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The Friday Five 18.01.19

Published on: 18 Jan 2019

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

Giant hailstones [square]1. ALL HAIL HORSHAM

What?

Planning compliance officer, Horsham District Council.

Where?

Modern offices on the edge of the town centre, en route to the railway station in Horsham, West Sussex.

The job

A busy local planning authority, Horsham has around 600 enforcement cases a year to investigate. "You will take ownership of a large number of breaches of planning control, undertaking an investigation and site visit, and initially working with the owner to seek to rectify the breach of planning control where appropriate, without the need for formal action.

"You will manage a varied caseload of housing, commercial and other types of interesting cases in the north of the district, covering Horsham town and the surrounding villages."

Horsham itself is a mid-sized market town on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex. It's less than 20 miles from the south coast and the South Downs National Park at Brighton, and equally close to the Surrey Hills AONB.

Fun fact

Horsham holds the UK record for the heaviest hailstone ever to fall. On 5 September 1958, a hailstone the size of a tennis ball and weighing 140 grams landed in the town. The impact speed was calculated to have been around 224 mph (or as fast as a peregrine falcon in full dive mode).

Find out more and apply

Eel [square]2. FEEL THE EEL

What?

Senior planning officer, East Cambridgeshire District Council.

Where?

The council offices close to the heart of historic Ely, just over the road from the police station and a short walk from the cathedral.

The job

"You will be working in development management and in this post you will deal with a varied workload of major and more complex minor planning applications, whilst supporting, motivating and advising planning officers and the planning assistant.

"With a diverse range of buildings and projects in the district, including internationally renowned heritage and environmental assets, new industrial projects, a major extension to the north of Ely and retail proposals, there are wide-ranging areas of work to be enjoyed within this role."

Ely is a small, historic city 14 miles north of Cambridge, famous for its cathedral and for being the highest point of land in the Fens (at 26 metres).

Fun fact

As previously noted in the Friday Five, Ely is thought to be named after the eels that were once abundant in local waterways. Nowadays, the city celebrates this etymology with an annual Eel Festival on the first weekend in May. Events include a parade led by Ellie the Eel and eel-related food and drink. Beyond this, Ely's eel pride is expressed in an 'eel trail' heritage walk marked by 70 way markers set in the ground with pictures of eels engraved into brass.

Find out more and apply

Theatre of Small Convenience [square]3. A VERY CONVENIENT ROLE

What?

Planning officers x2/ Senior planning officers, Malvern Hills District Council.

Where?

The council office, a handsome Grade II listed Victorian Gothic mansion in downtown Malvern on the edge of the Malvern Hills AONB, near Worcester.

The job

"We are seeking enthusiastic and committed planning officers who would thrive on the challenge of managing a substantial and varied caseload of planning applications and appeals and contribute to the work of our effective and well respected team.

Malvern Hills is a sizeable district with a population of around 77,000, covering a number of small towns and villages as well as about half of the Malvern Hills AONB. The area has a significant spa heritage, and Malvern water is bottled and distributed commercially worldwide. 

Fun fact

The Theatre of Small Convenience on Malvern entered the Guinness Book of World Records in 2002 as the smallest theatre in the world. Housed in a former Victorian gents toilet, it measures 4.9 metres by 1.8m by 3m wide and has a capacity of 12 people only. The theatre was opened in 1999 by puppeteer and Dennis Neale and has been a venue for an international puppetry festival, as well as plays, storytelling and opera.

Find out more and apply

Les Dawson statue [square]4. LES BE 'AVIN' YOU

What?

Planning officer - development services, Fylde Council (2-year contract).

Where?

The town hall, a  handsome building on the seafront promenade in Lytham St Annes, a few miles south of Blackpool in Lancashire and a short walk from Royal Lytham St Annes golf club.

The job

"We are looking for a talented individual with a passion for place making that will make a positive contribution to the team, council and the business community, in respect of regeneration and economic development initiatives. 

"This post is located within the regeneration team, which is involved with the delivery of regeneration projects within town and village centres, the delivery of the council’s heritage strategy, arboricultural matters, landscape architecture and economic development."

Lytham St Annes is a medium-sized borough bordering Blackpool with a population of around 79,000, covering a number of small towns and villages along the coast and River Ribble between Blackpool and Preston.

Fun fact

Two minutes walk from he council office is a small memorial garden containing a statue of St Annes resident, the great comedian Les Dawson who died in 1993. Unveiling the statue in 2008, his widow Tracy is reported to have said: "Although Les was short in stature, his impact on the Fylde coast was phenomenal." Other notable St Annes residents include singer George Formby and comedian Jenny Eclair.

Find out more and apply

War of the Worlds machine [square]5. A MARTIAN MASSACRE

What?

Planning executive, Crest Nicholson.

Where?

Crest Nicholson's HQ, modern offices on the edge of the town centre in Chertsey, Surrey, midway between Woking and Heathrow Airport.

The job

"Crest Nicholson Strategic Projects (CSP) are recruiting for a planning executive to join the growing and dynamic team. The CSP team manages the acquisition of strategic land, promoting the concept of garden villages  and creating a master plan with placemaking and community focus at the heart.

"As planning executive, you will manage the planning application process of major development projects, leading on business development, project reviews meetings and the appointment of consultants."

Allegedly one of the oldest market towns in England, Chertsey is a small town located on the River Thames close to the M25 motorway.

Fun fact

Chertsey has a mixed history in literature. It was the location for the tale of the Wars of the Roses heroine Blanche Heriot, who clung to the clapper of an enormous bell in order to gain time while waiting for her lover's pardon to arrive. Dickens chose it as the scene of an aborted burglary by Oliver and Bill Sykes in Oliver Twist. H G Wells simply obliterated it: In The War of the Worlds Chertsey was destroyed by a Martian fighting machine.

Find out more and apply

Image credits | Gerald England (Les Dawson), Bob Embleton (Theatre of Small Convenience, iStock, Shutterstock