Planning And Enforcement Officer
| Posting date: | 04 December 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £34,434 to £40,777 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 18 December 2025 |
| Location: | Keynsham, Bristol |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 5 days per week |
| Company: | Bath & North East Somerset Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | RITM0230302 |
Summary
Bath and North East Somerset is a large and diverse area containing not only the internationally renowned City of Bath, which is a World Heritage Site, but also an extensive area of Green Belt, two National Landscapes, numerous Conservation Areas and an abundance of listed buildings and other heritage assets. All this makes the district a hugely attractive place to work, live and visit.
About the Role:
An opportunity has arisen to join our Planning and Enforcement Team as a Planning and Enforcement Officer. We are a busy department and the Planning Enforcement Team plays an important and integral part in ensuring that development is carried out in accordance with planning permissions granted and in line with local and national planning policy and legislation.
About You:
We are looking to appoint a Town Planner with a Degree or Diploma in Town and Country Planning (or equivalent) recognised by and giving full eligibility for membership of the RTPI to help manage development in a District that has exciting levels of growth planned within a unique built and natural environment. Candidates with suitable experience will also be considered.
The enforcement of planning control can be complex and sometimes confrontational. The Planning & Enforcement Officer is expected to have the right attitude to resolve enforcement issues, drawing on their knowledge of the planning system to offer professional planning advice so that all parties feel that they have been treated in a fair and reasonable way.
The Officer will also be required to provide advice and guidance to staff, Elected Members and other key stakeholders. The successful candidate will be expected to understand planning policy and have knowledge of the legal framework underpinning planning and will be encouraged to resolve enforcement issues by negotiation where possible, however sometimes the serving of enforcement notices and prosecution cannot be avoided.
At Bath & North East Somerset Council, the Planning Enforcement Team are embedded in the planning department and fulfil a dual role dealing with both planning enforcement cases and assessing and determining a wide variety of retrospective planning, advertisement, listed building, prior approval and other application types through the district, and will be expected to present applications to the Development Management Committee. Knowledge of the planning system and experience in the determination of applications is therefore essential.
If you are looking for your next challenge, this is an opportunity for you to gain more experience across a wide range of planning issues in a busy local planning authority, and the diversity of work means that there are opportunities to develop a broad range of planning skills and experience.
The post presents an opportunity to work with like-minded people based in one of the most attractive areas in the country and would suit an appropriately qualified individual who is confident and self-motivated and enjoy the demands of a busy local authority planning office. For the right person we offer a competitive salary, flexible working conditions and a benefits package aimed to boost and maintain health, wellbeing and general quality of life of all our staff. We also offer comprehensive personal and professional training and development opportunities.
This is a career grade role. For more experienced candidates Planning Officer II Role Profile applies. Whilst the Council is seeking candidates with planning/planning enforcement experience, applications from those with less experience are also encouraged – for these candidates Planning Officer I Role Profile applies. The Planning Officer Role Profiles attached to this advert also covers the equivalent roles in Development Management and Planning Policy – please note, it is the Planning Enforcement related elements of the relevant Role Profile that apply to this post.
If you are forward thinking, ambitious and keen to make a real difference in a world class environment and would like to join our team, we would be delighted to hear from you!
Neil Howat, Team Manager Planning and Enforcement on 01225 477564 or email neil_howat@bathnes.gov.uk
About the Role:
An opportunity has arisen to join our Planning and Enforcement Team as a Planning and Enforcement Officer. We are a busy department and the Planning Enforcement Team plays an important and integral part in ensuring that development is carried out in accordance with planning permissions granted and in line with local and national planning policy and legislation.
About You:
We are looking to appoint a Town Planner with a Degree or Diploma in Town and Country Planning (or equivalent) recognised by and giving full eligibility for membership of the RTPI to help manage development in a District that has exciting levels of growth planned within a unique built and natural environment. Candidates with suitable experience will also be considered.
The enforcement of planning control can be complex and sometimes confrontational. The Planning & Enforcement Officer is expected to have the right attitude to resolve enforcement issues, drawing on their knowledge of the planning system to offer professional planning advice so that all parties feel that they have been treated in a fair and reasonable way.
The Officer will also be required to provide advice and guidance to staff, Elected Members and other key stakeholders. The successful candidate will be expected to understand planning policy and have knowledge of the legal framework underpinning planning and will be encouraged to resolve enforcement issues by negotiation where possible, however sometimes the serving of enforcement notices and prosecution cannot be avoided.
At Bath & North East Somerset Council, the Planning Enforcement Team are embedded in the planning department and fulfil a dual role dealing with both planning enforcement cases and assessing and determining a wide variety of retrospective planning, advertisement, listed building, prior approval and other application types through the district, and will be expected to present applications to the Development Management Committee. Knowledge of the planning system and experience in the determination of applications is therefore essential.
If you are looking for your next challenge, this is an opportunity for you to gain more experience across a wide range of planning issues in a busy local planning authority, and the diversity of work means that there are opportunities to develop a broad range of planning skills and experience.
The post presents an opportunity to work with like-minded people based in one of the most attractive areas in the country and would suit an appropriately qualified individual who is confident and self-motivated and enjoy the demands of a busy local authority planning office. For the right person we offer a competitive salary, flexible working conditions and a benefits package aimed to boost and maintain health, wellbeing and general quality of life of all our staff. We also offer comprehensive personal and professional training and development opportunities.
This is a career grade role. For more experienced candidates Planning Officer II Role Profile applies. Whilst the Council is seeking candidates with planning/planning enforcement experience, applications from those with less experience are also encouraged – for these candidates Planning Officer I Role Profile applies. The Planning Officer Role Profiles attached to this advert also covers the equivalent roles in Development Management and Planning Policy – please note, it is the Planning Enforcement related elements of the relevant Role Profile that apply to this post.
If you are forward thinking, ambitious and keen to make a real difference in a world class environment and would like to join our team, we would be delighted to hear from you!
Neil Howat, Team Manager Planning and Enforcement on 01225 477564 or email neil_howat@bathnes.gov.uk
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