South Lanarkshire Council

Head of Planning, Regulatory Services and Climate

South Lanarkshire, United Kingdom     Salary: £127,213 - £131,995     ACTUAL CLOSING DATE: Applications must be received by Sunday 11 October 2026 at 11.55pm.  

Job Description

Do you have the vision to shape the future of South Lanarkshire?

Community and Enterprise Resources touch the lives of everyone who lives, works, visits and invests in South Lanarkshire. Through our services, partnerships and investment programmes we play a critical role in creating successful places, supporting sustainable economic growth, tackling inequalities and improving the wellbeing of our communities.

South Lanarkshire is one of Scotland's largest and most diverse local authority areas. Our communities are ambitious, our economy is changing, and the expectations placed on local government continue to grow. We are responding to these challenges by modernising services, embracing innovation and strengthening our focus on place-based working to ensure that our resources and investment deliver the greatest possible impact.

The role of Head of Planning, Regulatory Services and Climate sits at the heart of that ambition.

This is a unique opportunity to lead services that shape the places where people live, work and invest. The role brings together planning, regulation and climate leadership to help create sustainable, inclusive and resilient communities whilst supporting economic growth and protecting the natural and built environment.

Working closely with elected members, communities, partners and stakeholders, you will provide strategic leadership across planning, building standards, environmental services, trading standards and climate change and sustainability. You will champion a place-based approach, ensuring that policy, regulation, investment and environmental stewardship work together to improve outcomes for communities across South Lanarkshire.

The operating environment continues to evolve rapidly, influenced by climate change, demographic pressures, technological advancement, economic transition, changing community expectations and public sector reform. In response, the Council is increasingly focused on delivering sustainable places, reducing inequalities, supporting community wellbeing and achieving its climate ambitions alongside economic growth.

This is an opportunity for an exceptional leader to help shape that future.

If you have the vision, strategic insight and collaborative leadership skills to drive positive change, improve places and deliver lasting outcomes for our communities, we would welcome your application.

Key Areas of Responsibility

• Planning

• Building Standards

• Environmental Services

• Trading Standards

• Climate Change and Sustainability

• Place-Based Development and Sustainable Growth

• Strategic Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement

• Service Transformation and Continuous Improvement

 

About Us

South Lanarkshire Council is the unitary authority serving the South Lanarkshire council area in Scotland. The council has its headquarters in Hamilton, has 16,000 employees, and a budget of almost £1bn. The large and varied geographical territory takes in rural and upland areas, market towns such as Lanark, Strathaven and Carluke, the urban burghs of Rutherglen, Cambuslang, and East Kilbride which was Scotland's first new town.  

Our vision is for South Lanarkshire as set out in our Economic Strategy is to have one of the strongest and most dynamic economies in Scotland, where businesses, communities, and residents achieve their full potential and prosper.

We will achieve this through three key interrelated themes:

• People - skills, learning and employability
• Place - physical infrastructure and place
• Business - business development and growth

 

For further information visit edenscott.com/south-lanarkshire-council or contact sarah.gracie@edenscott.com