About Lanpro Group
The Lanpro Group was established in November 2025 following its acquisition by a private equity investor. Bringing Lanpro and CarneySweeney together under a single group structure, the platform was founded with a shared ambition to become the UK’s largest independent, planning-led multidisciplinary environmental consultancy. This growth strategy continued with the acquisition of Create Consulting in February 2026, further strengthening the Group’s capabilities and expanding its multidisciplinary offering.
The Group has offices in Norwich, London, Cambridge, Manchester, Edinburgh, York, Bath, Glasgow, Milton Keynes, Birmingham, Cardiff, Exeter and Chelmsford.
It's multidisciplinary service spans across multiple disciplines. Planning, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Ecology, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Landscape Architecture, Architecture & Design, Arboriculture, Visualisation, Historic Environment, Acoustics, Air Quality, Civil Engineering, Geo-environmental, MEP Building Services, Structures, Sustainability, Transport & Highways, Utilities, Water & Flood Risk.
The Lanpro Group offers an environment that is diverse, entrepreneurial and encourages innovation and professional development.
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.
As a Principal Planner, you’ll be responsible for providing strategic planning leadership, professional expertise and direction across a range of complex planning projects and programmes. The role involves leading planning activities, developing and implementing effective planning strategies, managing stakeholder relationships and ensuring that projects are delivered in accordance with organisational objectives, regulatory requirements and relevant planning policies.
The postholder will provide expert advice, mentor junior colleagues, oversee planning applications and projects, and contribute to the continuous improvement of planning processes and service delivery.
Strategic Planning and Leadership
- Lead the development, implementation and review of strategic planning policies, frameworks and programmes.
- Provide expert professional advice and guidance on complex planning matters.
- Identify emerging planning issues, risks and opportunities and recommend appropriate solutions.
- Contribute to business planning, budgets, timescales and organisational decision-making.
Project and Programme Management
- Lead and coordinate complex planning projects from inception through to delivery.
- Preparing and submitting planning applications, appeals and associated planning documents.
- Establish project objectives, priorities, milestones, resources and delivery programmes.
- Identify and manage project risks, dependencies and competing priorities.
- Ensure effective coordination across internal departments, external consultants and delivery partners
- Build and develop strong relationships with clients and colleagues.
Essential:
- Degree in Town Planning, Urban Planning, Spatial Planning or a relevant discipline.
- Chartered member of RTPI or be working towards chartership.
- Significant experience in a planning role, including experience managing complex projects and programmes.
- Strong understanding of UK planning legislation, policies, regulations and procedures.
- Experience managing stakeholders and working across multidisciplinary teams.
- Proven ability to manage competing priorities and deliver results within agreed timescales.
Desirable:
- Degree qualification in Planning or a related discipline.
- Experience working at a Senior or Principal level.
- Experience managing budgets, resources and large-scale planning programmes.
- Experience contributing to organisational strategy and policy development.
As a valued employee of Lanpro Group, you can expect to feel looked after. We offer the following great benefits as standard:
Day One
- Enhanced Annual Leave entitlement
- Death in service cover
- Centrally based City offices
- Hybrid working environment (flexible work)
- Protected CPD (Department, individual and companywide)
- Professional Body membership contribution
- Career progression framework and development, including two defined promotion windows annually.
- E Learning portal access
- Non contractual growth bonus scheme
After Probation and Beyond
- Loyalty Leave (Continuous Service Accrued Annual Leave up to 5 days)
- Private Medical Insurance
- Cycle to work scheme