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Help drive planning into a new era of innovation and sustainability at East Herts Council
When considering your next career step and choosing a new district in which to apply your professional expertise and vision, we’ll forgive you for not immediately thinking of East Herts Council. Historically, we may not have had the sort of iconic architecture or high-profile schemes that might have earned us a reputation for being at the cutting edge of planning practice. But, the past few years have witnessed substantial change to our district, giving rise to a diverse range of new opportunities.
Managing sustainable growth, protecting what communities value
In May 2023 we gained a new joint administration, with the Greens and Liberal Democrats working together, after almost three decades of Conservative control. This shift heralds a new era for East Herts Council, and we’re excited to be looking ahead to the future, finding ways to manage growth in the best way possible, while protecting what our communities value.
Covering an area of 475.7km2, we are the largest district in Hertfordshire, and in fact we are also the 9th busiest planning district in England. We need the best planners to join our team, and help us to expertly craft the built environment of the future, working on a wide range of exciting urban regeneration plans and new-build schemes, promoting well-managed, sustainable growth.
We adopted a Local Plan in 2018, bringing about a step change in growth across the district. This positive and proactive approach to managing high-quality sustainable growth has meant that there are plenty of opportunities to work on a range of urban and rural projects.
The variety of work includes overseeing the delivery of 18 strategic allocated sites, which vary in size and complexity, and off er a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with partners on placemaking projects.
We are also at the forefront of planning, and our team is helping to deliver one of the largest development proposals currently underway in the country – a new community of 10,000 homes at Gilston, part of the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town. This project and many others open up significant opportunities to influence the masterplan and planning of large and exciting long-term developments.
We have a strong commitment to good design, having developed a clear policy on master planning to support high-quality design in new developments, involving local communities as part of the process.
Opportunities for professional growth and career progression
We are an ambitious, dedicated, and forward-thinking team, providing a customer-focused planning service that is designed to facilitate growth in a way that protects and promotes all that is valued by our communities.
Our planning department has been recently restructured, to provide more opportunities for career progression, and there’s a significant emphasis on professional development within the team. We are committed to growing future managers, and to the continual development of our leaders and managers. There’s also the opportunity to play a key role in our digital transformation, as we integrate digital tools across our services to deliver a seamless, intuitive experience for our residents.
We want to support you to excel and take ownership of the future of the East Herts built environment – serving our communities now and leaving a positive legacy for the communities that come after them. We are also proud of our partnerships with other local authorities, public bodies and private developers; working at East Herts Council is certainly an engaging, collaborative experience that will stretch your thinking and broaden your professional horizons.
The benefits of working for East Herts Council
Location-wise, we’re ideally placed. Less than an hour on the train from central London, we are also commutable from a number of cities including Cambridge, Chelmsford and St Albans – or maybe even further away, when you consider our flexible and hybrid working policies. We off er all the benefits that you might expect from a forward-thinking public sector employer, including a generous holiday entitlement, 50% home working, flexible working, Local Government pension scheme, and a culture that supports work/life balance. Our salaries are also competitive, plus certain roles include a Market Forces Supplement.
If you’re looking for a new role within planning, we currently have a number of vacancies from qualified planners up to team leader and management roles.
To find out more visit jobs.eastherts.gov.uk/EastHerts/Planning or alternatively call Sara Saunders, Head of Planning, on 07849355926 to chat about what it’s like to work at East Herts Council, and about our latest planning vacancies.