Our client is a well-established strategic land promotion business with a strong track record of unlocking residential and mixed-use development opportunities across the South East and beyond. With a healthy pipeline of sites moving through the planning system, they are looking to strengthen their planning team with the appointment of a Planning Manager to lead a portfolio of live promotion sites from allocation through to planning consent and disposal.
The Role
Reporting to the Head of Planning / Planning Director, the Planning Manager will take day-to-day ownership of a portfolio of strategic land sites, driving them through the promotion process and maximising land value for landowner partners and the business.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage a portfolio of strategic land sites through the local plan and planning application process, from site identification through to allocation, outline/detailed consent, and eventual sale
- Lead engagement with local planning authorities, parish councils, and other stakeholders to build consensus and support for proposed development
- Instruct, brief, and coordinate multi-disciplinary teams of consultants (planning, highways, ecology, landscape, heritage, etc.) and manage their outputs against programme and budget
- Prepare and submit representations to Local Plan consultations and Neighbourhood Plans to secure and defend site allocations
- Draft, review, and submit planning applications and supporting statements, including responding to officer queries and negotiating Section 106 agreements
- Manage landowner relationships, including regular reporting on site progress and promotion strategy
- Appraise new site opportunities, working closely with the land and acquisitions team to assess planning potential and development viability
- Attend planning committees, public consultations, and community engagement events, representing the business professionally
- Monitor planning policy changes, emerging Local Plans, and market conditions across target authorities to identify new promotion opportunities
- Manage site budgets, tracking promotion spend against agreed appraisals
- Support the eventual disposal process, working with land and legal teams to achieve optimum value on unconditional/conditional sales
Requirements
- Degree in Town Planning, Planning & Development, or a related discipline (RTPI membership or working towards chartership preferred)
- Proven experience gained within a strategic land promoter, land agency, housebuilder, or planning consultancy, with direct exposure to promoting sites through allocation and planning
- Strong working knowledge of the English planning system, including Local Plan processes, planning application procedure, and S106/CIL matters
- Track record of securing planning consents and/or site allocations on residential-led schemes
- Confident communicator, comfortable presenting to landowners, local authorities, and communities
- Commercially astute, with an understanding of land value, viability, and development economics
- Strong project management skills, able to run multiple sites concurrently against competing deadlines
- Full UK driving licence, with willingness to travel to sites and meetings as required
To apply for this job email your details to tom@tdm-recruitment.com.
