Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Urban Development Officer

🎯 Role Definition

This role requires an experienced Urban Development Officer to lead and coordinate land use planning, development control, policy implementation, and multi-stakeholder engagement to deliver sustainable, equitable, and economically viable urban growth. The Urban Development Officer will manage planning applications, draft and implement development policies, liaise with internal and external stakeholders (including developers, community groups and statutory agencies), oversee infrastructure coordination and developer contributions, and ensure compliance with planning legislation and environmental requirements.

The ideal candidate combines technical planning expertise (zoning, GIS, environmental assessment), strong project and program management skills, and proven experience in community consultation and negotiation to deliver complex development projects on time and within budget.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Planning Assistant or Planning Technician with hands-on experience in application processing and section 106 or developer contribution administration.
GIS Technician or Spatial Analyst supporting planning teams with mapping, spatial datasets and site appraisals.
Policy Analyst or Junior Planner working on local plans, policy research and evidence base preparation.

Advancement To:

Senior Urban Development Officer or Principal Planning Officer, leading major projects and supervision of junior staff.
Planning Manager / Development Manager with responsibility for strategic planning programmes and cross-departmental delivery.
Strategic Planner or Head of Planning with oversight of regional development strategy and capital infrastructure coordination.

Lateral Moves:

Economic Development Officer focusing on business growth, investment attraction and incentive programs.
Environmental Planner or Sustainability Officer specializing in assessments, green infrastructure and climate adaptation.
Project Manager in infrastructure delivery or public-private partnership (PPP) projects.

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead the preparation, review and implementation of local plans, development briefs, and planning policy documents by conducting research, writing statutory and non-statutory policy text, and ensuring alignment with regional and national planning frameworks.
Manage and assess complex planning applications and pre-application enquiries from private developers, public agencies and community groups, ensuring timely determination, clear advice on planning obligations, and robust development control decisions.
Coordinate multi-disciplinary technical assessments including transport impact assessments, flooding and drainage studies, arboricultural reports, noise and air quality assessments, and ecological/environmental impact statements to inform decision-making and condition-setting.
Negotiate planning obligations, developer contributions, and S106/CIL agreements to secure affordable housing, infrastructure delivery, public realm improvements and community benefits in accordance with policy and best value.
Lead community engagement and stakeholder consultation programmes, preparing consultation materials, facilitating public events and workshops, recording feedback, and integrating community priorities into planning outcomes.
Prepare comprehensive committee reports, planning decisions, legal documents and clear recommendations for elected members and senior management, and present complex planning matters in accessible language at council committees and public hearings.
Undertake site appraisals, viability appraisals and feasibility studies for brownfield regeneration, mixed-use development and strategic growth areas, including land acquisition advice and brownfield remediation considerations.
Develop and maintain GIS-based spatial datasets and mapping products to support planning decisions, growth modelling, visualization of proposals and policy evidence bases.
Monitor, evaluate and report on the performance of planning policies, housing delivery, development metrics and infrastructure provision using quantitative indicators and contribute to annual monitoring reports (AMRs) and statutory returns.
Provide technical advice and statutory planning input to capital projects, highways and infrastructure programmes, ensuring coordinated delivery of utilities, transport, drainage and public realm works.
Ensure statutory and regulatory compliance with planning legislation, national policy frameworks and environmental regulations, drafting conditions, enforcement notices and undertaking compliance monitoring where required.
Draft and implement proactive regeneration and economic development initiatives to attract investment, support high street renewal, deliver employment land and coordinate business support programmes with partners.
Lead and coordinate multi-agency project teams for complex regeneration schemes, acting as project sponsor or lead officer to manage programme timelines, budgets, design quality and contractor/consultant procurement.
Prepare and manage grant funding applications and funding strategies (including external funding for regeneration, housing, and infrastructure), administer grants, and ensure monitoring, reporting and compliance with funder conditions.
Provide professional planning advice to internal departments (housing, highways, environmental health, legal) and external stakeholders to align service delivery and statutory duties for sustainable outcomes.

