Senior Planner (Policy) - Basildon Borough Council

Senior Planner (Policy)

Basildon, Essex

Up To £45.00 per hour (umbrella)

Temporary contract – Up to 3 months

Full-Time, 36.25 hours per week

Closing date: 12th September 2025

Essex County Council (ECC) are delighted to be supporting Basildon Council to recruit a Senior Planner on a full-time, temporary basis. Please note you will be required on site 1-2 days per week.

The Role

Basildon Borough Council is committed to achieving sustainable regeneration and economic development in the Borough that benefits all sectors of the community. This is to be achieved without sacrificing the quality of the local environment and the level of infrastructure in place to support growth.

The Growth Directorate is responsible for the Council’s local planning authority functions, housing strategy, regeneration and economic development functions. Working with a variety of professional functions, across all sectors of our community this role will support the development and delivery of a sustainable environment.

Basildon Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults, and expects all employees, contractors and volunteers to share its commitment to prevent abuse, harm or exploitation.

Please note that the Council applies a robust recruitment vetting process.

The Opportunity

This role will serve to provide support to the Head of Planning and respective Managers and other officers in delivering the Planning Service supporting all aspects of the Development Management, Planning Enforcement and Appeals Planning Strategy and Implementation, to ensure the delivery of the Development Plan and Essex 2050 (and other projects).

Accountabilities

• Provide professional/and supportive advice with regard to the Planning aspects of programmes and projects under the remit of the relevant Principal Planners and Managers. In particular to work to ensure compliance with statutory, regulatory and best practice requirements and guidelines. Provide support to all officers across the service as a whole to ensure the efficient operation of the service, in accordance with statutory and legislative requirements and the corporate objectives of the Council.

• To assist in providing specialist planning advice to all customers (both internal and external) relevant to the service area of the post holder and, where necessary, attend the relevant Hearings, Committees, Courts and other external meetings in support of the planning service. Including the preparation of statements and proofs of evidence memorandum of understanding, planning obligations and other legal documents of relevance and support their monitoring and delivery.

• To mentor planners and apprentices, providing advice, assistance and guidance.

• Be prepared to visit land and sites as directed whilst recognising the bi-lateral duty of care applicable to both post holder and the Council, and cooperate in all matters relating to Health & Safety and appreciate that risks within the working environment must be highlighted to your manager

• Undertake all the duties within the framework of Equal Opportunities.

The Experience You Will Bring

• At least 3 years recent relevant experience within a Local Planning Authority/ private sector consultancy, government agency or charitable body.

• A sound understanding of strategic planning issues, including the relationship between national and local planning policy and infrastructure planning and how these issues relate to the development management and planning enforcement functions of the planning service.

• A clear understanding of procedural and legal matters relating to the Town and Country Planning Acts (including other relevant legislation and regulations)

• The ability to travel throughout the Borough to visit sites/land, and to access uneven terrain.
• Understanding of the planning application determination process, up to and including major (as defined by the government) schemes and /or ability to investigate and expedite planning enforcement matters to completion and/or ability to prepare evidence, including the preparation of the Development Plan, policy document and guidance and evidential statements for Planning Appeals and Courts.

Why choose Basildon Council?

Basildon Borough Council is one of the largest local authorities in the East of England region and serves a population of approximately 172,000 people. The town of Basildon is regarded as a key economic hub with the main areas of employment being engineering, research and development, distribution and financial services. Basildon is also the second biggest economy in the Thames Gateway, outside of Canary Wharf.

Working for Basildon Borough Council means making a practical and positive difference to the lives of people living and working in the Borough and provides a fulfilling career.

Each of our employees - whatever job role they are undertaking - can feel motivated by having a unique opportunity to use their skills to make Basildon a better place to live. Whether it is conserving our countryside, by regenerating our Borough, by housing our residents or by collecting the refuse on time.

Note: ECC are advertising this role on behalf of Basildon Council.

Basildon Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults, and expects all employees, contractors and volunteers to share its commitment to prevent abuse, harm or exploitation.

The Council applies a robust recruitment vetting process. If you are successful you will need to undergo a Pre-employment Vetting Procedure.

What you should do next

If you are interested in finding out more about this role, we would love to hear from you. Please apply here.

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email louise.butler@essex.gov.uk