Senior Planner

Senior Planner REF: 2686
PO3, £47,925 pa rising in annual increments to £51,228
Permanent
Full time (35 hours)
The post’s salary attracts a market supplement of 8.5% per month

About Us:

It is an exciting time to join Lambeth Council, we have bold ambitions for the future of Lambeth’s communities and residents through our Lambeth 2030 Plan ‘Our Future, Our Lambeth. To deliver on these ambitions, we have embarked our transformational One Lambeth Programme ensuring we are ‘connected by purpose,’ in everything we do to deliver excellence. We are proud to have recently developed a refreshed set of One Lambeth Values and Behaviours that were developed for staff by staff; Equity, Ambition, Kindness, and Accountability. For more information, please have a look at our dedicated One Lambeth Values and Behaviours page. 

About the Borough:

Located in the heart of South London, Lambeth Borough is a vibrant community of over 317,600 residents. Stretching from the dynamic neighbourhood of Streatham in the South to the iconic landmarks of Waterloo in the North, we are proud to be the 9th largest borough in London. Our diversity is our strength, with more than 130 languages spoken, making Lambeth the home of the Windrush generation, London's largest LGBTQ+ community, and a thriving Portuguese-speaking community.

With exceptional schools, lush green spaces including Brockwell Park, cultural gems like the Black Cultural Archives, and world-renowned institutions such as St Thomas's Hospital, Lambeth offers an enriching and dynamic environment.

About the Team:

The role sits in our Development Management team and provides a perfect opportunity for successful candidates to thrive and progress in their planning career developing important skills on exciting and challenging planning applications.

There are three Area Teams within Development Management, each covering a number of diverse wards across the Borough and wide range of application types and scale.

This position offers an opportunity to join our dynamic management team and be at the forefront of developing new and innovative working practices. We are looking for an enthusiastic and forward-thinking Senior Planning Officer to be part of our team.

We are forward thinking in approach towards equality, inclusivity, and diversity and pride ourselves on flexible and hybrid working arrangements.

About the Role:

We have a Senior Planning Officer opportunity within our Development Management service.  The successful candidate need to negotiate the best possible development outcomes in a positive and solutions led manner and help deliver a high-performing service. 

The postholder will work in a matrix way, being an integral part of the Development Management Team through dealing effectively with pre-applications, planning applications and appeals. They will need to lead on negotiating the best possible development outcomes in a positive and solutions led manner and effectively contribute to a high-performing service.

The successful candidate will be expected to present applications to the Planning Applications Committee, and to ensure reports and other documents prepared  are of a high standard.

Candidates will be expected to demonstrate a significant level of experience and knowledge of Development Management, ideally in a busy metropolitan area; and that they are an effective communicator who can engage well with colleagues, developers, investors, partners and residents and build good relationships with Members of the Planning Applications Committee.

To be considered for interview, your CV and supporting statement will clearly evidence:

• Thorough knowledge of all relevant planning legislation, policies and procedures.
• An RTPI-recognised degree level qualification in Town Planning or equivalent
• Eligible for Membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute.
• Experience of development management work with responsibility for dealing with a planning application caseload that includes major and/or complex applications
• Demonstrate experience of ensuring applications are reported in line with target dates and in accordance with agreed procedures.
• Experience of providing advice to Councillors, senior officers, developers and the public on all aspects of planning applications and related matters.
• Experience of providing supervision and/or guidance to more junior staff.

For detailed qualifications and requirements, please review the job description and person specification in hyperlink below:

Job Description & Person Specification

Contact Information:

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact please contact Kiri Shuttleworth at [email protected] or Astra Spyrou at [email protected]

Recruitment Timelines:

Closing date: Sunday 22nd February 2026 at 11:59pm 

Benefits:

Please click here to view: Lambeth Staff Benefits

How to Apply:

If you're interest in this opportunity, click on the apply button and complete an online application.

In your supporting statement, please clearly demonstrate how you meet the shortlist criteria marked with an 'A' at shortlist stage.

We operate an anonymised application process, so be sure to remove personal details when uploading your CV or personal statement.

Successful candidates will need to undertake a Cifas check (Further information about Cifas can be found here: Cifas).

At Lambeth, we are dedicated to providing quality services and equal opportunities for all. We are committed to safer recruitment and are proud to be a Stonewall diversity champion, a Living Wage Employer, and to guarantee interviews for all disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria of the role. For a full list of our accreditations, please click here.

We actively welcome applications from Lambeth Care Leavers