Education Place Planning Officer

Education Place Planning Officer

 

Job Purpose;

 

• Lead the strategic planning, negotiation and delivery of education mitigation required to support the North‑East Thatcham development, ensuring sufficient Early Years, SEND, primary and secondary places are provided in line with statutory duties and local planning policy.
• Act as the senior education liaison for the development, managing relationships and communications with elected Members, the Chief Executive, Senior Officers, schools, and developers to secure timely and effective outcomes.
• Provide expert oversight of the evidence base, funding agreements, and delivery mechanisms to ensure that education infrastructure is appropriately defensibly secured, funded, and aligned with the Council’s wider growth and place planning objectives.

 

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

 

To support Place Planning Team Leader by providing strong and effective project management, ensuring successful throughout its lifecycle.

 

Strategic Leadership and Policy Implementation

 

• Lead the identification, development, and delivery of education infrastructure requirements arising from the North-East Thatcham strategic site, ensuring alignment with the Council’s statutory duties and strategic priorities.
• Translate local and national planning and education policy, including planning obligations frameworks and DfE policies such as the Education Estates Strategy and guidance on Securing Developer Contributions for Education into clear, evidence-based education mitigation strategies.
• Provide expert advice to senior leadership on the implications of mitigation for school place planning, capital investment, and service delivery.

 

Education Mitigation and Developer Negotiation

 

• Lead the negotiation of education contributions and mitigation measures with developers and their representatives through the planning process (including Section 106 agreements and other mechanisms) specifically relating to the North-East Thatcham strategic site.
• Ensure robust, defensible evidence is prepared to support mitigation requests, including pupil yield modelling, capacity assessments, and place planning forecasts.
• Work collaboratively with Planning colleagues to ensure education requirements are embedded within policies and planning decisions.

 

Stakeholder Engagement and Communication

 

• Act as the principal point of contact for elected Members, Senior Officers, and the Chief Executive on matters relating to education mitigation from the North-East Thatcham development.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders, including schools, academy trusts, diocesan bodies, and regional partners when developing the mitigation strategy.
• Provide clear, accessible briefings and reports to Members and senior leadership, supporting informed decision-making.
• Represent the Council in meetings with developers, planning committees, partnership boards, and external forums.

 

Cross-Service Collaboration

 

• Work closely with Planning, Finance, Legal, Transport, and Education colleagues to ensure a coordinated and consistent approach to infrastructure planning.
• Ensure alignment between education mitigation strategies and wider infrastructure planning (e.g. highways, community facilities).

 

Analysis, Forecasting and Evidence Base

 

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of robust pupil forecasting models and place planning data to inform mitigation requirements for the North-East Thatcham development.
• Ensure that all projections and assumptions relating to the development are regularly reviewed, evidence-based, and capable of withstanding external scrutiny (e.g. planning appeal).
• Establish development trajectories and trigger points to ensure timely provision of school places and facilities.
• Identify risks to delivery, including delays in development or shortfalls in funding, and seek to overcome these risks through planning of infrastructure.

 

Governance and Reporting

 

• Prepare and present reports, briefings, and business cases for senior leadership, Members, and other governance forums.
• Ensure that all recommendations and decisions are supported by clear evidence, risk assessment, and financial implications.
• Maintain oversight of risks associated with developer funding, delivery timelines, and sufficiency of school places related to the North-East Thatcham development.

 

Continuous Improvement and Best Practice

 

• Keep abreast of changes in planning legislation, education policy, and best practice in infrastructure funding and delivery.
• Drive continuous improvement in processes, tools, and approaches to securing and delivering education mitigation.
• Benchmark approaches against other authorities and promote innovation in place planning and infrastructure coordination.

 

Promote equal opportunities, access to services and tackling discrimination both within and outside the Council. To mainstream equality within all the activities of the team and contributing to the service area’s Equality Impact Assessments.

 

Fully embrace and work in line with the Council’s Behaviour Framework in all activities related to the North-East Thatcham development.