The Friday Five 26.07.24
It's the Friday Five – our weekly collection of the best town planning jobs currently advertised on Planner Jobs, plus a few place-based facts for your education and amusement. This week, opportunities in Cirencester, Hackney, Bradford, Crawley and King's Lynn. Plus the source of the Thames, Hackney's love of books, the factory in Bradford that's now a world heritage site, the curious world championships held in a village near Crawley and the King's Lynn Formula One driver production line.
1. INFRASTRUCTURE DELIVERY LEAD, PUBLICA
Location: Cirencester/Witney/home
The job: "The role is shared 50:50 between Cotswold District Council and West Oxfordshire District Council.
"An exceptional opportunity has arisen to join us as an infrastructure delivery lead, working in a shared capacity across Cotswold District Council and West Oxfordshire District Council. As an infrastructure delivery lead, you'll be playing a pivotal role in leading to enhanced sustainable outcomes, through the delivery of new and enhanced infrastructure.
"You will lead and manage a team of four, to ensure that when new development comes forward it's supported by the right investment in infrastructure. From developing policies and processes through to effective management of both councils' CIL and section 106 processes, you'll be integral to empowering positive outcomes using an innovative and solutions focused approach.
"Due to the nature of the role, you'll need the ability to lead on a variety of complex cases, turning technical concepts into impactful propositions whilst harnessing change, in line with relevant legislation, prescribed policy, procedures and guidelines."
Fun fact: It's often said that the source of the River Thames is Cirencester - although this isn't strictly true. The Roman town is the nearest sizeable settlement, but the spring - or, rather, collection of seasonal springs - that become the Thames actually appear above ground first on the fringes of the village of Kemble, and roughly three miles south west of Cirencester itself.
Even the Thames Head (as it's called) isn't the actual, actual source – that lies a mile or so north of Kemble among the limestone aquifers of the Cotswolds. But wherever it springs from, the waters gather for kilometre after kilometre, flowing, rolling and winding eastwards through country, town and city, until the now lazy river meets the North Sea at Southend-on-Sea 346km away. This makes it the longest river entirely within England and the second longest in the UK – that honour actually belongs to the Severn.
It's fair to say the the Thames is one of the world's most iconic rivers because of its indelible association with London, and it's been a source not just of industry and settlement, and it's been a place nit just of deep and substantial history, but an inspiration for hundreds of artists and writers, who have produced thousands of artistic, photographic and literary depictions of the river. Our impressions of the river belong as much to painting of Turner and Monet, the poetic lines of Wordsworth, the music of the Kinks or the opening credits of Eastenders, as they do to our own observations of the river from the bridges, banks and jetties that line its path.
It's a river that is embedded in our national consciousness, yet much of it exists outside of London and is virtually unknown to most of the population. The Thames has nine substantial tributaries and passes though eight counties and dozens of towns and villages, from the rural to the intensely urban, including Henley, Windsor, Maidenhead, Marlow, Staines, Kingston, Gravesend, Tilbury, Canvey Island and finally Southern-on-Sea. It has many faces.
It's also a rich source of wildlife, and home to species that include otter, kingfisher, water vole and even seals, dolphin and oysters, geese, heron, eels, zander, bream, perch, pike barbel and carp, salmon and trout. And it all begins near Cirencester which, ironically, is named after an entirely different river, the Churn. Go figure.
2. SENIOR BIODIVERSITY OFFICER, LONDON BOROUGH OF HACKNEY
Location: Hackney, London
The job: "We're looking for a senior biodiversity officer to work alongside a multidisciplinary team in the conservation, urban design and sustainability team to assist in the delivery of the council’s biodiversity ambitions within planning and to help to address the climate emergency in Hackney.
"Hackney has a dense and complex built environment and is fortunate to be one of London's greenest inner-city boroughs, with more than 40 per cent of its land classified as green cover. Through our local plan, climate action plan, green infrastructure strategy and nature recovery plan, we're committed to fighting the impending climate and biodiversity crisis,
enhancing green infrastructure and promoting sustainable development for the benefit of Hackney’s communities.
