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The Friday Five 13.07.18

Published on: 12 Jul 2018

Top five square_shutterstock [square]A round-up of five of the best, most interesting or most unusual jobs on Planner Jobs this week.

1.GO WEST YOUNG MAN (OR WOMAN)

What?

Senior urban designer, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Where?

Kensington town hall, midway between Hyde Park and Holland Park, and a hop and a skip from the Natural History Museum.

What’s great about this job?

It’s one of the most iconic boroughs in the UK - and recently one of its most controversial. Extreme wealth in smart mansion blocks, town houses and palaces (!) co-exists with ingrained poverty. The challenge for urban designers - respect the best of the historic fabric while helping to create a contemporary borough fit for a growing and mixed population. In a very high profile location. With the eyes of the world on you. No pressure.

Fun fact

Kensington and Chelsea is the smallest borough in London and the second smallest district in England, but is also one of the most densely populated. It squeezes 156,000+ people into a mere 4.68 square miles. That’s roughly 33,000 people per square mile.

Find out more and apply

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2. I AM THE LAW!

What?

Planning enforcement officer, Bedford Borough Council

Where?

Borough Hall in Bedford, on the picturesque banks of the Great River Ouse

What’s great about this job?

Planning enforcement isn’t the sexiest part of planning - but it’s one of the most important. It also requires a certain kind of investigative mind and robustness, but also considerable tact. It’s not for everyone but for those that get it, here's the chance to practice in a varied, historically sensitive location with considerable growth and change under way. Plenty to get your teeth into.

Fun fact

1970s BBC comedy series Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em was filmed in and around Bedford. When it comes to great skating scenes of the 70s, Frank Spencer out of control in Bedford town centre takes the biscuit (Cliff Richard in Milton Keynes being a close second)

Find out more and apply

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3. AUTHENTIC PLANNING IN THE HEART OF ENGLAND

What?

Senior/planning case officer, Cotswold District Council

Where?

Cirencester, East Gloucestershire

What’s great about this job? 

It’s in an area of outstanding natural beauty, with a strong visual identity and thousands of listed buildings. Cirencester itself is a traditional market town that can trace its origins back to the Roman era. Secondly, it’s an interesting set-up in which services are actually delivered by Publica, a partnership of four councils. Thirdly, the job itself will have you handling planning applications in an area where built heritage and natural environment are serious considerations at every turn. Oh, and Publica is looking for someone who is ‘authentic’, ‘modern’, ‘flexible’ and ‘thoughtful’. You're authentic, right?

Fun fact 

Cotswold District covers around 450 square miles. With a population of 87,500, that equates to a density of approx 194 people per square mile (roughly 0.75 per hectare). C/f Kensington and Chelsea, above.

Find out more and apply

4. CAN YOU PLAN IT? YES, YOU CAN

What? 

Planning officer & senior planning officer, Exeter City Council

Where?

The Civic Centre in Exeter, just opposite the bus and coach station (if you ever need to make a quick getaway).

What’s great about these jobs? 

They're described this as a “rare and fantastic opportunity to be part of one of the most ambitious and progressive Development Management teams in the South West”. So there you go. Exeter is forecast to be one of the UK’s fastest growing cities, providing a context in which you’ll be working on a range of business and residential projects. The quality the employer values most? A “can-do” attitude. Go on then.

Fun fact

A network of underground passages beneath the city centre once carried clean drinking water through lead pipes from natural springs into the heart of the walled city. The passages date back to the 14th century.

Find out more and apply

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5. UNDER DREAMING SPIRES

What? 

Planning policy and place manager, Oxford City Council

Where? 

St Aldate’s Chambers, in the heart of historic Oxford

What’s great about this job? 

It’s a seriously influential role in one of the world’s most famous cities – ensuring that the character of a deeply historic location is retained and enhanced through the course of delivering a new local plan, a county-wide growth and housing deal, and a joint statutory spatial plan. Surely it's what a planner dreams of?

Fun fact

Inspector Morse writer Colin Dexter reckons he killed off 81 Oxford academics, including three heads of colleges, in his crime novels. Murder capital of England. Ahem.

Find out more and apply