Assistant Planning Officer

Wirral Council is a values‑driven organisation where employees are empowered to “#BeTheDifference” and help create fairer opportunities for residents. Set in one of the happiest and most scenic areas in the UK, the Council offers an inspiring place to live and work, with a strong commitment to supporting staff and delivering ambitious plans for the borough’s future. Joining Wirral Council means becoming part of a dedicated, forward‑thinking team that is truly valued and encouraged to thrive.

Assistant Planning Officer

About The Role

We have an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic and motivated Assistant Planning Officer to join our Planning Service. This role is ideal for someone who is qualified, or currently studying towards a planning‑related qualification, and looking to develop a rewarding career in planning.

As an Assistant Planning Officer, you will play a key role in processing a range of householder, minor planning and enforcement matters, helping to deliver high‑quality planning services across the borough. Working within a supportive and experienced team, you will gain valuable experience across all stages of the planning process.

You will manage minor and household planning application from validation through to recommendation and determination, conduct site visits and inspections and prepare Planning Committee and delegated decisions, respond to planning enquiries and provide advice to residents, elected members and stakeholders.

About The Candidate

We are looking for someone who has, or is working towards, a planning qualification or related discipline, along with knowledge of planning legislation, policy and guidance, or the ability to develop this knowledge quickly. If you have excellent communication and report writing skills and can manage competing priorities we would like to hear from you.

A degree in Town Planning (or a closely related discipline), experience of working within a planning environment, and knowledge of democratic processes would be advantageous.

Role

This role provides an excellent opportunity to build a career in planning within a forward‑thinking local authority. You will benefit from:

• A supportive team environment.
• Opportunities for professional development and career progression.
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements to support service needs.
• The chance to make a real impact on local communities and the built environment.

If you wish to discuss this role or require further information, please contact Alexandra McDougall, Development Management Team Leader, at email

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates. For this vacancy, candidates must have an existing right to work in the UK before commencing employment. Skilled Worker visa sponsorship is not available for this post. Eligibility to work in the UK will be verified in the final stages of the selection process.

If you’re already a Wirral Council employee, and as part of our Talent Strategy, we’re committed to strengthening opportunities for our people to learn, grow, progress and thrive. For many of you, this may be preparing and applying for your next role with us, and we're passionate about ensuring you feel supported throughout your internal recruitment experience. Please get in touch if you want to know more about some of the ways in which we could support you by emailing

If you are a Wirral resident, are unemployed or out of work, and require help with your application, please contact Involve Northwest’s employment and skills team on or contact 0151 644 4500 or 0151 652 4349.

Working at Wirral

You’ll also want to know what it’s like to work here so, as a start:

Our values are more than just pieces of paper on our walls! We’ve all played a role in developing these, so they reflect the immense pride we have in what we do, what matters to us, what inspires us and inform how we think, approach things and behave.

We believe in ensuring staff are well looked after, staff wellbeing is a priority for us. We’re serious about recognising and rewarding people for the great things they do. You’ll benefit from our track record of developing, growing and investing in our people.

• staff discounts
• enrolment into the local government pension scheme (an excellent defined benefit scheme)
• immediate life cover and ill-health protection
• strong flexible working approach
• hybrid working
• family-friendly employment initiatives
• annual leave package starting with 28 days leave plus public holidays

We have an inclusive, engaged culture, everyone has a voice, everyone is valued for their contribution and understands the role they play in delivering our strategic priorities.

Each voice is heard, each contribution valued. We embrace diversity in our workforce and recognise it is critical to our success.

We support an inclusive culture that champions differences and nurtures a sense of belonging. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds, who share our values and our commitment to inclusion to apply for roles with us.

We want you to be your best at work, we create the conditions to help you thrive and we mirror this in our recruitment process. If you’d like us to do anything differently during the recruitment process to make it barrier‑free and as accessible as possible please contact

Please note that in accordance with the Council’s policy, employees who are in a formal redeployment situation will be considered in the first instance for all vacancies.

It is Council policy not to re‑appoint any employee who has left under the terms of the Council's Early Voluntary Retirement (EVR) scheme or who have left with a voluntary severance (VS) package, unless in exceptional circumstances.

Applications will be accepted until midnight on the closing date.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the specified date should we receive sufficient applications.

Applications can only be accepted through the Jobs page following registration. Forms received via the post will not be processed.

All applicants invited to interview must evidence their right to work in the UK. Details of required documents can be found by clicking the link at the bottom of the Jobs page.

The job description and other supporting documents will not be accessible once the vacancy closing date has passed so if a copy is required you should download it now.

We do not accept applications or CV’s from recruitment agencies, unless otherwise stated. Therefore, any candidates submitted via a recruitment agency will not be considered for this role.

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