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The Friday Five 31.08.18

Published on: 31 Aug 2018

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

A Shilling [square]1. CHEAP AT HALF THE PRICE

What?

Senior planning officers, Birmingham City Council

Where?

Lancaster House, near Birmingham city centre. In the West Midlands.

The job(s)

There's more than one role available in the largest planning department in the country, working in either planning management (applications and appeals) or development planning (regeneration and development-based initiatives).

Birmingham is undergoing a series of massive projects, from housing to large scale commercial and infrastructure schemes. These include the Langley urban extension, the Smithfield city centre redevelopment, planning for the arrival of HS2 and for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. There's no shortage of big jobs to get stuck into.

Fun fact

Despite having been a primary settlement of the Anglian Beormingas tribe, by the time of the Domesday Book of 1086 the manor of Birmingham was one of the poorest and least populated in Warwickshire, valued at only 20 shillings.

Find out more and apply

Lauren Bacall [square]2. YOU KNOW HOW TO WHISTLE, DON'T YOU?

What?

Planning manager with Dandara, one of the UK's largest independent property development companies

Where?

Hemel Hempstead, Herts

The job

"This is a great opportunity for someone to further their planning career, free from the constraints and restrictions of working for a PLC housebuilder or the rigidity of a planning consultancy."

You'll be providing planning advice to colleagues, managing conditions and obligations, managing applications, working with colleagues to identify future opportunities across the South East and representing the company in stakeholder meetings and community engagement.

Fun fact

The late, very great Hollywood star Lauren Bacall laid the foundation stone for Hemel Hempstead's new Odeon cinema in 1959. This opened the following year but became a bingo hall in the late 20th century with the opening of a multiplex elsewhere. It's now The Full House, a Wetherspoon pub. We don't know if Lauren ever drank there.

Find out more and apply

Stephenson's Rocket [square]3. MIND THE GAP!

What?

Senior neighbourhood planning officer, Chichester District Council

Where?

Chichester, a medium-sized and very historic cathedral city and the county town of West Sussex

The job

You'll be contributing to "an on-going programme of new and reviewed neighbourhood plans to help to shape the future sustainable growth of this economically buoyant and environmentally sensitive area".

Experience of neighbourhood planning and community engagement is preferred (naturally) and you'll be comfortable with drafting policies and regulatory compliance. 

Chichester district is mainly rural and stretches from the south coast to the Surrey border and includes South Downs National Park and the Chichester Harbour AONB, as well as Chichester itself.

Fun fact

Chichester MP has the dubious honour of being the first widely reported railway fatality, in 1830. Notoriously clumsy, he was hit by Stephenson's Rocket at the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway after failing to get out of the way in time. 

Find out more and apply

Non-league football [square]4. COME ON YOU DUDS!

What?

Principal planning officer, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

Where?

Dudley, West Midlands, in a modern building neighbouring a rather grand complex of civic buildings that includes the council HQ, the town hall and the library. Dudley is a large town known as the "capital of  the Black country". The  borough has a population of more than 300,000. 

The job

"We are seeking a visionary policy based planning professional who can lead in the delivery of the Dudley Local Plan as well as key aspects of the Black Country Core Strategy review to help shape emerging plans at the sub regional and local levels."

Dudley's anticipating serious investment in physical regneration in the next few years, to include a Metro extension, an £81 million town centre mixed-use development  and an £18m transport hub. "In addition the DY5 Enterprise Zone will help to drive forward investment in advanced manufacturing and the professional and creative sectors."

Plenty to do for an ambitious planner.

Fun fact

Dudley is the largest town in England never to have had a football league club. Dudley Town FC and Dudley Sports FC have never managed to progress beyond the Southern League.

Find out more and apply

Wrexham Lager [square]5. TWO PINTS OF LAGER AND A PACKET OF CRISPS PLEASE

What?

Area planning officers x2, Wrexham County Borough Council. One is permanent position in planning policy; the other is a 12 month contract in development management. 

Where?

Central Wrexham, north Wales

The job(s)

"Wrexham County Borough Council is looking to recruit two enthusiastic and committed Planning Officers; one permanent post in the Planning Policy Team to work on delivering the Local Development Plan and associated evidence base, and one 12 month temporary post in the Development Management Team to deal with a varied case load of planning applications."

Understanding of the importance of Welsh language and culture is essential in the largest town in the north of Wales. Situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley alongside the border with England, Wrexham has a population of more than 60,000 and the wider borough has 135,000 inhabitants.

Fun fact

Wrexham benefited from good underground water supplies which were essential to the brewing of beer: by the mid-19th century, there were 19 breweries in and around the town. Wrexham Lager brewery was established in 1882 in Central Road and became the first brewery in the United Kingdom to produce lager beer. Closed due to competition from large breweries, it's recently been revived as an enterprise - so you can still buy a pint of Wrexham Lager.

Find out more and apply

Photo credits | iStock | Shutterstock |Vouliagmeni (Wrexham Lager)