Role Purpose

The purpose of this role is to support the Manager and team in ensuring the continuous improvement of the Plan Making Team in its aim to create a positive policy framework to manage and shape growth in the borough. This includes leading on and contributing to the review, adoption, embedding and monitoring of the Council’s Local Plan and other planning policy documents, including supplementary planning guidance, Article 4 directions, and neighbourhood planning, annual monitoring report and five year housing supply; while providing quality advice on planning policy matters to internal and external stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Key responsibilities for this role include the review, implementation and monitoring of a Local Plan including supporting internal colleagues and external stakeholders in its implementation, as well as positively influencing and responding to changes in the planning system on behalf of the Council. You will directly report to and support the Plan Making Manager and oversee officers on a wide range of plan making projects, as well as independently project managing and/or holding key responsibilities on high profile plan making projects and initiatives, which will achieve positive benefits for the borough’s communities. You will be required to communicate effectively and confidently with internal and external colleagues, and engage with senior officers of the Council and Members, and Tower Hamlets communities, as and when required. 

Requirements

This post will require eligibility for chartered membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute or relevant post graduate degree.

Additional Employee Information

The Council is looking to this position with the successful candidate needing to demonstrate experience in spatial planning and policy making, and a proven ability to support or lead on high profile plan making documents and initiatives and establishing strong partnerships within and outside the Council. You will need to be ambitious, motivated and ready to manage challenging strategic projects.

The role is for a fixed term contract of 18 months, to coincide with progressing the local plan to adoption. The role is also open to candidates seeking a secondment from their current role/organisation.

For an informal discussion please contact the Plan-making Manager, Natalya Palit on natalya.palit@towerhamlets.gov.uk

Applications close Wednesday 22 January, and interviews will be expected to take place week commencing 26 January 2025. 

Tower Hamlets vision for our borough is that: people are aspirational, independent and have equal access to opportunities; we are a borough that our residents are proud of and love to live in; and we are a dynamic, outcomes-based council using digital innovation and partnership working to respond to the changing needs of our borough. We want people who aspire to our TOWER values: Together; Open; Willing; Excellent; Respect.

Tower Hamlets has a zero-tolerance approach to, and works to eradicate, all forms of discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital status, status as a civil partner, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and maternity and looks to employ a diverse workforce representative of those groups. We recognise that people can also be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class.

We welcome applicants interested in flexible working arrangements and also applicants who live in the borough. 

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