Some deal direct with the public, assembling case files, agreeing dates for inquiries and site visits or issuing Inspectors' decisions.
Some provide direct support for Inspectors, particularly at long inquiries or when a large number of issues need to be considered.
Some make formal decisions, for example on advertisement appeals or applications for costs.
Some help provide essential support functions in our Information Technology, Finance or Human Resources Branches.

Our administrative staff have a wide range of skills:

Some have a long experience working in the Inspectorate or in one of our "parent" Departments (the Department for Communities and Local Government and the National Assembly for Wales) or elsewhere in the public or private sectors.
Some are professionally qualified - for example in town and country planning or accountancy.
Some have qualifications in purchasing or personnel management.

Many posts also have specific functional competences. Please read the administrative grades' core competency framework for more information.

Recruitment to the administrative grades

Vacancies are filled either by open recruitment or by promotion from the grade below. We do not use "headhunters" or employment agencies to fill our permanent posts. For information on salaries please read the Grade structure and salaries document. Most recruitment is at Administrative Assistant (AA) or Administrative Officer (AO) level.

Whenever we need to fill a vacancy by recruitment, we place advertisements in the relevant Job Centre(s) and/or the relevant local paper. However, if the vacancy is for a particularly specialised post - for example in IT, Finance or Planning - we advertise in the appropriate professional journals. Our normal minimum requirement is that for entry to the AA grade you should have 2 GCSEs (or equivalent); for entry to the AO grade you should have 5 GCSEs. Entry at higher grades requires at least 2 'A' levels and/or more specific qualifications.

On this site you will find an outline of the terms and conditions of employment of staff in the Inspectorate's administrative grades.

If you are interested in a job in the Planning Inspectorate please do not contact us to ask about vacancies. Our current vacancies are also advertised on this site. However, if you have any questions that are not dealt with elsewhere on our web site, please contact us.