Salary: £32,076 - £35,745 Pro rata, per annum
Grade: I
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Part-time, and Full-time contracts available
Location: Hybrid - You can work from home and from one of our office bases in Selby, Richmond, Scarborough, Malton, Northallerton, Skipton and Harrogate, whilst you cover an allocated part of the region.
Our team…
The Council’s Planning Services play a fundamental role in managing the natural and built environment, ensuring that the future development needs of the area can be accommodated to make it a better place in which to live and work.
The Environment & Design workstream comprises a multidisciplinary team of specialist disciplines, who support the council’s role in place-shaping by working across the whole planning function. The specialisms include archaeology, ecology, landscape, historic environment, and urban design.
Role summary…
The role of the Ecologist is to promote the protection and enhancement of the County’s biodiversity, ensuring that it is an integral part of the Council’s growth and place making agenda.
You will provide specialist ecological advice to ensure statutory requirements and council objectives are met and have a key role in supporting the preparation of the council’s Local Plan, other strategies and guidance as well as providing advice on development proposals. You will help to shape the delivery of biodiversity net gain in North Yorkshire.
Duties and responsibilities…
· Support the preparation, implementation, and review of the statutory development plan by inputting to the formulation of natural environment and Green Infrastructure policies and assessing the impact on biodiversity of site allocations.
· Assist in preparing and updating biodiversity guidance and other advisory material for agents, developers, property owners, and the general public.
· Work proactively with the National Landscapes for mutual benefit in promoting biodiversity improvements.
· Assist with the preparation of evidence for public examinations and local inquiries in so far as it relates to the natural environment.
· Support the team in the delivery of ecological programmes, including SINCs and special interest verges
· Assist with maintaining a biological record database for the County.
· Respond to pre-application enquiries, planning applications and enforcement cases where a proposal will impact on biodiversity and ecology, including undertaking site visits to assess applications where appropriate.
· Review biodiversity net gain proposals that are submitted, including providing advice on S106 agreements and planning conditions.
· Provide ecological advice on habitat creation and restoration to the minerals and waste industry through the planning system.
· Provide training and briefings on ecological and biodiversity net gain matters to develop in service capacity; equipping others to become more self-reliant when considering development impacts on biodiversity.
· Provide ecological input to design/development briefs to ensure the effective integration of green infrastructure into new development and provide ecological advice in respect of Council owned assets.
· Support the development and delivery of biodiversity projects in partnership with other organisations or communities.
· Assisting with the delivery and reporting of statutory duties under the NERC Act 2006 and Environment Act 2021.
· Input to discussions on the integration of biodiversity into work streams such as Local Plans and Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
· Take responsibility for own work, performance, development and behaviours; using own initiative to ensure that expectation is met for the benefit of the Council, our customers and our colleagues.
Experience / Qualifications:
· Education to degree level in a relevant ecology/environmental subject
· Knowledge of current British nature conservation legislation, guidance, and planning policy.
· Knowledge of legislation and policy relating to biodiversity net gain and its delivery through the development management process.
· Knowledge on and identification of British wildlife habitats and species
· Experience in the provision of ecological advice in the UK planning system
· Experience of liaison and negotiation with stakeholders and partners
· Experience of managing workload within set deadlines; able to use own initiative to plan time effectively.
Contact and Apply…
For an informal conversation about this opportunity, please contact Linda Marfitt, Head of Planning Policy & Place (linda.marfitt@northyorks.gov.uk) or Julia Casterton Principal Ecologist (Julia.Casterton@northyorks.gov.uk)
Applying is easy, simply click on apply now, register your details, remove your personal details from your CV and upload by midnight on 21st August 2024
Key Documents
Key Dates
Closing Date: 21st August 2024
Shortlisting: Week commencing 22nd August 2024
Interviews: 2nd September 2024