Assistant Spatial Planner
National Highways · Manchester
About the job.
National Highways have an exciting opportunity for an Assistant Spatial Planner to join our multi-disciplinary team in the North West region. The Assistant Spatial Planner will take a proactive role in the town and country planning system by helping to ensure that new developments are well located and planned for, and the travel demands they create are sustainable.
You will assist and work alongside our team of Spatial Planners, working with local authority partners and developers to ensure the transport impacts of individual developments and Local Plans are fully considered and mitigation measures necessary on our road network are identified.
This role will be North West based with an expectation of regular travel to the Manchester office but with a base office of Manchester, Preston, Warrington or Penrith.
You will be responsible for managing your own caseloads, as well as co-ordinating with other parts of the organisation in submitting our responses, whilst:
- Working with Spatial Planners and Spatial Planning Manager as they engage with internal and external partners to identify and secure funding opportunities for improvements to our road network which support development, for example through developer contributions and the Growth and Housing Accelerator Fund.
- Discharging our responsibilities as a statutory consultee within the planning system, including the management of specialist consultant support; where necessary, escalating more complex cases to a Spatial Planner or Spatial Planning Manager
- Applying specialist knowledge to evaluate the potential impact and implications of development proposals on our road network, to enable a measured, robust and informed response to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the SRN is maintained, escalating more complex cases. You will contribute to a measured, robust and informed response that ensures the safe and efficient operation of our road network is maintained.
- Preparing planning consultation responses and reports and providing support on more complex cases. You will be involved with the management of all aspects of Development Consent Orders as well as the administration aspects of our wider cost recovery initiative.
- Supporting ongoing liaison with key external stakeholders, through attendance at meetings and other planning or discussion forums. You will provide evidence-based and transparent guidance and advice on future local plans and share information on National Highways emerging strategies and future programmes for the region.
About you.
- Have a prior understanding of spatial planning or town planning / transport planning, including associated legislation and development management.
- Be aware and have knowledge relevant statutory and regulatory responsibilities/standards/manuals, requirements and guidance.
- Have an appreciation of the importance of transport-related issues, to the spatial planning arena.
- A good understanding of transport appraisal techniques and guidance.
About us.
Here at National Highways, we manage and improve England’s motorways and major A roads, helping our customers have safer, smoother and more reliable journeys. Our priorities are safety, customers and delivery, and at the core of this, are our values of passion, integrity, safety, teamwork and ownership.
Operations is at the heart of keeping the strategic road network moving and ensuring our customers get the best possible experience when using our roads.
We address over 39,000 customer enquiries every month, plan and deliver all maintenance activities on the network, drive efficiencies and improvements across our systems and roads, and respond to incidents across 4,500 miles of motorways and major A-roads that we manage. All to make sure National Highways customers have safer, smoother, and more reliable journeys.
External candidates will be offered a starting salary at the lower end of the pay scale, while current employees will be appointed in accordance with our established pay policy.
We are committed to creating a diverse environment and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.
Why you should join us
At National Highways we believe in a connected country. We are passionate about creating a culture where colleagues feel connected, included and enjoy greater wellbeing to achieve this. We’re proud that as an organisation we are continually striving to do better and actively encourage and support our colleagues to do the same with their careers.
So, if you put safety first, take ownership of your work, show passion for what you do, work effectively in a team, and demonstrate integrity in how you do it – then you’ll be a great fit for our organisation.
A connected and sustainable working approach has been adopted across National Highways. For some roles, this means being able to work in a hybrid way spending up to 60% of time working from a remote location such as home.
We offer many different ways to work flexibly and we’re open to discuss part-time working, job shares, and flexible start and finish times.
Please wait until the interview stage before asking us about flexibility, and we will explore what is possible.
Our benefits package
- Our total reward package includes basic salary, the potential for a performance related bonus
- Contributory pension scheme with employer contribution of up to 10%
- Annual Leave starting at 26 days (plus Bank Holidays) rising by 1 day each year up to 31 days (plus Bank Holidays)
- Flexible hours and an approach driven by connected and sustainable working which includes hybrid working
- Life assurance of 4 times annual salary
- Health and wellbeing support, including an Employee Assistance Programme, available 24/7 365 days and network of mental health first aiders. Plus access to a wellbeing app to enhance your self-care 24/7, Occupational health service and flu vaccines
- A cycle to work scheme for the purchase of a bicycle and equipment for healthy, low carbon travel
- Significant investment in your career development, through learning and development, talent management, coaching, mentoring and on job experience
And we are
- Family friendly with enhanced maternity leave and pay, paternity leave (15 days), shared parental leave, adoption leave. Plus access to financial support for holiday play schemes and paid special leave (up to 5 days pa), eg for caring responsibilities
- Money friendly with access to a discounts platform including over 3000 discounts for supermarkets, eating out, leisure, holidays. Alongside a financial wellbeing programme
- Community friendly – offering paid leave to volunteer, 3 days basic/year
If you are successful, it is key to know all offers of employment are subject to satisfactory completion of our pre-employment checks which include:
- Right to work check
- 3 year employment history references
- DBS criminal record check
- Social media and adverse journalism check
- Driving licence check (if applicable)
- Fit to work questionnaire (for all), followed by a medical check (if applicable)
- Qualifications and/or professional membership check (if applicable)
And finally
We reserve the right to close before the advertisement expires.
National Highways have an exciting opportunity for an Assistant Spatial Planner to join our multi-disciplinary team in the North West region. The Assistant Spatial Planner will take a proactive role in the town and country planning system by helping to ensure that new developments are well located and planned for, and the travel demands they create are sustainable. You will assist and work alongside our team of Spatial Planners, working with local authority partners and developers to ensure the transport impacts of individual developments and Local Plans are fully considered and mitigation measures necessary on our road network are identified.
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