Conservation Officer – Heritage & Planning

Conservation Officer – Heritage & Planning Location: Shrewsbury / Shropshire Pay: £198.19 PAYE / £275 Umbrella per day Hours: 37 hours per week Contract: Initial 3-month contract Working Pattern: Hybrid – home working, Shrewsbury office and site visits across Shropshire Site Visits: Typically 1–2 days per week Start Date: ASAP IR35: Inside IR35 Conservation Officer – Historic Environment VNA Recruitment is currently recruiting for an experienced Conservation Officer to support a busy Historic Environment Team within a large public sector organisation in Shropshire. This is an excellent contract opportunity for a heritage professional with strong experience assessing planning applications, listed building consent applications and development proposals affecting historic buildings, conservation areas and other heritage assets . The successful candidate will provide specialist conservation and heritage advice across a varied caseload, working closely with planning colleagues, applicants, agents, Historic England and other stakeholders. The role offers hybrid working , with a combination of home working, office-based work in Shrewsbury and site visits across Shropshire. The Role As a Conservation Officer, your responsibilities will include: Assessing Listed Building Consent applications Reviewing planning applications affecting listed buildings, conservation areas and other heritage assets Providing specialist advice on the conservation and enhancement of the historic environment Assessing proposals affecting registered parks, gardens and other designated heritage assets Responding to pre-application enquiries Providing clear and proportionate conservation advice to planning officers, applicants and agents Preparing written consultation responses, reports and recommendations Undertaking site inspections across Shropshire Assessing the heritage impact of proposed development Supporting conservation area reviews, appraisals and heritage projects Assisting with Buildings at Risk cases Advising on appropriate repairs, alterations and development affecting historic buildings Liaising with Historic England , planning teams, applicants, agents and local stakeholders Supporting the resolution of complex heritage and conservation matters Representing the Historic Environment Team at meetings when required Maintaining accurate case records and ensuring work is completed within agreed timescales About You To be considered for this position, you should have: Previous experience working as a Conservation Officer, Heritage Officer or within a similar historic environment role A degree or postgraduate qualification in Building Conservation, Historic Environment, Planning, Architecture or a related discipline Strong knowledge of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 Good understanding of national planning policy relating to the historic environment Knowledge of Historic England guidance and conservation best practice Experience assessing planning proposals affecting listed buildings and other heritage assets Experience providing professional conservation advice Strong understanding of heritage significance and development impact Excellent written communication and report-writing skills Ability to communicate specialist heritage advice clearly to a range of audiences Strong organisational and caseload-management skills Ability to work independently and manage competing priorities Full UK driving licence Access to a vehicle for site visits across Shropshire Desirable Experience The following would be particularly advantageous: Previous Local Planning Authority experience Membership of IHBC, RTPI, RIBA or another relevant professional body Experience producing Conservation Area Appraisals or Management Plans Heritage enforcement experience Experience working with Buildings at Risk Experience dealing with complex or sensitive heritage applications Experience liaising directly with Historic England Why Apply? £198.19 PAYE / £275 Umbrella per day 37 hours per week Hybrid working Home working combined with office and site-based activity Site visits typically limited to 1–2 days per week Varied caseload across listed buildings, conservation areas and heritage assets Opportunity to work within an established Historic Environment Team Exposure to a wide range of planning and conservation matters Initial 3-month contract ASAP start This opportunity would suit an experienced Conservation Officer, Heritage Officer, Historic Environment Officer, Built Heritage Officer or Senior Conservation Officer with strong experience assessing development proposals affecting heritage assets. If you have a strong background in historic building conservation and can confidently provide professional heritage advice within the planning process, we would like to hear from you. Apply today with an up-to-date CV for immediate consideration. VNA Recruitment is acting as a recruitment agency in relation to this vacancy.