Location: West London
Salary: £45,000 – £60,000 depending on experience
Sector: Private Consultancy / Public Sector Planning Support
Level: Principal Planner
Status: Permanent

FutureGen Recruitment is working with a specialist planning consultancy in West London that is looking to appoint a Principal Planner to support its continued growth.

This is a particularly strong opportunity for someone from a local authority planning background who is interested in moving into private consultancy, but does not want a role built around business development, work-winning or bringing clients with them.

The consultancy provides planning advice across London and the South East, supporting clients with development potential, planning strategy and planning risk. The business was founded by a Director with experience across both public and private sector planning and works across a broad range of property and land matters.

The Role

You will take a key role in supporting planning projects across West London and the wider South East, providing clear, practical and commercially aware planning advice.

The role is well suited to someone who understands how local authorities assess planning applications and can apply that knowledge within a consultancy environment. You will not be expected to bring clients with you, and there is no business development requirement attached to the role.

This is a delivery-focused position where your local authority experience, technical judgement and ability to manage planning matters through the system will be highly valued.

The Role Will Involve

You will be involved in a varied range of planning work, including:

Preparing and managing planning applications
Reviewing development proposals and advising on planning strategy
Preparing planning statements, appraisals and supporting documents
Liaising with local planning authorities, applicants, consultants and wider project teams
Advising on planning risk, policy considerations and routes to consent
Supporting pre-application discussions and post-submission negotiations
Helping clients navigate the planning process with clear and practical advice
Managing your own workload and contributing to the delivery of high-quality planning advice

About You

This role would suit an experienced planner who has built a strong technical base within a local authority and is now looking for a fresh challenge in consultancy.

You will ideally bring:

Strong experience within a local authority planning team
Good knowledge of development management and planning applications
Confidence interpreting planning policy and advising on planning matters
Strong written communication and report-writing skills
Ability to manage applications and communicate with stakeholders
Commercial awareness, or a willingness to develop this within consultancy
MRTPI chartership, or be close to achieving it
A practical, solutions-focused approach to planning

Previous private sector consultancy experience is not essential. This could be an excellent first move into consultancy for someone who wants to use their public sector planning knowledge in a more client-facing environment.

Why Apply?

This is a strong opportunity for a local authority planner looking to move into private consultancy without the pressure of business development or client following expectations.

The role offers: