The Friday Five 21.07.23
It's the Friday Five, our weekly selection of top town planning jobs advertised on Planner Jobs, curated by us just for you. We've even added some fun, place-based facts for your education, entertainment and delight. This week, top jobs in the City of London, Hounslow, Windsor and Maidenhead, Exeter and Stroud. Plus a brief history of livery companies, Hounslow's most exotic resident and the Berkshire bridge immortalised by Turner.
1. HEAD OF PLANNING POLICY, CITY OF LONDON
Location: Guildhall, London
The job: "The City of London Corporation is looking for an outstanding candidate to lead on the City Plan 2040, taking the plan through public consultation, examination, and adoption. The City Plan sets a bold vision for an inclusive, sustainable City, with a thriving cultural and leisure offer that will sit alongside the ever-growing international business function of the Square Mile. As well as delivering the City Plan, you will play a pivotal role in the planning division, helping to implement our policies through developing planning guidance and evidence, shaping the team’s input into applications, and working with strategic partners including other local authorities, national and London government, and key stakeholders in the City.
"Alongside the City Plan, you will manage the Corporation’s digital planning function, helping to deliver a digital local plan, innovative 3D modelling work, data-driven insight and monitoring, and exemplary gazetteer and land charges services.
"You will bring to the role an excellent understanding of the planning system, inspirational team leadership, persuasive communication and presentation skills, and the ability to deliver complex projects. This role will give you an unparalleled opportunity to shape the City’s growth, celebrating our heritage, delivering exemplary new development, and creating sustainable places that work for everyone."
Fun fact: The City of London is the birthplace of livery companies - London's trade associations and guilds, some of which can trace their origin back to the medieval trade guilds.
There are now 111, comprising ancient and modern trades, and they are deeply embedded in the civic, ceremonial and political life of the City. Aside from extensive charitable and networking activities, ‘liverymen’ have voting rights for several important civic offices such as the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs and Common Council for the City Corporation (basically the local authority for the City of London).
Anyway, to the history: Livery companies developed out of medieval trade guilds, endowed by royal charter with responsibility for overseeing various aspects of their trade, from training to regulation, wage control and industry standards. They tend to be referred to as ‘Worshipful companies’ (eg, Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers).
Most represent traditional industries that were at the heart of civic life in the Middle Ages, such as mercers (general merchants), grocers, cutlers, bakers, wax chandlers, ironmongers, dyers, fishmongers, goldsmiths and scriveners. They've been joined over the centuries by more modern industries: there are now Worshipful Companies of Chartered Surveyors, Information Technologists, Air Pilots, Tax Advisers and, most recently, nurses (who, arguably, should have had such recognition many years ago).
But why ‘livery’ companies? This goes back to the ‘livery’ or form of dress worn by retainers of a nobleman, which then became special style of dress that would denote belonging to a trade. It's a uniform associated with an occupation, basically. Most of the companies retain strong connections with their craft, as many remain relevant today, and may still have some role to play in setting standards and awarding qualifications, though their purpose now is mainly civic, charitable and ceremonial.
2. CAREER GRADE PLANNER, LONDON BOROUGH OF HOUNSLOW
Location: Hounslow, London
The job: "Hounslow is looking for career grade planners to join its award-winning development management team. The team is currently working on a wealth of planning applications critical to the social and economic wellbeing of the borough. We have high housing targets to achieve, new schools to place children in and need to create opportunities for employers who want to be in our well-located borough. This must be balanced against acting on the borough's climate emergency and with green belt, listed buildings, conservation areas and River Thames frontage that need protecting. All this needs to be delivered while playing a crucial supporting role in delivering the boroughs partnerships and values.
"A senior planner will help with the delivery of major sites; leading on complex and major planning applications, liaising with developers, applicants and senior officers, conducting negotiations and presenting applications to planning committee. The appointment will be commensurate with experience.
"We would also consider a planner at the beginning of their career and offer a fantastic opportunity to gain practical experience and to develop a strong foundation for a career within the built environment, determining a large number of householder and minor applications, as well as contributing to the overall work of the teams.
"The posts require candidates who have a vision for developing the built environment to achieve the council’s aspirations, who have the confidence and capability to engage with developers, carry a caseload of major applications, and the ability and experience to work with less supervision in delivering the service."
