Landscape and Tree Officer

About Three Rivers District Council

Three Rivers District in South West Hertfordshire straddles the north west corner of the M25 on the edge of Greater London. The district is a mixture of beautiful countryside, villages and small towns. The area has a diverse range of sectors and businesses and is a centre for the film industry with Warner Brothers at Leavesden forming part of a studio cluster along with Elstree and Pinewood is a short drive away.

At a glance
• 700 historic assets and 22 conservation areas, 77% of the district is in the Green Belt.
• 1,914 NNDR registered businesses with the economy providing 39,000 jobs
• Very low crime rate
• The district ranks highly for business registrations and start ups with a highly skilled and trained workforce, high employment levels with GVA and weekly earnings above average.

The Department:-
The Tree and Landscape section is based within the Community Services Dept. of the District Council. The section currently comprises of a Trees and Landscapes Officer who undertakes the day to day management of the Council’s tree stock, carries out a range of protected tree related work and handles enquiries from the general public.  And a Community Biodiversity Officer who organises and facilitates a wide range of biodiversity project work, events and activities.  The Trees & Landscapes officer and Community Biodiversity Officer report to the Principal Tree Landscape Officer who oversees the work of the section.  The section also works closely with the Leisure section within Community Services; Planning Officers within Regulatory services; and colleagues in Legal, Property and Customer Services.

The Role:-
• To assess and comment on planning applications from a landscape and tree perspective and advise planning officers on landscape and tree matters in accordance with national, regional and local planning policy and best practice guidance, principally the British Standard BS5837.
• To assist with all aspects of Tree Preservation Order (TPO) legislation, including their making, serving and confirmation and enforcement, and to assist with a review of existing TPOs.
• To support and advise team members within Trees and Landscapes; Leisure; and Grounds Maintenance on landscape and planting design, and hard and soft landscaping matters in relation to the maintenance and development of Council open spaces.
• To assess and determine tree works applications in respect of TPO protected trees and trees in Conservation Areas and assist with the administration of applications.
• To assist with the maintenance of council-owned trees in a healthy and safe condition via the use of a tree management database (Ezytrees) and taking full account of all relevant health and safety legislation.
• To undertake any other duties relevant to the role, as requested by the Principal Tree & Landscape Officer.

What we are looking for:-
You might be a recent graduate wanting to gain experience; be looking for a change of career; or looking to get back into work after a career break. We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated person, who is keen to learn. This is a full time, permanent post and is a great opportunity for someone with some landscape experience who is keen to get experience of a wide range of landscape, parks and open space, arboriculture and biodiversity work.

• Must hold a Degree, Diploma or HND in Arboriculture, Landscape Architecture, garden design, Forestry or similar equivalent.
• Knowledge of statutory tree protection (e.g. TPO & Conservation Area legislation) and a familiarity with the UK planning system
• Some knowledge and experience of landscape design and amenity horticulture
• Some experience of working directly with the public and councillors, within a Local Authority setting would be advantageous.
• A UK driving licence
• ICT/ technological aptitude
• MS Office applications, Intermediate/ advanced Outlook, Word, Outlook/email, Spreadsheets, database etc.
• Experience in the use of GIS such as ArcMap, and tree management software such as Ezytrees.
• Motivated, enthusiastic and able to promote ideas and contribute to the team
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Must be able to work with minimum supervision, and be able to work under pressure by effectively prioritising workloads
• Ability to demonstrate an understanding of customer needs and to be able to respond appropriately.

What we offer:-
£30,151 to £34,723 per annum excluding London Weighting.
We offer an excellent benefits package, including competitive salary, 28 days holiday - rising to 30 days (if applicable), a generous employer contribution pension scheme, life assurance, flexible working, career development, free on-site parking, cycle-to-work scheme, discounted leisure centre membership, employee volunteering schemes and access to discounted activities and days out.

Closing Date: 30th May 2023.

For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Alex Laurie, Principal Tree & Landscape Officer on 01923 727350. 

A basic DBS check will be carried out for this post

To apply for this role, please click here.