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The Friday Five 22.06.18

Published on: 20 Jun 2018

Top five square_shutterstock [square]A round-up of five of the best, most interesting or most unusual jobs on Planner Jobs this week. It's a plethora of possibilities in local authorities in this week's Friday Five, as we visit the heart of the city, England's rural and historic heartlands and the home of the hat. 


1. PAST AND FUTURE AT HEART OF THE CITY

What?
Senior planners – design, City of London

Where?
The City of London, the "historic and commercial core of the capital and the world's leading financial centre", apparently.

What’s great about this job?
It's an intriguing mixture of old and new - conservation of a treasured built environment with a 2,000-year history; and ensuring the Square Mile can continue to function as a modern commercial centre. You'll be shaping the City by advising on high profile, challenging projects at a time of considerable change (Brexit - cough).  No pressure, then.

Fun fact 
The built environment team is based at Guildhall which, legend has it, was the site of the palace of Brutus of Troy, who founded a city called Troia Nova (New Troy) on the banks of the Thames. This legend may not be entirely accurate.

Find out more and apply

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2. PLAN FOR GROWTH IN A RURAL HEARTLAND

What?
Senior planning policy officer and planning policy officer, South Holland District Council

Where?
Not a region in the Netherlands, but a Lincolnshire district of some 92,000 souls, at a density of roughly 1.2 per hectare. It's bordered by Boston (not in the USA) to the north, Norfolk to the east and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to the south.

What’s great about this job?
You'll be directly influencing the delivery of a South East Lincolnshire local plan jointly prepared with Boston, which is reaching the end of its examination in public. South Holland itself is fenland - rural, low-lying and characterised by small settlements. It's a challenging area, very traditional but with a growing population that needs housing and a more diverse economy to keep up with the times. The senior planner will lead on key elements of the plan; both roles will see close working with neighbourhoods.
 
Fun fact 
South Holland produced the second highest vote in favour of leave at the 2016 EU referendum at 73.5%. It was topped only by neighbouring Boston. 

Find out more and apply

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3. SUSTAINABLE LIVING IN THE HOME OF THE HAT

What?
Senior planning policy officer, Luton Council

Where?
Luton, Bedfordshire. A large town of 216,000 placed more or less halfway between London and Milton Keynes on one axis, and Oxford and Cambridge on the other. Handily positioned, you might say.

What’s great about this job?
"You’ll be hands on with working on the review of the Luton Local Plan, developing and interpreting sustainable land use and transport policy." The plan puts a lot of emphasis on sustainable transport - ie, cycling and walking – in a densely populated but car-heavy district. If that's your bag, go for it. Luton Council is also keen to stress its team ethos and its employee progression scheme.

Fun fact
Luton was once a global centre of hat manufacture, producing around 70 million hats a year by the 1930s. The industry is recalled in the nickname of the town's football team (the Hatters).

Find out more and apply 

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4. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE QUALITY (OF LIFE) 

What?
Principal planning officer, Cheshire East Council

Where?
Crewe, Cheshire East. Population 376,000 (est)

What’s great about this job?
Life is nothing if not interesting in Cheshire East Council. It governs a large area south of Manchester that stretches from the Peak District in the East to Merseyside in the west and encompasses a mixture of urban and rural settlements. There's a recently adopted local plan with a strong emphasis on growth and quality of life; there are modest country schemes, large urban regeneration projects and the small matter of HS2 to plan for. Plenty to get stuck into in a  job that carries fair responsibility.

Fun fact
Gawsworth, near Macclesfield, is where you'll find Gawsworth Old Hall, a grade I listed building once  home to Samuel "Maggotty" Johnson, the last professional jester in England. His spirit reputedly haunts nearby Maggotty Wood.

Find out more and apply

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5. PROTECTING HISTORY, PROMOTING GROWTH IN THE MIDLANDS

What?
Planner/Senior planning officer, Lichfield District Council

Where?
Lichfield, Staffordshire, West Midlands. A little north of Birmingham. Population 100,000 or so.

What’s great about this job?
It's development management in a extremely sensitive environment. The cathedral City of Lichfield alone has more than 230 listed buildings, and the district as a whole has 800. It's an attractive destination for new residents from around the West Midlands, and the pressure for housing is considerable. How do you manage growth in an area with such historic sensitivity? Therein lies the challenge.

Fun fact
The last public burning at the stake in England took place in Lichfield in 1612, when Edward Wightman from Burton upon Trent was executed in the market place for promoting himself as the saviour of the world.

Find out more and apply 

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