Cheshire East launches planning recruitment drive

13 December 2024

Cheshire East Council is investing in staff to improve its planning and building control service – enabling the local authority to deliver more for its residents and businesses.

The council processes a combined total of more than 6,000 planning applications and building inspections a year and is one of the busiest departments in the country. 

As a result, and following a recent restructure of the service intended to create additional capacity within the team, the council has launched a recruitment drive – with a wide range of opportunities now available.

Councillor Liz Braithwaite, vice chair of Cheshire East Council’s environment and communities committee, said: “The council faces significant financial challenges and as part of our ambitious transformation programme, we’re investing in planning and building control to make sure we can deliver an effective and financially efficient service that supports our local economy.

“These services touch a lot of people’s lives – they’re high profile and a crucial part of the council’s responsibilities. Delivering them to a high standard is essential to investment in the borough. After a period of reviewing our approach to how we achieve this, we’re now in a stronger position to deliver an improved service.

“Our teams work hard to provide a high standard of customer service and it’s clear that we need to invest in our people to continue to do that. By recruiting to vacancies we’ve been holding for some time, we’re ensuring we can successfully respond to the government’s plans to deliver more homes across the country.

“We are aware some professionals are being priced out of other cities as wage growth struggles to keep track of inflation and the cost of living, meaning some professionals can really take advantage of hybrid working, and make a conscious choice to live and work in Cheshire East.”

Cheshire East is recruiting to multiple roles across its planning and building control service, including officers that ensure buildings are safe, teams that process planning applications and work on strategic policies such as the Local Plan and specialist staff that advise the council on heritage, design, landscape, trees and ecology. The council is also recruiting for multiple support roles. 

For more information, please view the planning jobs page on the council’s website.