At the heart of the PAS and Local Government Association’s sector led improvement programmes are officer and member peers. These are volunteers who give their time and expertise to act as peers on improvement projects such as peer challenges to help local government improve and learn.
Why become a planning peer?
Peers understand the current challenges faced by local government and they bring credibility, trust and mutual respect to the improvement process. They engage and listen, explore and question, and work as a team to bring innovative ideas and experiences from elsewhere.
Peers not only support and challenge local government they also benefit from the places they visit and always take back learning and practice that will help their own organisations.
What criteria do I need to meet to become a planning peer?
To become a planning peer for PAS, we will need to make sure that you meet certain criteria. This is to maximise the benefit to the Council that we are supporting and to ensure that what you learn onsite will help you in your role.
It is essential that you can demonstrate the following:
- have worked in planning for at least 5 years and in local government for at least 3 years of those;
- have seen either a major site through to delivery or a local plan through to adoption;
- have experience of working within or with the senior leadership team of a Council; and
- have experience of working closely with elected members.
It is desirable that you can demonstrate one or more of the following:
- have been involved in the improvement of planning services in a local government setting.
- have advised members in either a committee setting or a local plan working group arrangement.
We also need people with specialisms in the following areas for bespoke work with Councils. This is optional.
- Have experience of setting up and managing an infrastructure funding model.
- Have experience of producing, managing, and monitoring a housing delivery action plan.
- Have experience of producing a design code for either a whole area or a significant site.
- Have experience of producing a climate action plan.
- Have experience of delivering an environmental strategy.
- Have experience of strategic planning across two or more councils, joint working, or shared planning services.
- Have experience of managing development compliance through planning enforcement.
How can I apply to become a planning peer?
To express your interest in becoming a planning peer please provide the following information to [email protected]
- Name, position and employers name and address.
- Brief description of your experience showing how you meet the essential, desirable, and optional criteria (2 pages maximum).
- A reference from your current employer, past employer or another colleague who can verify your experience.
We will acknowledge your expression of interest within 2 working days. We will come back to you with any clarification questions by e-mail and we will confirm the outcome of your expression of interest within one month of the date submitted.