The Friday Five 07.02.20
1. HAVE A BASH AT THIS
What?
Planning officer, Preston City Council.
Where?
Preston Town Hall, a grand edifice in the centre of Preston, Lancashire.
The job
"To assist in the workload of the development management division; to efficiently and effectively deliver the core planning services, the council’s main aims, key service objectives and targets as set out in thecorporate plan and department’s service delivery plan."
Duties will include handling development management and enforcement work, negotiating with applicants, advising planning officers, and so on.
Preston is a mid-sized city in Lancashire, with a population of around 132,000 and up to 313,000 in the wider built-up area. The city is noted for its innovative approach towards local economic development.
Fun fact
Leo Baxendale, one of the Beano comic's greatest illustrators and the creator of Minnie the Minx and The Bash Street Kids, was born, grew up and was educated in in Preston. Born in 1930, Baxendale took his first job as an artist for Lancashire Evening Post, drawing adverts and cartoons.
By 1952 he was working with coming's publisher DC Thompson, and over the next 10 years created popular strips The Beano and Beezer comics. Leaving in 1962, he created a number of other comms during his career, gradually moving towards more adult-orientated material.
He died in 2017, and is remembered as a creator of "anarchic, hilarious and revolutionary comics".
2. ONE TO TREASURE
What?
Assistant enforcement officer (development management), East Suffolk Council.
Where?
Newly built modern and sustainable offices in the village of Melton in East Suffolk.
The job
"You will carry out a range of enforcement duties, as assigned by the senior enforcement officer, taking account of relevant legislation, policies and the procedures of the council, as well as assess and make recommendations ensuring awareness of enforcement background, site histories and present policies."
Newly created from Suffolk Coastal and Waveney district councils, East Suffolk is the largest (ie, most populous) district council in England. Stretching from Felixstowe to Lowestoft, the district incorporates large areas of AONB, beautiful coastline and attractive towns and villages.
Fun fact
Melton is close to some of the most important Anglo Saxon archaeological sites in England, including the amazing Sutton Hoo ship burial. Discovered in 1939, the burial ship is 27 metres long and is thought to be the resting place of the early 7th century King Raedwald of East Anglia.
At the time of discovery the treasures associated with the burial were the richest discovered on British soil and include the famous Sutton Hoo helmet, an elaborately decorated headpiece that may have been a kind of crown. The site includes a number of other Saxon burials, too.
3. THE RADICAL'S CHOICE
What?
Infrastructure funding officer, London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
Where?
Tower Hamlets Town Hall is a modern building on the edge of a former dock in Poplar, East London.
The job
"Our large and growing infrastructure planning (IP) service is an industry leader at the cutting edge of infrastructure planning centred at the heart of great place making, spatial planning and delivery. We provide a core planning function to the council, coordinating the strategic planning, funding, development and delivery of infrastructure with expertise in infrastructure planning, CIL, S106, project and programme management.
"As part of the IP service, you will primarily be working on the collection of CIL, ensuring the council maximises the value of planning applications. You will also gain exposure to key areas of infrastructure planning including how the council plans for, funds and programmes infrastructure delivery."
Tower Hamlets is small but very populous borough covering much of the East End of London. Stretching from Tower Bridge to the mouth of the River Lea, it includes the redeveloped Docklands, part of Queen Elizabeth Country Park, Britains's biggest Mosque and famous areas such as Brick Lane, Spitalfields Market, museums, historic churches and pubs, city farms, parks, music venues and more. It's a borough of contrasts: alongside its riches are high rates of poverty and inequality.
Fun fact
Because it contains the docks that were at the heart of Empire, Tower Hamlets has always been a human melting pot. Aside from the migration of rural workers, the area has welcomed waves of foreign immigrants, including Huguenot refugees in the 17th century, Irish Weavers, Ashkenazy Jews and, more recently, Bangladeshis.
Many worked in the clothing and textile industries, and the sweat shops and poor working conditions attracted the attention of social reformers in the 19th century. Consequently, the area gave birth to British unionism, the Labour Party and major social reforms that secured better living and working conditions for the working class.
4. FEELING BOOKISH?
What?
Principal planning officer, London Borough of Camden.
Where?
Modern offices at King's Cross, London.
The job
"The post is within the Euston team, which has responsibility for the development of planning policy for the Euston area, managing the pre-application and application process for the over site development above and around Euston Station and the HS2 station, shaping emerging designs for Network Rail and Crossrail 2 stations at Euston, considering wider opportunities around Euston Station and delivering the objectives of the Euston Area Plan. Whether HS2 goes ahead or not, there is a once in a generation opportunity to enhance and re-shape the Euston area through a positive planning approach and working with our local communities."
Camden is an inner-london borough with a large and diverse population, and extends from Lincoln's Inn Fields in the south to Highgate Cemetery in the north. It's packed with history and includes some of London's - and the UK's - most popular attractions and important institutions, such as the British Museum and British Library. And, of course, it's home to major railway stations and the will be the start and end point of the proposed HS2 railway.
Fun fact
The British Library at St Pancras is the largest public building constructed in the United Kingdom in the 20th century. Opened in 1997, it was designed specially for the purpose by the architect Colin St John Wilson in collaboration with his wife MJ Long. Wilson apparently devoted 37 years of his career to the design and construction of the building, which was grade I listed in 2015.
As the national library of the UK, the library houses upwards of 200 million items from many countries; and as a legal deposit library, it receives a copy of every book produced in the UK and Ireland. As well as its 14 million books, the collections includes books, manuscripts (dating back to 2000 BCE), journals, newspapers, magazines, sound and music recordings, videos, play-scripts, patents, databases, maps, stamps, prints and drawings.
Since 2013, the library has been saving all sites with the suffix .uk (every British website, e-book, online newsletter, and blog) in a bid to preserve the nation's 'digital memory'.
5. A LITTLE BIT OF VARIETY
What?
Senior planning officers, North Norfolk District Council.
Where?
Modern low-rise offices on the outskirts of Cromer on the North Norfolk coast.
The job
"We have opportunities within both our policy team and major projects team for positive, enthusiastic and forward thinking senior planners. The major projects team is looking for enthusiastic senior officers to be responsible for a range of complex application, including housing, commercial and renewable energy.
"The planning policy team is seeking to deliver major strategic growth and infrastructure in an environment of exceptional quality. You will assist in progressing the emerging local plan towards reg19, lead in policy formation, including site allocations and housing policies, and engage in partnership work across the wider Norfolk Strategic Framework."
North Norfolk is a large and relatively sparsely populated district across a swathe of North Norfolk coastline. It contains a large number of small settlements as well as market and coastal towns and a big chunk of AONB.
Fun fact
Cromer's end-of-the-pier variety show is reputed to be the last remaining full season show of its kind. The show runs two seasons a year (in summer and at Christmas) in the pier's 500-seat Pavilion Theatre.
At one time such shows were a staple of seaside resorts all over the country and attracted big name entertainers. George Formby always played a summer season, Laurel and Hardy played Margate's Winter Gardens in the 1940s and even the Beatles were part of a summer season bill there in the early 1960s.
Photos | Shutterstock, iStock,
