Planning Officer

Cheshire West and Chester Council brings a fresh and energetic approach to providing top quality services for its many customers and communities. Our busy and friendly planning team welcomes motivated and skilled individuals to join us working on a wide variety of planning applications and help us deliver high quality, sustainable development across the borough.  Whilst some experience of working within a planning environment would be advantageous, our commitment to training, support and professional development means this post is also suitable for graduates at the very start of their planning careers.   Cheshire West and Chester Council is a progressive employer offering a range of employee benefits and help and guidance from some of the best planners in the area.  This is a career grade post spanning three pay grades from Grade 6-8, with flexibility for the right candidate to build on a previous role within the industry, put existing planning qualifications to good use, or even embark on an exciting new career. Starting salary will depend on existing qualifications and levels of experience.  Why not come and help us achieve our ambition of building greener, fairer and stronger communities for all?  Organisation Cheshire West and Chester Council Location Ellesmere Port Job Category Environmental and Public Services Grade Please refer to advert text Salary Min £28,598 Per Annum Salary Max £39,152 Per Annum Hours per week 37 Weeks per year 52.143 Employment Type Permanent Closing Date 05/04/2026 Ref No W4407 Documents WAWK 8118 Planning Officer Career Grade 6 JD PS (2).docx (Word, 31.21kb) WAWK 8119 Planning Officer Career Grade 7 JD PS.docx (Word, 34.18kb) WAWK 8120 Planning Officer Career Grade 8 JD PS.docx (Word, 33.24kb) Cheshire West and Chester Council is a place where everyone can Thrive – through our core values of Teamwork, Honesty, Respect, Innovation, Value for Money and Empowerment. Our borough features a rich and varied landscape, with a wide range of urban and rural communities including the main centres of Chester, Ellesmere Port, Northwich and Winsford. We are a friendly, supportive and innovative planning team dealing with around 4000 planning applications each year, offering the opportunity to get involved in a great variety of development proposals benefitting the social, economic and environmental diversity of the area whilst protecting the countryside and Green Belt and preserving and enhancing our distinct heritage - including the beautiful walled city of Chester with its concentration of listed buildings and Area of Archaeological Importance.  Your main responsibility will be to manage and determine applications for planning permission, but from time to time you will also get opportunities to assist our planning enforcement and planning policy teams. You will demonstrate the ability to work as part of our friendly and committed team of planners and support staff, be an excellent communicator, and be well-organised with a clear commitment to providing outstanding customer service. In return, our innovative and supportive way of working offers high levels of trust and autonomy to make decisions and manage your own workload.  This is a hybrid worker role, meaning that your working time will be split between home and our new offices in Ellesmere Port. We are committed to flexible working practices and promoting a healthy work/life balance.  To carry out site visits and attend remote meetings, you will also need a full UK Driving Licence and access to a car.