Skip to main content

The Friday Five 03.05.19

Written by: Simon Wicks
Published on: 3 May 2019

A round-up of five of the best, most interesting, significant or unusual jobs on Planner Jobs this week.

Mary, Queen of Scots [square]1.  DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD

What?

Development lead, Stafford Borough Council.

Where?

Large redbrick offices beside the River Sow in central Stafford, Staffordshire.

The job

"One of two development lead posts, each managing a small team of case officers, we offer varied professional experience and an opportunity to develop your management skills and knowledge base.

"Stafford’s growth agenda is placing new demands on the borough council’s development management service.  Large scale housing developments, expanding employment parks, and the potential for a new garden settlement – there’s a lot going on in Stafford."

A large town in the West Midlands, Stafford is halfway between Stoke-on-Trent and Wolverhampton. It has a long history of shoemaking but more recently has become a centre for advanced manufacturing, in particular energy generation, medical technologies and agri-tech. The borough itself is almost entirely rural and incorporates part of the Cannock Chase AONB.

Fun fact

Chartley Manor, a moated and battlemented timber mansion to the north east of Stafford was one of the final places of imprisonment for Mary, Queen of Scots. The manor was apparently chosen because of its deep moat, which helped security because the queen's laundry could be washed without her maids leaving the house.

Mary was transferred to the Manor at Christmas 1585 and held there for a year before removed to Fotheringay castle in Northamptonshire, where she was beheaded on 8 February 1587. Chartley Manor was destroyed by fire in 1781.

Find out more and apply

Memorial to Boatswain [square]2.  IN MEMORY OF BOATSWAIN

What?

Community infrastructure levy officer, Gedling Borough Council.

Where?

Modern offices in parkland on the edge of the town centre in Arnold, a few miles north of Nottingham.

The job

"We implemented our Community Infrastructure Levy in 2015 and are about to commence a review of our Charging Schedule and Regulation 123 list. 
You will be responsible for managing the review and the day-to-day operation of our charging schedule. You will also be responsible for monitoring S106 developer contributions and opportunities will be made available to manage a small caseload of planning applications."

A mid-sized borough with 117,000 residents, Gedling covers mainly affluent suburbs north-east of Nottingham and into rural villages extending north towards Mansfield. A borough of contrasts, the area is split into an urban commuter base and rural farmland.

Fun fact

Newstead Abbey, the seat of the Barons Byron, contains a large memorial to Boatswain, the Newfoundland dog much beloved of the 6th Baron Byron, the noted poet better known as Lord Byron.

Boatswain dies in 1808 after being bitten by a rabid dog in Mansfield marketplace. A distraught Lord Byron created the memorial and decorated it with a lengthy eulogy in praise of Boatswain. Epitaph to a Dog has become one of his best-known poems.

Find out more and apply

A Celtic warrior [square]3.  BEWARE THE BRIGANTES

What?

Two roles: assistant planner and planner, Kirklees Metropolitan Borough  Council.

Where?

The Civic Centre in central Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

The job

"Working within planning policy, you will be involved in all aspects of planning policy related work, which will include local plan monitoring, implementation and review, preparation of supplementary planning documents and area action plans, neighbourhood planning, provision of appropriate policy guidance, place making and citizen engagement, involvement in projects, preparation of policy statements and development briefs and work around town centres.

Kirklees, with a population of around 437,000, is the largest district in England that is not a city. It includes the university town of Huddersfield, towns and villages that range from Dewsbury at the edge of Leeds to Holmfirth at the edge of the Peak District National Park. 

Fun fact

The names Kirklees was chosen from more than 50 suggestions when the borough was formed from the merger of 11 districts in 1974 and acknowledges Kirklees Priority, the alleged resting place of Robin Hood.

However, among the rejected names was Briagantium, a nod to the Celtic tribe that occupied the area at the time of the Roman invasion. One of the largest tribes in Roman Britain, they initially collaborated with the Romans before becoming one of the biggest thorns in their side in Britain. It's thought that both the disappearance of the 9th Legion, and the building of Hadrian's Wall were linked to the rebellious activities of the Brigantes.

Find our more and apply

Gingerbread man [square]4.  DON'T BE GINGER(BREAD), MAN

What?

Principal planning officers (x2), West Lancashire Borough Council. 

Where?

Purpose-built offices on the edge of the town centre in Ormskirk, a few miles north of Liverpool in West Lancashire.

The job

"The post holder will provide managerial support within the development management team, supervising and mentoring a team of planning officers as well as having a case load of complex planning applications. The post holder will take a lead role in drafting enforcement notices and reports and will prepare and present the council's case in planning appeals.

Located within easy reach of major conurbations such as Manchester and Liverpool, West Lancashire covers a largely rural area between the town of Skelmersdale in the south to the Ribble estuary nature reserve in the north. It has a population of 114,000, a growing economy, and is home to Edge Hill University.

Fun fact

Ormskirk is fames for its gingerbread, a legacy of the pre-railway years when local women bake gingerbread in their own homes and take it to staging inns to sell to passengers. With the arrival of the railway in the mid-19th century, the gingerbread sellers found a new market and their fame spread - even to the extent that Edward, Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, sent regular orders to the town.

Find out more and apply

Mars bar [square]5.  LIFE ON MARS (AND IN SLOUGH)

What?

Planning officers (x2), Slough Borough Council.

Where?

Purpose-built redbrick offices between the leisure centre and a large park just outside central Slough.

The job

"We are preparing for an unparalleled redevelopment in Slough over the next 10 years, with more than £2.5 billion worth of development and development opportunities. Our planning service is at the heart of all this activity and working in Slough could promise you challenges and opportunities for developing your career that most councils – even London Boroughs, would struggle to match.

"Our mission is to create a world-class quality environment that will stand the test of time, and we are looking for an energetic, skilled and creative planner to join the team."

The borough of Slough is centred on the large town of Slough (unsurprisingly), some 20 miles west of London at the strategically important intersection of the M4, M40 and M25, and close to Heathrow Airport. It's been a hub industry since at least the 1920s and experienced considerable industrial and new town growth throughout the 20th century. Slough now has the UK's highest concentration of global corporate HQs outside London, one of the most ethnically diverse populations in the UK unemployment of just one-third the UK average.

Fun fact

The Mars Bar was first manufactured in 1932 in Slough, England by Forrest Mars, Sr, son of American candy maker Frank C. Mars who had created the Milky Way. Forrest Mars rented a factory in Slough, employed 12 people and started manufacturing a chocolate bar consisting of nougat and caramel, modelled (coincidentally) on the Milky Way. Mars HQ remains in Slough to this day. It's been observed that the price of a Mars bar correlates closely with the change in value of the pound since World War II.

Find out more and apply

Photos | iStock, Shutterstock, Khaerr Guerrier Celte (Celtic warrior),