Fun fact: The large and cosmopolitan London Borough of Hounslow has been the birthplace or home of an astonishing number of exceptional people in entertainment and the arts, from Pete Townshend of The Who to Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Let's dwell for a moment, though, with one of the most distinctive, quirky and recognisable actresses of the 20th century: Fenella Fielding.
Known for her almost vampish image, husky voice and exaggerated enunciation, she was the queen of the double entendre and probably best known for her comic roles in things like the Carry On films and satirical radio shows such as Round the Horne.
Fielding was, however, an extremely versatile actress whose very lengthy career embraced comedy, classical drama and tragedy, popular film and TV shows, children's shows, audio readings of classics (being much in demand for her instantly recognisable voice) and latterly even her own album of cover songs (which included Kylie Minogue's Can't Get You Out of My Head).
Born Fenella Feldman in East London in 1927 to a Romanian Jewish mother and Lithuanian Jewish father, she didn't actually take up acting until her mid-20s. Her first role was in 1952 , her last in 2018, the year of her death, aged 90. She was almost instantly a star and remained flamboyantly dramatic, exotic and colourful to the end. If you want the full Fenella Fielding experience, check out the wonderful "Do you mind if I smoke?" scene from Carry on Screaming. Marvellous.
3. PRINCIPAL PLANNING OFFICER, ROYAL BOROUGH OF WINDSOR AND MAIDENHEAD
Location: Maidenhead, Berkshire
The job: "Why work in Planning, Development Management, at the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead?
"There are:
- A recently adopted local plan
- Strategic and large allocated development sites
- An interesting, varied, and challenging workload at all levels
- A commitment to ensuring that future developments are at the forefront in terms of design quality, sustainability and maximising the provision of affordable housing
- Hybrid working – with flexibility
- Support from team leaders (3 DM teams) and DM Manager
- The opportunity to develop and grow your career
- Easy access to and from London on the Elizabeth line
- A fantastic environment.
"The principal planning officer would deal with a wide range of applications, pre-application enquiries and appeals, focusing on major applications. The role would include presenting items to planning committee and acting as the council witness in hearings and public inquiries. Principal planners would be the lead officer for our most significant schemes and deputise for the team leaders including making delegated decisions and mentoring junior staff."
Fun fact: Maidenhead is home to reputedly the longest railway bridge in Europe which, having been designed for the earliest steam engines in the 1830s now carries the massive Elizabeth line trains between London and Reading over the Thames.
The grade I listed structure was designed and built by the great Isambard Kingdom Brunel, then the Great Western Railway Company's engineer, in 1838. Built of brick, it's a single structure with two wide brick arches across the river, buttressed by two narrow arches on land. At the time, the wide arches were a source of controversy, considered by Brunel's peers and critics to lack the stability necessary to carry the weight of the steam engines and their carriages.
Because of this the 'centring' for the arches (effectively support columns for the construction process) were left in place. These, however, were destroyed in a heavy storm in late 1839; the bridge itself, of course, was fine. Brunel was right (again).
The bridge was originally 235 metres long and 9.1m wide, and each of the main arches has a span of 39m. Over the years it's undergone widening (to carry trains of a different gauge) and now has overhead line equipment to enable the electrified Crossrail line to use the bridge.
The bridge was immortalised in JMW Turner's 1844 'Rain, Steam and Speed' though it's barely recognisable amid the sweeping, swirling, impressionistic brush strokes.
4. PLANNING OFFICER (PRE-DEVELOPMENT TECHNICAL ADVISOR), SOUTH WEST WATER
Location: Exeter, Devon
The job: "As a pre-development technical advisor, you'll work within the pre-development team. The team is responsible for the coordination of all our responses to pre-development enquiries, which include the reviews of planning applications within the business. The post holder will undertake the reviewing of planning applications and delivery of point of connection responses which will include reporting and scheme progress.
"What you'll be doing:
- Deliver point of connection response in line with the business and wider requirements of Ofwat/Water Industry Act
- Represent SWW at meetings with customers, developers and other interest groups to ensure South West Water position is maintained and supported
- Review and respond to planning applications on protecting and /capacity of our assets.