"We're looking for someone with ambition, creativity and commitment to ensure that new development in the borough is designed to meet the highest standards in relation to biodiversity and green infrastructure. As senior biodiversity officer, you'll promote best practice, participate in guidance and policy-making and negotiate positive design changes as part of the development management process. The role will also include opportunities for collaboration with other parts of the council as well as partner organisations to help maximise the delivery of green infrastructure in the borough."
Fun fact: The London Borough of Hackney, at the epicentre of London’s trendier central east end, is the right place if you're after a good book, with no fewer than eight public libraries to choose from. A good thing, for sure, but Hackney’s history shows us that offering a public library service has always been a difficult thing to sustain.
The fight to protect Hackney’s libraries is a perennial one, with recent attempts to save either the libraries themselves, or those that staff them, joining a long history of campaigns to keep Hackney residents’ access to books alive (‘closed libraries equals closed minds’ being a familiar mantra).
Hackney’s libraries and their history may have played their part in the area being home to a plethora of writing groups, poets’ circles and other community events. Notable writers born in the borough include Iain Sinclair, Harold Pinter, Dennis Norden and Raymond Antrobus.
(Mildly fascinating fact PS: The Old English word for library was ‘boc-hord’, literally ‘book-hoard’.)
3. TOWN PLANNING MANAGER – CAPITAL DELIVERY, YORKSHIRE WATER
Location: Bradford/Hybrid
The job: "Everyone has an idea of what a water company does. Here in Yorkshire, we make sure that over 5.4 million people living in the region and the millions of people who visit our region each year, can rely on our services, and have clean and safe drinking water on tap and that their wastewater is taken away. But for us, it’s so much more than this.
"We look after communities, protect the environment, and plan to look after Yorkshire’s water, today, tomorrow 24/7, 365 days a year. We provide essential water and wastewater services to every corner of the Yorkshire region, and play a key role in the region’s health, wellbeing, and prosperity.
"Our land and property team is setting up a new town planning centre of excellence to provide sound advice to the business on all aspects relating to the planning permission process, as well as influencing local plans to reduce water demand/flooding, improving water quality and support our capital programme. The town planning (capital delivery) team will support the planning application process from initial advice through to working with project teams and external planning consultants to secure the required planning permissions to ensure our extensive capital programme is delivered on time.
"As town planning manager you'll support the delivery of Yorkshire Water’s business strategy, which will involve leading the town planning team to provide sound advice for capital projects or operational needs; supporting project managers and working closely with external consultants; managing the planning consultancy framework."
Fun fact: Salt's Mill on the outskirts of Bradford was at one time the largest industrial building in the world by floor area. It was built in 1853 as a textile mill at the height of the Industrial Revolution by local industrialist and philanthropist Sir Titus Salt. Salt was dismayed by the working conditions he saw at other textile mills and resolved to do better; alongside the mill he financed the construction of the village of Saltaire to house his employees and their families. His intention was to offer a better quality of life in and out of work., at a time when industry was plagued by long working days, very low wages, dangerous machinery and extremely poor working conditions.
It was – and is – an extremely impressive construction and built to be so. Designed by Lockwood and Mawson in the Italianate style, it was known as ‘The Palace of Industry’. Its frontage face the railway; the Leeds and Liverpool Canal; runs through its complex of buildings. It was built with offices, Italianate towers, stables and with a degree of ventilation, convenience and comfort at its heart.
Nowadays it's a grade II* listed building. Cloth production ceased at the mill in 1986 and it was sold the following year to local entrepreneur Jonathan Silver who oversaw its reinvention as a retail and leisure destination with an art gallery that carries a good deal of work by Bradford artist David Hockney. As for Saltaire, it's now a Unesco World Heritage Site, described as " an outstanding and well preserved example of a mid 19th century industrial town... the layout and architecture of Saltaire admirably reflect mid 19th century philanthropic paternalism, as well as the important role played by the textile industry in economic and social development". Couldn't have put it better ourselves.
4. PLANNING OFFICER OR SENIOR PLANNING OFFICER, CRAWLEY BOROUGH COUNCIL
Location: Crawley, West Sussex
The job: "We have an exciting opportunity to join our development management team as a planner in one of the UK’s most successful new towns. The small team handles a varied range of planning applications and we’re looking for a flexible, professional and customer-focused team member to work in an environment where we aim to provide excellent customer service to all of our customers.
