Planning Casework Officer

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

Do you have experience of achieving results in a planning or transport development environment?

Do you enjoy working to tight timescales and adapting your workload to changing policy frameworks? 

Do you have excellent communication skills as well as being highly organised? 

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

There has never been a more exciting time to be working in active travel, and Active Travel England (ATE) is at the forefront of this high-profile agenda. ATE is helping to deliver the Government’s ambitious vision for half of all journeys in England’s towns and cities to be walked, wheeled or cycled by 2030. The plan commits to ensure provision for pedestrians and cyclists is at the heart of local plan making and decision taking. Joining the team now represents a genuine opportunity to shape transport policy in a time when other wider considerations like decarbonisation and economic growth are central government priorities.

One of the core functions of ATE is going to be its role in the spatial planning system. The Spatial Planning & Development team will have two functions:

1. The Development Management Casework Team: responsible for discharging ATE’s responsibilities as a statutory consultee for development management via the Town and Country Planning Act (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015.
2. The Planning Policy & Strategy Team: responsible for driving ATE’s spatial planning agenda forwards, scoping out opportunities for influence and delivering projects and programmes that will allow ATE to influence planning outcomes outside of development management.

We are looking for two Planning Casework Officers to join the Development Management Casework Team. The Planning Casework Officers will be an essential part of ATE, driving forward the assessment of planning applications and producing high quality outputs which are consistent with ATE’s spatial planning policy priorities.

We are looking for motivated self-starters, who are enthusiastic to be a part of ATE as it transitions from a new organisation to one that is a credible part of the spatial planning context.

You will need a good understanding of planning for active travel, with experience of working in a position in either the private, public of third sector that requires knowledge of planning, highways or sustainable transport policy and practice. With a good understanding of equality and diversity in scheme design, you will have good technical, communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Your duties will include but not limited to:

• Supporting ATE in delivering its spatial planning priorities through the development management casework function.
• To provide appropriate advice to the wider ATE spatial planning team, including the Senior Casework Officers, Principal Planners, regional teams and the Director of Spatial Planning & Development.
• Build networks both internally with ATE colleagues but also wider to help drive forward ATE’s ambitions to be a Centre of Excellence and embed best practice.
• Processing and formulating recommendations on planning applications for which ATE is a consultee, including supporting on the preparation of reports for other ATE staff.
• Input as appropriate into ATE’s learning, development and capacity building function for Local Authorities, including leading sessions as and when appropriate.
• Preparing and presenting appropriate evidence in response to challenges against the determinations and feedback of ATE, and supporting the preparation activities for negotiations to secure outcomes and opportunities for active travel.
• Attendance at meetings with a wide mix of stakeholders and interested parties as required.

This job description is intended only as a guide to the range of duties involved. The post holder will need to be flexible and adaptable to respond to other duties that may be required from time to time and the changes and developments within ATE.

Additional Information 

Whilst we accept part time applicants, the minimum hours required for this role will be 24 hours per week.

We operate a flexible, hybrid model which will see you work 60% of your time in our offices.

We are looking for individuals who have the following skills:

• Clear and concise written and spoken communication skills.
• Highly motivated and proactive.
• A good team worker demonstrating loyalty and commitment to the organisation and team members.
• Flexible and able to adapt to the demands of a new and diverse organisation.

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance. 

Find out more about what it’s like working at the Department for Transport.

Job contact :

• Name : Mark Knighting
• Email : mark.knighting@activetravelengland.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DFTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk