Assistant Support Officer (Planning)


Company:	Newcastle Under Lyme Borough Council
Salary:	£27,274 to £29,071 a year, pro rata
Hours:	Part-time
Location:	Newcastle Under Lyme, ST5 1BL
Working pattern:	On-site
Job type:	Temporary
Posting date:	15 Oct 2026
Closing date:	30 Oct 2026

Apply for this job

Summary

Vacancy reference

ECR000643

Salary

Grade 5, £27,274 to £29,071 per annum, pro-rata £11,794.16 per annum

Hours

16 hours a week

Contract

Fixed-erm contract until end of March 2028

Location

Castle House, Newcastle-under-Lyme

About the job

The borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme is situated in North Staffordshire on the border of Shropshire and Cheshire.

The council is proud of its record in the determination of applications with high levels of performance at deciding applications in time and we are looking for a highly motivated support officer to join our team.

You should have good time management and communication skills, be able to prioritise potentially conflicting tasks, attention to detail and work to deadlines.

You will provide administrative support to the planning officers and other members of the team but also to applicants and agents seeking to make planning applications or enquire about development.

The post will also involve validation and processing of householder planning applications, Tree Preservation Orders and Trees in Conservation Areas applications; providing factual information to applicants and agents over the telephone or in writing in connection with such planning applications, processing of enforcement complaints, planning appeals and providing advice to people to help them on development matters and support the efficient operation of the service.

The post allows for some homeworking and equipment for this will be provided for the post holder.

There will also be an expectation for some time in the office to be part of regular team meetings and catch up sessions.

Requirements

Experience of working in an administrative/technical role

5 GCSEs at grade 4 (or above) including English and Maths

Experience of working with a range of ICT products will be of assistance and a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office is essential

Why work for us?

Newcastle-under-Lyme is a borough with big ambitions. We’ve already started our transformation, however, we still need to find better ways of doing things because we are determined to do the very best we can for our communities.

If our vision is to be the best, then we need the best people working for us. Our people are at the heart of what we do and have the freedom to innovate, grow and develop. We recruit people who share our vision and values; people who have the drive to deliver our ambitious council plan.

Our historic borough is a place of marked contrasts. We are the home of a world class University at Keele, a leading light known internationally for its research and sustainability record, which stands side by side with former mining communities including some which register amongst the most deprived areas in the country. Our borough is also a mixture of urban centres, affected by some of the same social issues facing our neighbouring city, Stoke-on-Trent, but also outstanding rural landscapes in our less populated villages. Our plans and priorities aim to address the needs of all our communities.

Our People offer

We reward our people with a competitive range of benefits including:

access to the local government pension scheme

minimum 24 days annual leave plus 5 extra days after 5 years' service

flexible working options and family friendly policies

local and national high street discounts

free car parking

wellbeing support including £12.50 per month Jubilee2 membership

green travel scheme including cycle to work and electric car salary sacrifice

free employee 24 hour employee assistance and counselling services, flu vaccination service and health checks

development and training opportunities

Contact

For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Sarah Jones, Technical Support Team Manager, or Rachel Killeen, Development Manager on 01782 717717.

Closing date

5pm on Friday 30 October 2026.

Should we receive a large number of applications, then this post could close sooner than the date stated.

Shortlisted applicants will be contacted within two weeks of the closing date.

Interview date

Thursday 5 November 2026.

While we value diverse backgrounds and experiences, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship. Applicants must be able to prove they have the Right to Work in the U.K.

Apply for this job