"You'll deal with every aspect of the planning process from pre-application discussions to processing, negotiating and determining planning applications. You’ll also be involved in all aspects of post decision work, including appeal and enforcement work when required.
"There may also be opportunities to provide support to other team members – for example, on major projects or other planning related enquiries. Dependant on experience, the role provides opportunities to work with others on larger scale residential and commercial projects and to develop your casework experience across a wide range of applications."
Fun fact: Marbles. You may think of it as relatively modern game, but Tinsley Green near Crawley has in fact been hosting marbles championships on Good Friday since at least 1588!
The story goes that rival suitors for the hand of milk maiden named Joan settled on a mammoth sporting contest to decide which of then should stand down. The two young men, Giles and Hodge, competed across a series of sports over the course of a week, including those well-known games singlestick, backsword, quarter staff, cudgel play, wrestling, cock throwing, archery, cricket-a-wicket, tilting at quintain (jousting targets), Turk's head, stoolball and tipcat.
At the end of all of this, the score stood at a finely balanced 6-6. Good Friday was chosen for the final event and young Joan determined which game would decide the winner of her hand in marriage. She chose...marbles.
Marbles tournaments have allegedly been played in Tinsley Green ever since, but in 1932 it was decided to instigate a world championship. The British and World Marbles Championships takes the form of a knockout tournament plays by teams of six (generally representing a pub, it seems) and with rules determined by the British Marbles Board of Control (yes, such a thing exists).
The rules are actually quite complex and involve objects and rule sixth names like 'trolleys', 'shooters' and 'taws'. You can watch a video of this year's tournament here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rd9lygthrBc It was played in the car park of the Greyhound Pub and was won by Yorkshire Meds who defeated Black Dog Boozers in a tense but sporting final.
Next year's championship will be held on 18 April. Just sayin'.
5. PLANNER/GRADUATE PLANNER, BOROUGH COUNCIL OF KING'S LYNN AND WEST NORFOLK
Location: King's Lynn, Norfolk/Hybrid
The job: "We have an opportunity for you to join our planning policy team in a role that will either get your career off to a great start or present a fresh challenge for you. In either role, you'll be able to develop further through our supported progression scheme.
"We're a large borough with diverse landscapes ranging from the Norfolk Coast protected landscape to the Fens, Brecks and built-up areas. This gives you the opportunity to be involved with rural and urban planning matters, including regeneration and coastal planning, as well as major developments in and around the main towns of King’s Lynn, Downham Market and Hunstanton. West Norfolk provides a beautiful environment in which to live and work, with the council offices based in King’s Lynn, a medieval town and port with an outstanding conservation area.
"You'll help shape our borough’s future, balancing the new growth planned for the area with the preservation of the borough’s unique environment and heritage. You'll deal with a range of planning matters, including urban, rural, and coastal planning."
Fun fact: Who would have thought that gentle, civilised King's Lynn might be a hotbed of Formula One action? Well, it's not quite. But it has produced two of Britain's finest Formula One racers of recent decades: Martin Brundle and current Mercedes driver George Russel both hail from the town.
Brundle actually raced alongside the great Ayrton Senna in the British Formula Three Championship in 1983, finishing a close second to the maestro, and the two progressed into Formula One together (and did you know the Senna lived in Norwich for a time?). Brundle had two stints int he sport - from 1894-7 and again from 1992-6. His second stint was the more successful - though Brundle never actually won a race, he stood on the podium nine time sand achieved 6th and 7th placed finishes in the championship. Outside of Formula One he racked up a series of stunning victories, including the World Sportscar Championship over 11 races in 1988, the 24 Hours of Daytona in the same year and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1990. He later became a commentator for television and still works for Sky Sports.
George Russell is a novice by comparison. Born in 1998, he's been racing in Formula one since 2019. But he already has two more victories than Brundle, with wins in 202 (when he finished fourth overall) and this year. But he still has plenty of time...
Image credits | Gorka Garcia, Shutterstock; Prokrida, Shutterstock; Alastair Wallacem Shutterstock; Kampus, Shutterstock; Hafiz Johari, Shutterstock
