Consents Specialist

at  Associated British Ports

Date: 21 May 2024
Location: Cardiff, Central, GB
Company: ABP
We’re the UK’s largest ports operator with a network of 21 ports around Britain. We handle around one quarter of the UK’s seaborne trade and contribute £7.5 billion to our economy every year.
It’s a story we’re proud of but it doesn’t end there. We’re transforming our business and embracing the future.
We offer a vast range of roles spanning the UK, all rooted in a culture that welcomes diversity, fosters talent, encourages internal movement and progression, and places safety as our number one priority.
Port Talbot has been at the cutting edge of industrial change before, and can be again. That’s because Port Talbot has a central role to play in helping Wales make the shift from the old, carbon-based economy to a new, zero-carbon world. Future Port Talbot is the largest engineering project we’ve undertaken and will transform the region to become a major hub for green energy and sustainability transforming South Wales’ decarbonisation drive.
Recently a Group Projects function has been established with consenting expertise that can support the development and delivery of major group projects regardless of location and nature of the project. The Consents and Environment Specialist will add to the team’s internal expertise, allowing the efficient and successful delivery of a strong pipeline of projects that span the land and marine planning regimes. You should be an experienced Town Planner, ideally with (or working towards) MRTPI status, should have some exposure to EIA studies and have exposure to major infrastructure works (ideally Marine focused projects).
We offer a competitive salary, contributory pension from day one (Starting at 3% employee contribution with 5% company match), private healthcare, access to our Employee Assistance Program, 26 days annual leave (plus bank holidays – plus the option to purchase additional days), wide range of discounts and cash back with high street and online retailers. We offer an inclusive work environment with an in-house training academy which offers ongoing opportunities to develop your skills. The role will need to be based 3-days per week from our Cardiff project office - generally Tuesday through Thursday, and you’ll need to live within commutable distance of this.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• Educated to degree level (Town Planning/Environmental)
• Membership of RTPI or working towards chartership
• Demonstrable experience working on multi-disciplinary consent applications on infrastructure projects spanning the marine consent and town planning regimes
• Experience coordinating multi-disciplinary internal and external teams
• Understanding of and ability to manage/review EIA process (including scoping and screening);
• A good technical understanding of project environmental requirements with the ability to clearly communicate key requirements, risks and opportunities at a non-technical level
• Understand how consent and design processes interact, with experience integrating consent requirements into design solutions
• Excellent communicator with strong inter-personal and presentation skills
• Experience working on Developments of National Significance or Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (Ideal)
• Understanding and experience of the Welsh Planning and Licencing procedures

• Support the Consent and Environment Lead in the delivery of key consenting work packages on Future Port Talbot
• Work with Planning and Consents lead in engaging with statutory consenting authorities, regulators and key stakeholders on all aspects of Future Port Talbot.
• Manage planning and consenting workstreams on specific projects this may include supporting multiple projects under development or a specific project under execution. Support planning and consent lead on delivering key consenting work packages on FPT development projects.

• Work with regional teams and consultant/ contractor teams to identify relevant environmental, marine and planning consents required for potential developments

• Assist the Planning and Consents Lead with the management and delivery of multiple and/ or muti- disciplinary consent applications spanning the terrestrial and marine planning regimes

• Advise on planning and marine licence application requirements and oversee the delivery of Environmental Impact Assessments.

• Maintain survey registers, engage consultants and critically review the outputs.
• Support with programme, cost plan and risk updates in relation to the planning and consent workstream.