- Review and respond to pre-application on surface water strategy on development sites
- Provide design and estimates for PoC enquiries that are bespoke for the charging arrangements.
- Review and respond to enquiries in relation to requests from Highway Authority."
"We're looking for:
- 5 GCSE’s or equivalent at Grade C or above in Maths and English
- NVQ Level 4 in Civil Engineering or HNC
- Experience in a Customer Service Environment
- Microsoft Office 365 experience
- Organised and strong decision maker
- Ability to prioritise work
- Willingness to learn and expand skills."
Fun fact: To etymology corner and the River Exe, its name deriving – it's thought – from the Common Brittonic (that's Celtic to you and me) Uɨsk meaning 'abounding in fish'. The river, which flows for 60 miles from its rising pointing Somerset to the English Channel on the south coast of Devon, gave rise, of course, to the name of Exeter ('fortress on the Exe') where it meets the sea.
But it's also formed the basis of the name of a veritable cornucopia of settlements along its course: there's Exford, Up Exe, Nether Exe, Exwick, Exton, Exminster and Exebridge. There's an Exe Island, to boot, which was Exeter’s first industrial area, artificially created in the 10th century to provide a base for watermills.
The river's name is more than likely over two thousand years old and it's flowed through enormous changes in the physical environment over that time. Is it still full of fish? Probably not nearly as much as it once was, but it's noted for its brown trout and run of Atlantic salmon, both of which attract fly fishers in good numbers every year.
5. SENIOR PLANNING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, STROUD DISTRICT COUNCIL
Location: Stroud District Council
The job: "Stroud District Council has an exceptionally diverse physical, historic, and natural environment, containing more than 3,000 listed buildings, 68 scheduled ancient monuments, 41 conservation areas and internationally important wildlife sites.
"The planning enforcement team receives around 600 enquiries per year. As senior planning enforcement officer you would investigate the most complex breaches of planning control to resolution, including formal enforcement and court action. You would also provide day-to-day leadership of the team, managing case allocation and closures and providing professional guidance and supervision. The professional development of the team is one of our current key priorities, and you would bring about a programme of learning.
"This is a key role for the whole development management service. It is a varied and active role with time regularly spent on site. You need to have an aptitude for gathering information from various sources, interpreting technical documents, problem solving, diplomacy and making clear, logical, and well-founded decisions. You also need great communication skills – both written and verbal – to explain your decisions in easily understood language to different audiences."
Fun fact: “Bees blew like cake-crumbs through the golden air, white butterflies like sugared wafers, and when it wasn't raining a diamond dust took over which veiled and yet magnified all things.”
Slad Valley, just outside Stroud will always be associated with the poetic imagination of Laurie Lee, who recalled a childhood in the valley in Cider with Rosie (1959). This was an evocative depiction that describes the simple, sensual pleasures (and hardships) of an early life in a green and richly nourishing place. The remaining two parts of the Lee autobiographical trilogy – As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning and A Moment of War – describe a more complex and challenging adulthood - the aspiring writer's departure for London and then his travelling to Spain to join the Republican International Brigades to fight Franco's Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War.
There was much more to Lee than the country boy with a head full of words and images. But the time Cider with Rosie was published in 1959, when he was still just 45, Lee had fallen in with anarchists, travelled across Spain making a living by playing his violin, fought in the Spanish Civil War, worked as an office clerk, a builder's labourer, a journalist and scriptwriter with the wartime Crown Film Unit and subsequently the Ministry of Information, earned an MBE for his work as 'caption-writer-in-chief for the Festival of Britain, started and abandoned an art degree, published four books, three collections of poetry, two screenplays and a play. Oh, he'd also had a daughter with a married woman, who left him for the painter Lucien Freud.
The success of Cider with Rosie enabled him to pursue writing as a full-time career and to buy a cottage in Slad where he remained for the rest of his life. It continues to be one of the UK's most popular books and has inspired films, TV series, radio plays and more. There's also a statue of Laurie Lee in the Spanish fishing village of Almuñécar, which he wrote about in As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning.
Image credits | Sandor Szmutko, Shutterstock; iStock; iStock; iStock; Wozzie, Shutterstock
