front and centre in the Council’s priorities.

We will accept applications from those seeking a full or part time role for these two permanent posts.

About Maidstone Borough Council

Maidstone Borough Council is a confident organisation with ambition and aspirations to deliver high quality services to our residents and local businesses. We strive to make the borough an attractive place for all and secure a successful economy. We continue to build on our strengths - assets, knowledge and expertise and our track record for innovation and improvement to create a financially sustainable future so that we can continue with our undiminished plans.

We will only achieve the results we are aiming for through the talents and hard work of all our people. You are encouraged to become part of our vision and in return you can expect support, training, and fair reward from us. We will give you the opportunity to develop the skills to do your job well and create a positive working environment where your ideas about improving how we do things are valued and we manage the changes needed for new ways of working well.

At Maidstone Borough Council we recognise the importance of flexible working and the benefits this can bring to both our staff and the Council. We know that by offering employees a range of flexible working opportunities we can positively impact their wellbeing and engagement, and drive productivity in return. As such we have developed a highly flexible hybrid working policy, alongside our flexi time and flexible working policies, enabling staff to shape their working patterns around building a greater work life balance.

Our Offer:

A range of benefits including:

• Highly flexible hybrid working opportunities
• 7am to 7pm flexi time to suit personal circumstances for most roles
• Generous holiday entitlement which increases after 5 years LG service plus bank holidays with the option to buy additional leave
• Additional 3 days leave given to enable a close down of the offices between Christmas and New year
• Free parking
• Range of flexible working opportunities to accommodate people’s home/work life balance including compressed hours, 9-day fortnight, part time
• Invitations to staff events to celebrate success and support wellbeing that include holistic therapies and outdoor activities
• Employee Assistance Programme which provides confidential & independent information and access to counsellors
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) with valuable life cover and financial protection for your family
• Life Assurance – three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• Season Ticket Loan - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to & from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand-new car. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing, and road tax
• Annual flu vaccine
• Cycle to work scheme
• Staff benefits discounts on leisure, eating out, holidays and shopping
• Excellent learning and career opportunities for committed individuals
• A professional fee payment, if required for the role

About You:

Your education and training will include:

• A degree or post-graduate qualification in town planning
• Membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute
• Full driving licence

Your experience will include:

• Dealing with complex and sensitive planning issues
• Partnership working and negotiating with other key organisations and public consultation techniques
• Assessment and evaluation of large quantities of often complex and sometimes conflicting information and data and to then find creative solutions and formulate strategic policy and proposals

Additionally, you will have excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Selection Process

Following the submission of your application form, it will be reviewed by the recruiting manager. Those that are successful in securing an interview can expect job specific interview presentation, followed by an interview.

Maidstone Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employee and volunteers to share this commitment.

Please specify on your application form whether you wish to apply on a full time or part time basis.

If you would like to discuss this position, please contact Mark Egerton, Strategic Planning Manager on 01622 602062

Closing Date: 15 July 2024.

Interview Date w/c 22 July 2024.