About the London Borough of Tower Hamlets

Tower Hamlets is one of the most diverse and fastest growing boroughs in London.  Our population is expected to increase by 80,000 people over the next two decades.   We have the highest targets for housing delivery in the London Plan and a Mayoral pledge to deliver 4,000 affordable homes by 2026.

Tower Hamlets is home to places as diverse as Canary Wharf, Brick Lane, Whitechapel and the Olympic Legacy alongside a rich history reflected in more than 50 conservation areas, award winning parks, hundreds of listed buildings and the Tower of London World Heritage Site. All of this is in a borough of just 8 square miles!

The Planning Service is at the forefront of managing growth, delivering sustainable development and creating great places. We’re proud of our track record of delivery and ensuring that new development meets the needs of all our communities.

We are progressing a new Local Plan and have a well-resourced planning service, covering strategic and infrastructure planning, urban design and digital teams.

The Role

Reporting to the Head of Development Management, the Area Planning Manager will be responsible for leading and coordinating all development management work across two teams. You will have oversight of some of the largest, strategic scale development projects in London, covering Canary Wharf, Poplar, Isle of Dogs and Lower Lea Valley opportunity areas.

In addition to managing the delivery of pre-application advice, section 106 negotiations, planning decisions and appeals, you will build positive working relationships with partners and the development industry. Your focus will be on delivering the best possible planning and regeneration outcomes for our residents, businesses and stakeholders.

You will have a key role in providing expert, professional planning advice to senior managers, our planning committees, Tower Hamlets Mayor and elected members. 

If you are looking for the next step on your career and excited by the opportunities and challenges of a high-profile planning role with senior management responsibilities in a progressive local authority, then Tower Hamlets is the place for you.

About You  

As an experienced town planner and people manager, you will have:

• eligibility for RTPI membership;
• a passion for place making, regeneration and delivering sustainable development;
• a positive approach to development management, securing affordable housing and community benefits;
• the ability to communicate well, build relationships and bring people together to work collaboratively across a wide range of stakeholders;
• a passion for finding creative solutions to complex planning issues;
• ability to motivate and support teams and drive performance;
• experience of managing people, budgets and resources;
• a proactive approach to continuous improvement.

The successful candidate will also exhibit the ‘TOWER’ values and behaviours of the Council including working Together, being Open, Willing, striving for Excellence and having Respect.

If you are a highly motivated and results-orientated professional with a passion for shaping and delivering sustainable development, we would love to hear from you.

Requirements

This post is open to candidates with the appropriate knowledge, skills and experience to fulfil the job description and person specification attached to the role.

Benefits and Allowances

• Annual Leave, starting at 30 days per annum with continuous service provisions;
• Membership of the Local Government pension scheme;
• Flexible working, including home working;
• Support for continuous learning & development, including leadership development and CPD;
• Travelcard allowance (zone 2-3), cycle to work scheme and pool bike scheme;
• Employee Assistance programme, for health and wellbeing support and discounted membership at Tower Hamlets leisure centres.

Applications close 9 February 2025, and it is intended that interviews will take place from week commencing 17 February 2025.

Tower Hamlets is a modern, forward thinking local authority, offering flexible working arrangements, generous annual leave, local government pension scheme and other staff benefits.

For an informal discussion, please contact Paul Buckenham, Head of Development Management – paul.buckenham@towerhamlets.gov.uk

Application Details

This post is open to the following types of applicants: Redeployees/ Internal/ External

All applications should be made via our online application system, no CV’s or alternative forms of applications are accepted. Internal employees should apply via the council's Intranet. External applicants apply via the Council's website www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/careers

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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