Secondary Functions

Conduct proactive enforcement investigations and prepare evidence for enforcement action, ensuring breaches of planning control are resolved through negotiation or formal processes where necessary.
Support corporate climate change and sustainability targets by embedding low-carbon design, green infrastructure, nature-based solutions and resilience measures into planning policy and development proposals.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of emerging legislation, case law, national planning policy changes and best practice guidance and provide briefings and training sessions for colleagues and councillors.
Prepare and present high-quality visualizations, concept diagrams, site layouts and urban design critiques to convey design intent and secure design quality in proposals.
Manage and oversee external consultants and multidisciplinary teams (transport planners, architects, ecologists, heritage specialists), ensuring deliverables meet scope, timelines and cost expectations.
Coordinate land assembly, compulsory purchase (CPO) advice and landowner negotiations in support of strategic regeneration and infrastructure projects.
Monitor budgets, procurement processes and contract compliance for planning-led projects and developer-funded schemes to maximize value for money and mitigate financial risk.
Support preparation of strategic infrastructure plans and funding mechanisms, including infrastructure delivery plans, phasing schedules and viability frameworks to unlock growth areas.
Contribute to the creation and maintenance of an evidence base for plan-making, including housing and employment land studies, demographic analysis, and market intelligence.
Provide ad hoc technical support for appeals, public inquiries and examinations, preparing statements of case, proof of evidence and cross-examination briefs as needed.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Expert knowledge of urban planning legislation, national planning policy frameworks, local plan preparation and the development management process.
Proficiency in GIS platforms (ArcGIS, QGIS) for spatial analysis, thematic mapping and presenting site/appraisal data.
Strong ability to interpret and commission technical studies: transport modelling, flood risk/drainage, arboriculture, ecological surveys and heritage impact assessments.
Demonstrated experience with planning obligations, developer contributions, viability appraisals and legal agreement negotiation (e.g., S106, CIL).
Project and programme management skills including scheduling, risk management, budget monitoring, procurement and contract oversight.
Competence in site masterplanning, urban design principles, and the preparation and review of design codes and development briefs.
Financial analysis skills, including business case development, grant application preparation, cost modelling and monitoring of developer-funded infrastructure.
Practical knowledge of environmental assessment processes (EIA, SEA), sustainability appraisal and climate resilience measures applicable to development schemes.
Technical proficiency in Microsoft Office suite (Excel modelling, Word reporting, PowerPoint presentations) and experience with planning information systems and document management.
Familiarity with building regulations, rights-of-way processes, highways and utility coordination required for integrated infrastructure delivery.
Experience with public consultation platforms, digital engagement tools and stakeholder management CRMs or consultation databases.
(Preferred) Professional qualification or registration such as MRTPI, AICP or equivalent chartered planner status, and continuous professional development track record.

Soft Skills

Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate technical planning issues into accessible language for councillors, communities and partners.
Excellent negotiation and influencing abilities to secure planning outcomes, developer contributions and agreement among diverse stakeholders.
High-level stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills, including experience working with elected officials, statutory consultees, community groups and private sector developers.
Analytical and critical thinking skills with attention to detail in assessing complex planning and legal documents.
Leadership and teamworking capabilities, including mentoring junior staff, chairing project teams and facilitating cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Time management and prioritisation skills to manage multiple applications, consultations and projects within statutory and political deadlines.
Political awareness and tact working within local government contexts, understanding governance processes and democratic decision-making.
Problem-solving orientation with creativity to deliver sustainable, inclusive and viable development solutions in constrained or contested sites.
Resilience and adaptability in managing complex stakeholder pressures and changing policy or regulatory environments.
Commitment to equity, inclusion and community outcomes, demonstrated through inclusive engagement approaches and consideration of social impact.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Urban Planning, Town Planning, Geography, Architecture, Civil Engineering, Environmental Science, Public Policy, or closely related field.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree or postgraduate qualification in Urban/Regional Planning, City Planning, Urban Design, Environmental Planning, or Public Policy; professional accreditation such as MRTPI, AICP or equivalent is highly desirable.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Urban and Regional Planning
Architecture / Urban Design
Civil Engineering
Geography / GIS
Environmental Science / Ecology
Public Policy / Public Administration
Economics / Housing Studies

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years working in development management, planning policy, urban regeneration, or related roles within local government, private consultancy, or a statutory agency.

Preferred:

5+ years’ demonstrable experience in municipal planning or complex development projects, including direct experience of plan-making, major planning applications, developer agreement negotiation and cross-sector stakeholder coordination.
Proven track record of leading regeneration schemes, infrastructure delivery, or strategic housing programmes, with examples of successful funding bids and delivery against milestones.