Development Planning Manager

at  Thames Water Utilites

Exciting opportunity alert! Are you ready to lead, manage, and coach a skilled Development Planning Team? Join us at Thames Water to play a crucial role in protecting our resources and shaping future development across our catchment areas. Your primary focus will be reviewing and commenting on significant planning applications, setting specific planning conditions, and ensuring timely asset improvements to support growth.
In this role, you will be at the forefront of providing precise responses to Local Plans and planning applications, collaborating closely with Planning Authorities and our Town Planning Team. Your influence will extend to shaping planning policy and future development locations in alignment with the National Planning Policy Framework.
Ready to make a significant impact and drive strategic planning decisions? Join us at Thames Water and be a part of shaping a sustainable future.

What you’ll be doing as a Development Planning Manager

• Build and lead a high-performing team, ensuring they have the appropriate processes, tools, knowledge, and skills to manage the third-party planning processing line with defined SLAs.
• Ensuring we have an up-to-date library of appropriately worded and fit-for-purpose planning conditions.
• Identifying and removing barriers to growth through proactive engagement with the planning system, developers and other internal stakeholders.
• Support the delivery of an enhanced development planning and tracking capability.
• Engaging proactively with Local Authorities and Town Planning to ensure TW proactively manages and influences decisions regarding major development sites across all catchment areas.
• Facilitating the odour impact assessment process to support potential STW enhancements to accommodate new developments in line with planning policy and timeframes.
• Tracking the status of constrained development to ensure alignment of associated hydraulic network modelling studies required to facilitate the timely delivery of any network reinforcement.
• Working closely with Specialist Planners to ensure the timely submission of hydraulic modelling briefs in line with development timelines.
• Ensuring that Thames Water has a fit-for-purpose process for impact assessment and response to all DCO applications, including the subsequent tracking and facilitation of all application responses to mitigate risks to the business.

Hybrid – Maple Lodge Sewage Treatment Works: you will be required to attend sites and office as the business requires you to.
36 hours a week, Monday through Friday.

WHAT YOU SHOULD BRING TO THE ROLE

• Degree or substantial experience in a field related to urban planning, with particular expertise in the National Planning Policy Framework, is desirable.
• Experience working within the water industry or other heavily regulated utility organisation
• Demonstrable experience in people management and leadership.
• Demonstrable knowledge of the planning system.
• Highly developed communication skills – written and verbal.
• Competent in the use of MS Office, Microsoft 365, GIS and other company CRM systems.
• Proven senior stakeholder engagement experience.
• Experience of operating at all levels with the ability to also be ‘hands-on.’
• Confident presentation skills to wide-ranging audiences.

What you’ll be doing as a Development Planning Manager

• Build and lead a high-performing team, ensuring they have the appropriate processes, tools, knowledge, and skills to manage the third-party planning processing line with defined SLAs.
• Ensuring we have an up-to-date library of appropriately worded and fit-for-purpose planning conditions.
• Identifying and removing barriers to growth through proactive engagement with the planning system, developers and other internal stakeholders.
• Support the delivery of an enhanced development planning and tracking capability.
• Engaging proactively with Local Authorities and Town Planning to ensure TW proactively manages and influences decisions regarding major development sites across all catchment areas.
• Facilitating the odour impact assessment process to support potential STW enhancements to accommodate new developments in line with planning policy and timeframes.
• Tracking the status of constrained development to ensure alignment of associated hydraulic network modelling studies required to facilitate the timely delivery of any network reinforcement.
• Working closely with Specialist Planners to ensure the timely submission of hydraulic modelling briefs in line with development timelines.
• Ensuring that Thames Water has a fit-for-purpose process for impact assessment and response to all DCO applications, including the subsequent tracking and facilitation of all application responses to mitigate risks to the business