An extra pair of hands when you need it.
I provide independent planning officer support to local planning authorities offering additional development management capacity on a short-term basis.
Work is undertaken in accordance with the commissioning authority’s adopted standards, procedures, and scheme of delegation.
My support helps internal teams reduce backlog, improve consistency, and produce clear, decision-ready draft outputs for internal sign-off.
Services offered to local planning authorities include:
Support is focused on householder, other, and minor planning applications where clear policy frameworks, proportionate assessment, and efficient report drafting provide the greatest benefit to development management workflows.
Major development, EIA development, and strategically sensitive proposals are excluded.
Work can be undertaken discreetly as part of existing internal workflows.
This model provides a flexible alternative to recruitment or agency cover without increasing internal management overhead.
Key benefits include:
I am a former local authority planning officer with experience in development management including validation, assessment, and the drafting of delegated and committee reports. I am familiar with the operational pressures facing development management teams and the need for consistency, defensible reasoning, and clear audit trails. I have a proven history of meeting decision targets and innovating workflows, particularly through effective use of existing technologies.
Fees are charged on an hourly basis.
Engagements are typically agreed as a defined number of hours or a time-limited period, with work progressing within that allocation. Time is tracked and invoiced based on actual hours worked.
Due to the variable complexity of planning applications, it is not always possible to predict the time required for individual cases in advance.
Work is ordinarily undertaken using my own equipment, with secure remote access provided to relevant systems where required.
Where an authority’s IT policies require the use of council-issued equipment, this can be discussed on a case-by-case basis, subject to availability and practical arrangements.
Work is undertaken on behalf of the commissioning local planning authority and in accordance with its adopted procedures, standards, and scheme of delegation.
Final validation and decision-making remain with the authority.
For availability or an initial discussion, please contact:
Email: [email protected]