Chief Planning Inspector

Job summary

As Chief Planning Inspector you will provide strategic leadership, professional expertise, and impartial guidance to shape and improve an effective, fair and transparent planning system for England.

This is a unique senior leadership opportunity to influence national planning policy, uphold the highest professional standards, and position the Planning Inspectorate as a trusted thought leader at the heart of Government priorities.

You’ll play a pivotal role in shaping a fair, transparent planning system that enables major infrastructure, supports local plans and helps communities influence where they live. Our mission is clear: to provide consistently timely, high-quality and cost-effective decisions, recommendations and advice.

Working as part of our Executive Team, you’ll drive innovation, forge partnerships across Government and the sector, and turn policy into delivery that makes a difference.

You’ll also inspire and develop the Planning Inspector profession - building capability, encouraging innovation, championing excellence and fostering a culture of learning and development that sets the benchmark for the future.

Planning is at the heart of the Government’s ambitions: delivering 1.5 million homes, ensuring local plans across England, and enabling 150 major infrastructure projects.

If you’re ready to lead at the highest level in the sector and shape the places where people live, this is your moment.

Job description

Few roles in the sector can match this impact. You’ll help shape the places where people live and work, ensuring a planning system that is fair, transparent, and future-ready. To be successful you will have:

Professional credibility – You’ll be a Chartered member (or equivalent) of a relevant professional body and bring extensive knowledge of the planning system

Hands on experience – You’ve worked on the most complex planning cases

Policy know-how – You understand the breadth of policy and legislation, and you’re tuned into the big issues shaping the future of planning

Influencer and communicator – You can explain complex issues clearly, build trust and bring people together, even when interests conflict. Ministers, stakeholders and communities will see you as a safe pair of hands.

Leader and team-builder – You know how to create high-performing, collaborative teams and keep them motivated through change

Change savvy – You can steer big initiatives and make sure they land well, making sure they deliver real benefits

Your approach:

• You’re a natural relationship builder: people trust you

• You care about service and outcomes for communities

• You’re inclusive and collaborative, always bringing others along

• You’re resilient, adaptable, and ready to tackle complex challenges head-on

For full information on the role and assessment process please refer to the candidate pack attached.

Salary £89,000-£94,000

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum advertised. Internal rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the minimum advertised, transfers or internal promotions will move to the minimum advertised or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

This role is being advertised at grade SCS 1. New appointments to the Senior Civil Service will be appointed on the terms and conditions set out in the Civil Service Management Code

Working hours:

Standard working week is 37 hours, flexible working hours policy available for job share or compressed working hours, part time hours could be considered at a minimum of 26 hours per week.

The Planning Inspectorate has a long and proud history in ensuring a fair planning system for England. The work we do has a significant impact on people’s lives, the communities where they live and the economy.

We want our colleagues to be able to work more flexibly and more collaboratively, exploring new and innovative ways to improve the way we provide services.

For further information on the Planning Inspectorate, please visit our careers page at Civil Service Careers

Office Attendance

This role is contractually based at our modern office in Bristol, 10-minute walk from Temple Meads train station. We recognise and value the mutual benefits of hybrid working and have a flexible approach to office attendance. To provide senior leadership visibility and work with colleagues, you’ll need to be in the office at least once a week. You will also need to meet colleagues and stakeholders in other parts of the country.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Capabilities to lead strategic and operational programmes and projects effectively

• Chartered member (or equivalent) of a relevant professional institute.

• Significant experience and proven expertise of complex planning related casework.

• An extensive and detailed knowledge of the wide range of policy and legislation, which is relevant to the work of the Planning Inspectorate, including a well-developed knowledge and understanding of current and future issues facing the planning system in England, the UK and more widely.

• Exceptional communication, negotiation and influencing skills, with a proven ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder relationships and navigate potentially conflicting interests to gain confidence of Ministers and the public.

• Excellent leadership capabilities to enable, develop and sustain high performing, collaborative and resilient teams aligned to strategic and operational ambitions and mission.
• Experience of effectively leading others through, and successfully embedding, impactful change.

Memberships

Chartered member (or equivalent) of a relevant professional institute.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £89,000, Planning Inspectorate contributes £25,783 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Flexible working options, including flexi-time, part-time, compressed hours and home working if suitable for the role.

• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity.

• 25 days annual leave increasing by 1 day per year up to 30 days after 5 years, plus 1 privilege day to mark the King’s birthday. In addition to the normal bank holidays.

• Generous family friendly policies.
• Fast and modern IT kit which utilises Windows 11 and Microsoft 365, enabling seamless working from home and collaboration across teams.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Application

Complete the online application form on Civil Service Jobs which requires the following information:

• A CV: The CV section is an opportunity for you to detail your career history. It should outline the jobs you have done, the length of time you were employed within each role and a brief description of your role, responsibilities and duties which demonstrate relevance to the role you are applying for against the essential criteria. You must type, or ‘copy and paste’ into the text box called ‘Employment History’ within the online application. You cannot attach a copy of your CV.
• A Personal Statement (1000 words max): The personal statement allows you to outline your suitability for the role in more depth, expanding on your CV evidence. It is an opportunity for you to provide evidence against the essential criteria listed.

We will assess your application on the evidence you have provided against the Essential Criteria detailed in the Person Specification in the candidate pack.

In the event of a large number of applications, a lead sift may take place. The following point will be used as the lead criteria when shortlisting if this happens, and if you do not meet the minimum standard the rest of your application will not be assessed.

• Significant experience and proven expertise of complex planning related casework.

All shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome shortly afterwards.

Interview

If you are shortlisted, you will:

• Be asked to attend an interview to have a more in-depth discussion about your experience and suitability for the role
• Interviews will be a blend of behaviour and strength questions
• Need to prepare and deliver a presentation
• Facilitate a Staff Panel discussion

Candidates who are successful at shortlist stage will be sent full assessment requirements with their interview invitations.

Other Information

Shortlist Date: w/c 2nd February 2026

Staff Engagement Panels: 16th – 28th February 2026

Interview Date: w/c 2nd March 2026

Staff engagement panels and interviews will be held in person in our office in Bristol, a 10-minute walk from Temple Meads train station

The Planning Inspectorate does not fund travel and subsistence for candidates to attend interviews.

We encourage all candidates to make themselves familiar with the role and what we will be assessing you against which is detailed in the Person Specification.

The Planning Inspectorate is committed to finding the right person for the job. We recruit using Success Profiles and consider the criteria you will need to demonstrate to be successful for the role.

ID and Documents

If specific qualifications/memberships are essential for the role and you are successful, you will be asked to provide accurate scanned or photographed images of the qualifications/memberships that you listed on your application prior to your start date.

We must check that any successful candidates are allowed to work for the Civil Service before we employ them. If successful, you will be asked to do a right to work check using identity document validation technology (IDVT) through the services of an Identity Service Provider (IDSP), Civil Service Jobs. If we are unable to confirm your right to work and through the IDVT we will need to do a manual right to work check using original documents with you in person.

Visa Sponsorship

The Planning Inspectorate cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates, we do not hold a Visa sponsorship licence.

Disability Confident Interview scheme

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. We run a Disability Confident Interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria for the job.

To be considered for an interview under the scheme you must:

• have a disability defined by the Equality Act 2010

• provide evidence in your application that you meet the minimum criteria in the job description
• meet all of the qualifications, skills or experience defined as essential

While we will endeavour to provide you with all the appropriate information, you are the expert on your specific requirements so if you require any adjustments, you should consider the information provided about the assessment process in the candidate pack and then:

• Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. The earlier and more clearly you tell us what you need and why you need it, the more likely we are to be able to accommodate you in a timely fashion.

All Planning Inspectorate colleagues must meet the baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window). This is a series of basic security checks to confirm identity and employment history.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Graham Stallwood
• Email : PINS.Recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : PINS.Recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact in the first instance: The Vacancy Manager via the Recruitment Team (PINS.Recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk).

If you are not satisfied with the response, you receive you should then contact, Chief People Officer, via the Recruitment Team (PINS.Recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk).

If you are still not satisfied with the response you receive from the Planning Inspectorate, you can contact the Office of the Civil Service Commission. https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitme…

Attachments

EVP(Great_Place_To_Work) Opens in new window (pdf, 534kB)Candidate Pack 2025 - Chief Planning Inspector Opens in new window (pdf, 495kB)