Town Planner

What you’ll be responsible for

As a Development Planning Officer within our Developer Services team, you will be responsible for managing activity relating to planning matters in one region of our operational area, such as responding to planning applications, pre-planning enquiries and new sewer connections in line with statutory deadlines. To enable you to do this, you will need to work collaboratively with colleagues across the business, providing advice to our customers and keeping them informed of progress. 

Utilising your planning knowledge, you will ensure that our interests are protected at all times and that risks to our Customers, Services and the Environment are minimised.

1. Carrying out planning activity such as responding to planning applications, pre-planning enquiries and new sewer connection applications with a view of facilitating development whilst protecting our interests and minimising risks to our customers and the environment. 
2. Being responsible for the achievement of timescales for job elements as delegated by the Lead Development Control Officer to achieve the overall scheme National Levels of Service with a focus on providing a high-quality service to our customers. 
3. Manage expectations with external stakeholders engaged in planning activity i.e. LPA, government, regulatory bodies; promoting a more proactive and informed planning function. 
4. Engage with officers in LPA areas under your responsibility to ensure they understand Dwr Cymru Welsh Water planning consultation responses and make certain they adhere to our advice. 
5. Manage responses when required to provide information for feasibility studies, hydraulic models & water cycle studies. 
6. When necessary provide input into any customer complaints. 
7. Compliance with current health and safety legislation and policies at all times during the execution of all activities. 
8. Input into, and participate in, monthly reporting and reviews. 
9. Compliance with processes and procedures at all times during the execution of all activities. 
10. Working collaboratively with planning team colleagues and wider development control function to carry out other duties as required to meet business needs. 

Who you’ll work with

Internal
•    Developer Service Team
•    Clean and Wastewater Operations
•    Waste & Water Asset Teams

External
•    Customers (Private, Business Customers, Retailers, Developers, Solicitors, Design Consultancies)
•    Local Authorities (Planning, Building Control, etc.)
•    Contractors, Land Agents, etc.
 

About you

Qualifications

• A degree or qualification in town Planning, Geography or other environmental related disciplines

Experience

• Previous experience in the planning profession 

Knowledge & Skills

• Good communication skills – both verbal and written
• Experience of stakeholder management
• Able to perform as part of a team
• Ability to work to tight regulatory and project deadlines
   

Good to know

For an informal discussion about this role, please contact: Matthew.Lord@dwrcymru.com and enter the job ID in the subject title line.

Hybrid working typically 2/3 days in the office but might be more if required.

Interviews to be held in-person at our Cardiff office in St Mellons.

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!  

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.