Salary: circa £65k, depending on skills and experience
Full-time, with flexibility for part-time.
37 hours per week/permanent
Location: Peterborough/London - Hybrid working, 2 days p/w in Anglian Water office and able to visit sites in Lincolnshire, when required
Private health care
Double-matched pension
Virtual GP service for you and your household
Life assurance at 8 times salary
Be part of a once-in-a-generation project!
Anglian Water is delivering one of the most ambitious infrastructure programmes in our history, the multi-billion-pound Reservoirs Programme, including two major new water reservoirs in the East of England: Fens and Lincolnshire.
These projects of national significance will transform water supply across the region and secure a sustainable future for millions. We’re seeking a Planning Lead to play a pivotal role in shaping the Lincolnshire Reservoir, a career-defining opportunity for an experienced and passionate Town and Country Planner.
About the role
As Anglian Water’s Planning Lead, you’ll be at the forefront of our Development Consent Order (DCO) application, working alongside our specialist planning consultants as part of a multi disciplinary team of experts in consenting, design, masterplanning, construction, stakeholder engagement, land acquisition, and environment to drive a strategic, coordinated, and proactive approach, ensuring the project is not just consentable but fully fundable.
What you’ll be doing:
Lead the planning workstream for the Lincolnshire Reservoir, working closely with a multi-disciplinary team and reporting to the Head of Stakeholder & Planning.
Manage outputs from specialist planning consultants to deliver key planning documents, including the Planning Strategy, Planning Statement, Policy Accordance Tables, Statements of Common Ground, and S106 Agreements.
Provide strategic planning input into the DCO programme, design decisions, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, and DCO requirements.
Identify planning risks early and propose mitigation strategies, including alignment with other developments and emerging Local Plans.
Manage and oversee the production and submission of supporting Town and Country Planning Act applications as required.
Collaborate internally across the reservoir projects and Anglian Water teams to share best practice and ensure consistent planning approaches.
Engage proactively with local planning authorities, including in relation to preparing and agreeing planning performance agreements.
Attend and support meetings and public consultations.
What does it take to be Planning Lead?
A relevant town planning qualification with extensive experience dealing with major applications gained in a local planning authority/consultancy.
Experience of dealing with Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects and the Development Consenting Order process
Chartered Royal Town Planning Institute member or eligibility to join
Strong knowledge of the UK planning system including the Development Consent Order process.
Excellent relationship management skills with a collaborative, quality-focused approach.
Outstanding communication skills, both written and verbal.
Skilled negotiator, able to navigate complex stakeholder discussions.
Strong project management abilities, with excellent organisational skills.
Full UK driving licence, with flexibility to travel to meetings and site visits.
As a valued employee, you’ll be entitled to:
Personal private health care
Life assurance (up to 8 x salary)
Personal accident cover (up to 5 x salary)
Double-matched pension (maximum 7% employee : 14% employer contribution)
26 days annual leave – rising with length of service and the ability to buy more
Excellent family friendly policies, such as 26 weeks full pay for maternity / adoption leave, as well as 4 weeks paid paternity / partner leave. Opportunity for shared parental pay
Bonus scheme
Flexible benefits to support your wellbeing and lifestyle.
Inclusion at Anglian Water:
We value the representation & diversity within our communities. Inclusion is for everyone and we are an equal opportunity employer, which means we’ll consider all suitably qualified applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or beliefs, age, sexual orientation, disability status or any other protected characteristic. We recruit and develop our people based on merit and their passion for creating better outcomes, and we’re committed to creating an environment where all our colleagues feel they belong.
Closing date: 26th July 2026
Join us to help shape our future water supply
This is a great opportunity to influence one of the UK water industry’s most ambitious infrastructure programmes and help shape a legacy that will benefit future generations across our region.
If you’re ready to lead and leave your mark, we want to hear from you!
#LI-LC1
Skills Required
- Relevant town planning qualification with extensive experience dealing with major applications
- Experience of Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects and the Development Consent Order process
- Chartered Royal Town Planning Institute member or eligibility to join
- Strong knowledge of the UK planning system including the DCO process
- Excellent relationship management skills and collaborative, quality-focused approach
- Outstanding written and verbal communication skills
- Skilled negotiator able to navigate complex stakeholder discussions
- Strong project management abilities with excellent organisational skills
- Full UK driving licence with flexibility to travel to meetings and site visits
What We Do
Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) is the nation's largest cooperative food wholesaler to independently owned supermarkets, providing distribution, marketing, and development services.
