Principal Planning Officer
Location: Telford, Shropshire
Pay Rate: £45.00 per hour PAYE
Working Pattern: Hybrid – mandatory office attendance every Monday for team meetings
LYNX Employment Services are recruiting an experienced Principal Planning Officer to lead on major strategic development applications within a busy local authority Development Management team. This is an excellent opportunity for an accomplished planning professional with proven experience managing large-scale residential developments of 1,000+ units, strong stakeholder engagement skills and the confidence to handle complex planning matters at a senior level.
The Role
Working within Development Management, you will take responsibility for significant and often sensitive planning applications, balancing competing priorities while delivering practical, legally robust solutions.
Key responsibilities include:
Lead on major and strategic planning applications, including residential developments exceeding 1,000 units.
Manage complex applications from pre-application discussions through to determination.
Negotiate Section 106 agreements, planning obligations and infrastructure contributions.
Prepare and present detailed reports and recommendations to Planning Committee.
Build effective working relationships with elected Members, developers, landowners and other stakeholders.
Coordinate multidisciplinary teams and manage competing development priorities.
Provide professional planning advice and represent the authority at appeals, hearings and public inquiries.
Identify practical solutions to challenging planning issues, applying lessons learned to improve outcomes.
Support and guide other planning officers where required.
Essential Requirements
We are looking for an experienced, commercially aware planning professional who can demonstrate:
Proven experience managing major residential development schemes involving 1,000+ units.
Significant experience in Development Management, ideally within a local authority.
Strong knowledge of UK planning legislation, major applications and Section 106 agreements.
Experience presenting complex applications to Planning Committees and engaging with elected Members.
Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
The ability to manage multiple developers, landowners and competing priorities.
A collaborative, solution-focused approach with strong problem-solving skills.
Chartered membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) and an appropriate planning qualification.
A full driving licence and access to transport.
Desirable Experience
Previous involvement in solar farm developments, agricultural buildings or poultry shed planning applications would be advantageous, but is not essential.
Working Arrangements
This position offers hybrid working, although attendance at the Telford office every Monday is mandatory for team meetings. Additional attendance may be required for site visits, committees and stakeholder meetings.
Interested?
If you have a strong background in major planning applications and enjoy working collaboratively to deliver complex development projects, we'd love to hear from you.
Contact LYNX Employment Services:
Telephone: (phone number removed)
Email:
Ask for Elliott to discuss the opportunity in more detail
