Development Officer

Truro, England, United Kingdom

7/30/2025

Job Description

The Service & Team:

We proudly live our values and take responsibility for them. We are a welcoming and progressive place to work, fully present in our roles, and we use initiative to improve our services. Our resources, and our residents’ money, are precious.

The Role

We are seeking a dedicated and proactive Development Officer to join our Development Management team. This team is the statutory decision-making function of the Local Planning Authority, responsible for making decisions on all planning applications, planning enforcement, and planning appeals. Our purpose is to improve the economic, social, and environmental wellbeing of our communities by managing development to support the creation of quality places, jobs, homes, and infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver a proactive, customer-focused Development Management service that meets statutory requirements, including a robust appeals function, a meaningful pre-application service, and an effective enforcement service.
• Independently process a personal caseload of complex planning applications, enforcement investigations, or appeal cases.
• Provide advice and undertake site visits in relation to planning applications or enforcement investigations.
• Coach and develop colleagues in the application of relevant policies and procedures to develop confidence and competence in Development Management.
  
  

Key Accountabilities

• Deliver a Development Management function that meets statutory requirements and Council objectives.
• Embed a performance-led culture that supports sustainable development and growth projects.
• Contribute to workplans, service plans, and training plans as a subject matter expert.
• Ensure accuracy and efficiency in data handling and reporting.
• Timely determination of applications for planning permission and other consents.
• Make sound recommendations for complex planning application and/or enforcement decisions.
• Provide high-quality pre-application advice and respond to customer enquiries and requests.
• Develop, monitor, and enforce planning conditions and legal agreements.
• Represent the Council as a key witness at Local Inquiries, Hearings, judicial or quasi-judicial hearings or cases as necessary.
• Maintain effective planning, design, sustainability, and related policies and practices through sound decision-making.
• Actively support and mentor colleagues to develop specialist knowledge and progress in their careers.
• Contribute to service improvement by fostering a collaborative environment, promoting knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement.
  
  

Working Pattern and Flexible Working Options

Role

The council is committed to promoting a healthy work-life balance and offers a variety of working patterns to suit the needs of our employees. The standard working hours for this role are 37 hours per week, typically spread over five days, Monday to Friday. However, we understand that flexibility is key to maintaining a productive and happy workforce, and we offer several flexible working options:

• Compressed Hours: Employees have the option to work their total contracted hours over fewer days, allowing for longer weekends or additional days off during the week.
• Hybrid Work Arrangements: We support a blend of office-based and remote working, enabling employees to work from home for part of the week. This arrangement helps reduce commuting time and allows for a more flexible approach to work
  
  

We believe that offering these flexible working options not only supports the well-being of our employees but also enhances productivity and job satisfaction. If you have any specific requirements or preferences, please feel free to discuss them with us during the interview process.

Essential Criteria

What you’ll need to succeed:

• Knowledge of service planning and performance management, and experience of working to a service plan.
• A good working knowledge of the legislation, technical, financial, and key policy issues underpinning Development Management.
• Direct experience of Development Management and dealing with planning applications, appeals, and enforcement matters.
• Strong customer focus and ability to work with a range of stakeholders.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and report writing skills.
• Ability to manage and prioritise a complex caseload with speed and accuracy.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and other relevant IT tools.
• Minimum degree level qualification in a relevant subject area or equivalent experience.
  
  

Desirable Criteria

• Membership (or eligibility to become a member) of a relevant recognised professional organisation with a proven record of ongoing CPD relevant to the role.
  
  

Please read the role profile for the full details of this role attached below in this advert

What You’ll Get In Return

Cornwall Council’s ambition is to be an employer of choice, a high performing Council and a learning organisation. We commit to providing a reward and benefits package to attract, motivate and reward our employees. We offer a range of flexible working options to our staff. This helps provide our employees with a greater work/life balance. Whilst still ensuring that service needs are met.

Our Core Employee Rewards And Benefits Include

• a competitive salary.
• a defined benefit pension scheme, based on your career average earnings. This includes the option for extra voluntary contributions
• a generous annual leave entitlement with the potential to purchase additional leave.
• A national award-winning employee health and wellbeing programme
• Employee benefits scheme giving employees access to a wide range of discounts to local and national goods and services.
  
  

Additional Information

• The role holder must operate in line with our corporate accountabilities and behavioural frameworks.
• Travel is a requirement of the role, and the role holder must hold a valid driving licence and be able to travel throughout Cornwall.
• This role is not politically restricted and does not require a DBS check.
• Pension scheme: LGPS
  
  

If you are passionate about making a positive impact on our communities and have the skills and experience we are looking for, we would love to hear from you. Apply now to join our team and help shape the future of our development management services.

The full role profile is attached here

For more information or an informal chat about the role please contact [email protected]

Application Process

Please attach a supporting statement to your application, you can add your Education & Qualifications details manually using the application form timeline or you can upload your CV. Remember to demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points marked as ‘Application’ on the Role Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had. Guidance on how to complete your application can be found here – The application process .

Please note that applications cannot be edited after they have been submitted, please contact [email protected] if you have any queries or require assistance with your application.

Existing employees must apply using their Cornwall Council email address through the Opportunity Marketplace on Oracle.