Senior Planner

The role is based at Hestercombe House, Taunton, Somerset. It is a full-time position for a Senior Planning Consultant, client advisory and fee earning role. The salary is £38,000 to £48,000, depending on experience, capability, and expected fee earning contribution.

About the role

Bondstones is looking to appoint a Senior Planner to join their rural planning team at Hestercombe House. This role focuses on rural planning, permitted development, change of use, diversification, planning applications, prior notifications, certificates of lawfulness, and related development strategy. The role is client-facing and fee earning, but not a regional leadership appointment.

Responsibilities

• Preparing planning appraisals, site assessments, planning reports and feasibility advice.
• Preparing, submitting and managing planning applications, prior notifications and certificates of lawfulness.
• Advising on rural permitted development, including Class Q, Class R, agricultural buildings and related prior approval routes.
• Supporting rural change of use, barn conversion, diversification, tourism, equestrian, renewable energy and rural business projects.
• Researching planning policy, case law, appeal decisions and procedural requirements.
• Assisting with planning appeals, enforcement matters and responses to local planning authority queries.
• Working with architects, surveyors, ecologists, landscape consultants, heritage consultants and other external specialists.
• Attending site visits and client meetings across the South West and wider southern England.
• Preparing clear written advice for clients and internal project teams.
• Contributing to Bondstones' Stepping Stones™ planning methodology and internal knowledge base.

Requirements

• A sound understanding of the English planning system.
• Around five years’ relevant post-graduation or post-qualification experience, or equivalent capability.
• Experience preparing or managing planning submissions.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Confidence in client-facing work.
• An ability to understand planning risk, policy context and procedural options.
• Commercial awareness, including an understanding of scope, time, fee recovery and client expectations.
• A practical, organised and methodical approach to workload management.
• Professional judgement and attention to detail.
• A willingness to work as part of a specialist rural planning and architectural team.

Qualifications

• MRTPI status or eligibility is advantageous, but not essential where strong planning ability and relevant experience are demonstrated.

Benefits

• A beautiful working location with onsite parking, café and access to 45 acres of landscaped grounds.
• Dog-friendly office.
• Enhanced Employee Assistance Programme.
• 20 days’ basic holiday, plus birthday leave, Christmas and New Year closure, and public holidays.
• Pension: 8% Workplace Pension.

Pay and Schedule

This is a salaried professional role with salary set according to experience, capability, independence and expected fee-earning contribution. The advertised salary range is not an automatic progression scale. Appointment within the range will depend on the candidate’s ability to manage planning work, advise clients, produce high quality written submissions, work efficiently within agreed scope and contribute to recoverable fee income.

Skills

• A sound understanding of the English planning system.
• Experience preparing or managing planning submissions.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Confidence in client-facing work.
• An ability to understand planning risk, policy context and procedural options.
• Commercial awareness, including an understanding of scope, time, fee recovery and client expectations.
• A practical, organised and methodical approach to workload management.
• Professional judgement and attention to detail.
• A willingness to work as part of a specialist rural planning and architectural team.