Lancashire County Council
School Planning Officer
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Job Description
Salary: £40,777 - £46,142 per annum
Hours: 37 hours per week
Type: Permanent, Full Time
Position: School Place Planning Sufficiency Officer (Grade 9)
Education – School Place Planning Team
Location: County Hall / Hybrid
International Sponsorship: this role is not open to international sponsorship
Help Shape Lancashire's Future
Lancashire County Council is committed to ensuring every child has access to the right school place at the right time. As housing growth continues across the county, we are seeking a motivated and analytical School Place Planning Officer (Housing) to help ensure that education infrastructure keeps pace with new development.
This is an exciting opportunity to work at the intersection of education, planning and housing, influencing how communities grow and helping secure investment in school places for future generations.
About The Role
Working alongside senior officers, you will support the planning and delivery of education provision across the county by analysing demographic, pupil and housing data, identifying future school place requirements and contributing to strategic solutions.
You will work with a wide range of stakeholders including schools, academy trusts, local planning authorities, developers and colleagues across the Council to help ensure education infrastructure keeps pace with growth and changing community needs.
Key Responsibilities
You will:
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- Producing pupil forecasts, sufficiency assessments and strategic analyses.
- Monitoring school capacity and future demand for places.
- Assessing the impact of housing developments on education provision.
- Supporting planning consultations and developer contribution assessments.
- Preparing reports, briefing papers and recommendations for senior officers and elected members.
- Contributing to education sufficiency strategies, school organisation proposals and capital projects.
- Building effective relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
About You
We are looking for someone who can combine strong analytical skills with the ability to communicate complex information clearly and effectively.
You will have:
- A degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant discipline, or significant professional experience in a related field.
- Experience of analysing and interpreting complex data and producing high-quality reports.
- Strong Excel and data management skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- The ability to build productive relationships and influence stakeholders.
- An understanding of education, planning, demographic analysis or infrastructure planning.
- The ability to manage competing priorities and work independently within a professional environment.
- Experience of school place planning, developer contributions, local government or education sufficiency work would be advantageous but is not essential.
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At Lancashire County Council
We are committed to making Lancashire the best place to live, work, visit and prosper.
Through our Lancashire Mindset of Growth, Ownership, Optimism and Positive Impact, we invest in our people and support them to develop rewarding careers that make a real difference to local communities.
We offer:
- Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
- Generous annual leave entitlement.
- Local Government Pension Scheme.
- Ongoing learning and development opportunities.
- Supportive and collaborative working environment.
- Employee wellbeing initiatives and staff benefits.
If you are looking for an opportunity to use your analytical and professional skills to help shape the future of education provision across Lancashire, we would love to hear from you.
Apply today and help us plan for the next generation of learners.
Apply
Please apply via the Lancashire County Council recruitment website, submitting your application form and supporting statement demonstrating how you meet the requirements of the role.
Closing date: 28th August 2026
Interviews: w/c 14th September 2026
Additional Information
This is designated as an essential car user post. The successful applicant will be required to provide a vehicle for business use and hold appropriate business insurance cover. Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants who are unable to drive due to a
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