ID 1699 - Planning Manager – Planning Casework and Legislation

at  Welsh Government

JOB SUMMARY

Planning and Local Government Directorate requires professional town planners with relevant skills and experience to work across three functions related to development management and legislation, depending on the fluctuating levels of casework and ministerial policy demands:
Legislation – Support of a Bill Team delivering the new primary legislation being taken forward by Planning Directorate including the preparation of the secondary legislation necessary to implement changes within the wider planning system.
Policy lead for planning casework procedure – Undertaking research and consultation as part of policy formulation for planning application and infrastructure consent procedures; monitoring the performance of local planning authorities and statutory consultees; promoting culture change and adoption of best practice across authorities.
Casework – Processing applications for a wide variety of consents submitted to the Welsh Ministers.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The key responsibilities of the Planning Manager (“PM”) posts within the Legislation and Casework Family are:

• Working with internal and external stakeholders, to shape policy on planning system procedures, particularly development management and other casework and also legislation preparation.
• The production of draft advice and decision documents relating to planning casework, such as applications for Developments of National Significance, requests to call in planning applications and new casework resulting from the Infrastructure Consent regime.
• Under the supervision of a Senior Planning Manager, PMs will be leading on specific policy areas to articulate the policy position within policy instructions to lawyers and drafters in the Office of the Legislative Counsel. This will include formulating policy positions to questions and issues raised by lawyers and drafters during the legislation preparation process.
• Drafting of documentation necessary to accompany legislation for introduction to the Senedd, such as Explanatory Notes, Explanatory Memorandum and Regulatory Impact Assessment, Statements of Policy Intent, Justice Impact Assessment, Integrated Impact Assessments.
• Assisting Senior Planning Managers with preparing and implementing engagement exercises with external stakeholders during legislation or policy roles.
• Drafting advice for Ministers during policy development, Bill preparation and the determination of casework, liaising with Private Offices.
• PMs will assist Senior Planning Managers implement a programme of subordinate legislation and making decisions on behalf of the Welsh Ministers in accordance with the new infrastructure consenting regime, leading on specific policy areas.
• PMs will be required to support the Plans and Policy job family within Planning Directorate at times of high demand.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Awareness of the wide ranging and complex environmental, social, and economic issues associated with infrastructure projects.
• Understanding of the principles and stages of Environmental Impact Assessment relating to infrastructure projects, including screening and scoping processes.

Benefits

All Welsh Government staff are members of the Civil Service, and as a result are eligible for:

• Civil Service Pension Scheme
• 31 days annual leave (pro-rated for part time)
• training and development opportunities
• Cycle2Work Scheme
• Smart Working flexible working arrangement
• Green Car Scheme (subject to availability)

If you are an active Civil Service Pension member you can continue your membership throughout your employment with us.
Things you need to know

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

The key responsibilities of the Planning Manager (“PM”) posts within the Legislation and Casework Family are:

• Working with internal and external stakeholders, to shape policy on planning system procedures, particularly development management and other casework and also legislation preparation.
• The production of draft advice and decision documents relating to planning casework, such as applications for Developments of National Significance, requests to call in planning applications and new casework resulting from the Infrastructure Consent regime.
• Under the supervision of a Senior Planning Manager, PMs will be leading on specific policy areas to articulate the policy position within policy instructions to lawyers and drafters in the Office of the Legislative Counsel. This will include formulating policy positions to questions and issues raised by lawyers and drafters during the legislation preparation process.
• Drafting of documentation necessary to accompany legislation for introduction to the Senedd, such as Explanatory Notes, Explanatory Memorandum and Regulatory Impact Assessment, Statements of Policy Intent, Justice Impact Assessment, Integrated Impact Assessments.
• Assisting Senior Planning Managers with preparing and implementing engagement exercises with external stakeholders during legislation or policy roles.
• Drafting advice for Ministers during policy development, Bill preparation and the determination of casework, liaising with Private Offices.
• PMs will assist Senior Planning Managers implement a programme of subordinate legislation and making decisions on behalf of the Welsh Ministers in accordance with the new infrastructure consenting regime, leading on specific policy areas.
• PMs will be required to support the Plans and Policy job family within Planning Directorate at times of high demand