Lead Development Planning Officer

What you’ll be responsible for

Leading Development Control activity within Developer Services, making sure pre-planning enquiries, planning applications, development briefs, EIA vetting/input, planning conditions, planning appeals and S106 planning agreements are answered and delivered within statutory deadlines/KPI’s. This will include:

• Safeguarding the integrity of Welsh Water’s assets
• Providing advice to the Developer Services team members with respect to planning matters
• Managing expectations with external stakeholders engaged in planning activity i.e. LPA, government, regulatory bodies; promoting a more proactive and informed planning function
• Keeping the customer central to the activity and focus within Developer Services
• Providing support for the Planning Liaison Manager, where applicable, as well as providing support and advice to the wider team, when required
• Managing team responses when required to provide information for feasibility studies, hydraulic models & water cycle studies
• Ensuring performance meets the requirements of the KPIs within the planning function of Developer Services
• When necessary providing support and input into any customer complaints as well as mentoring fellow members of the Development Control function
• Influencing/negotiating with key stakeholders involved in the Town & Country Planning process e.g. Developers, LPAs
• Engaging with Senior Officers in over 30 LPA’s to ensure they understand Welsh Water planning consultation responses and make certain they adhere to our advice
• Liaising with other functions within Developer Services on matters related to planning, providing support and advice when applicable
• Working with Planning Liaison Manager to ensure the processes and procedures within this function of Developer Services are followed and maintained
• Providing guidance and support on S106 WIA 1991
• Attending Planning Appeals and Public Meetings when required
• Advising Trade Effluent department on current asset performance so that they are able to perform their duties when having to decide on any trade effluent queries/consents
• Effectively delivery of all services associated with Development Control within Developer Services
• Ensuring timely and effective responses to all planning enquiries
• Managing appropriate stakeholder relations
• Maintaining good working relations with other functions in Welsh Water, such as strategy and asset capability
• Accountability for QA and sign off of correspondence for Development Control function
• Ensuring the Development Control function populate the planning objection register
• Updating the Developer Services Website for the Development Control function within DS

Who you’ll work with

Internal
•    Developer Services team
•    All levels of management within Developer Services
•    Operational teams with Developer Services
•    Operations teams clean & waste
•    Strategy
•    Asset capability

External
•    LPAs
•    Government (WG)
•    Customer groups (domestic, developer, consultant)
•    Regulatory bodies (i.e. NRW)

About you

Qualifications
Professional qualification in town Urban Planning or City Planning and educated to degree level, or equivalent 

Experience
Extensive experience in the water sector and/or planning sector, and breadth of knowledge relating to the relationship of both industries
Experience of stakeholder management
Previous experience of managing high performing teams to meet key performance targets and exceptional customer service 
Change management experience to lead the continual improvement of ways of working in the department - desirable

Knowledge & Skills
Enthusiastic about putting our customers first every day
Good communication skills – both verbal and written
Able to perform as part of a team and show good coordination skills
Ability to communicate effectively in Welsh is desirable 

Good to know

This is a hybrid role and the successful candidate will be expected to be in office around 3 days a week.

Benefits

As well as a market competitive salary, 33 days annual leave (pro rata, including public holidays), we offer a range of employee benefits and rewards including:

 
•             Variable pay schemes (your salary band will remain the same, but performance depending, you could receive an incremental within-band increase and a yearly incentive)
•             Option to buy additional annual leave up to 5 days per year
•             Enhanced employer pension contributions – Up to 11% employer contributions
•             Free Mortgage Brokering Services 
•             Enhanced family friendly policies
•             Progression opportunities, including the ability to apply for funded training and coaching and mentoring programmes
•             Gym and fitness discounts as well as high street shopping
•             Cycle to work scheme
•             Discount off all Welsh Water visitor attraction centres and gift shops
•             Car-leasing scheme and free on-site parking at all sites
•             Health CashBack scheme and access to an online GP service
•             An employee assistance programme for employees and their immediate family
•             Many more can be found here!  

 
 
Whilst also working for a not-for profit company that truly cares about earning the trust of customers everyday, and about looking after our beautiful environment
 
 
Please note, we may close this role sooner if required. We may also extend the original closing date depending on interest.
 
Due to the nature of the industry, we require satisfactory references, post offer medical clearance, and a criminal records Basic Disclosure check on all new employees joining the business. For some roles there may be additional checks and security clearance required, and this offer is subject all checks being satisfied. You will receive further information on how to complete these checks via email once you have accepted this offer.

Who we are

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water keep 3 million people healthy each day with safe, reliable water, and take away wastewater to clean, before returning it safely to our beautiful rivers and seas.

To be able to deliver high quality, essential services which help to protect the health of our customers, colleagues and our environment, we need the right people to deliver on our vision.  This is achieved by living our core values and demonstrating the core behaviours that underpin them.  The security of our people, assets and information is key to us, so we are looking for people who understand and comply with the company’s required security objectives.

We know that the most successful teams are the most diverse teams. Equality, diversity and inclusion provide the very foundation to our culture at Welsh Water. We want every individual to feel confident, proud and able to bring their whole selves to work. 

To ensure an improved representation in our workforce, applications are particularly welcome from minority groups including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, Females, LGBT+, Non-binary and people with disabilities. Together we continue to build a workplace that not only celebrates the diverse voices of our colleagues but also represents each customer we serve.

In essence, ours is a company based on trust, openness, respect, commitment and honesty. A company that our colleagues are proud to work for.