Skip to Main Content
Location icon
Birmingham

Principal Planner Town Planning (Infrastructure Planning)

WSP
Sustainability/Environmental Consulting
Sustainability/Environmental Consulting
£60,000 - £85,000/Year
Company logo image
Description

Location
Birmingham

Hours
Full Time

Salary
Negotiable

About the Role
What if you could do the kind of work the world needs? At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives. You can experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you.

WSP is an award-winning consultancy employing the largest number of chartered town planners across the UK, operating within both the infrastructure and property markets. In December 2025, WSP won the RTPI’s Planning Consultancy of the Year, with judges commending the team for excellence in uniting diverse disciplines to achieve outstanding results and strong community engagement.

It has never been a more exciting time to join WSP’s market-leading Infrastructure Planning Team. Our success is built on highly skilled consenting specialists experienced in serving a diverse portfolio of clients in energy, renewables, nuclear, net zero, water, rail, transportation and aviation sectors. We work at all stages of the consenting process from early feasibility, application preparation and delivery of consents through construction on a variety of projects across sectors.

With notable contract and framework awards from National Grid as part of the Great Grid Partnership and many other clients, we have a strong foundation for growth in 2026. Our key clients include National Grid, National Gas, Nuclear Waste Services, EET Fuels, Eni UK, SSE, Scottish Power Renewables, Severn Trent Water, Southern Water, United Utilities, Yorkshire Water, and more.

To continue sustainable growth, we are seeking an experienced Senior Consultant to support town planning and consenting inputs on major and nationally significant infrastructure projects. The successful candidate will have demonstrable experience working within multi-disciplinary teams to secure consent and approvals for major infrastructure projects via the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, Planning Act 2008 and Transport and Works Act Order. Experience with the Planning (Wales) Act 2015, Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act, or the Electricity Act is also welcomed.

Key responsibilities include leading preparation of Town & Country Planning Act applications for infrastructure projects across the UK, supporting consenting inputs on major infrastructure projects (DCOs, DNSs, TWAOs etc), providing sound technical advice to clients, liaising with statutory bodies and stakeholders, leading and engaging with multi-disciplinary teams, and supporting work-winning opportunities aligned with WSP’s Growth Strategy. Awareness of project finances and project management experience, ideally within consultancy, is important.

Requirements

Experience
- Proven experience leading Town & Country Planning Act applications for major infrastructure projects across the UK.
- Experience securing consents and approvals via relevant legislation including Planning Act 2008, Transport and Works Act Order, and preferably Planning (Wales) Act 2015, Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act, or Electricity Act.
- Demonstrable ability to work within multi-disciplinary teams and liaise with statutory bodies and stakeholders.
- Experience providing technical advice to clients and managing consenting requirements.
- Project management experience and awareness of project finances, ideally within a consultancy environment.

About you
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to engage and provide technical oversight across teams.
- Proactive in developing own knowledge and contributing to the team’s internal knowledge base.
- Client-focused with an understanding of client expectations and needs.
- Motivated to support business growth and contribute to work-winning opportunities.
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.

Qualifications
- Degree level qualification in town planning or equivalent.
- Member of, or eligible for, the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

Expiry date: 07/10/2026
Principal Planner Town Planning (Infrastructure Planning)
Company:
WSP
Salary:
£60,000 - £85,000/Year
Job Type:
Job
Location:
Birmingham