Definitive Map Officer

As a Definitive Map Officer in Leeds City Council’s Climate, Energy and Green Space’s service, you’ll thrive on working within a motivated team to protect, improve and extend the 862 km public rights of way network in Leeds.

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated individual to play a vital role helping to deliver statutory services, ensuring the definitive map is kept up date by processing Modification Orders and Public Path Orders.

It involves working within the planning process to ensure public rights of way are protected and realise opportunities for investment in these key recreational and sustainable transport routes across the city to help meet the Health and Wellbeing and Net Zero ambitions of the Council.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As a Definitive Map Officer , you will bring to the role:

• An ability to work as part of a team and on own initiative.
• An ability to manage and deliver a varied workload.
• Familiarity of public rights of way law and practice and appreciation of the issues concerning their management, protection and improvement.
• An ability to develop and write clear and concise reports.
• An ability to interpret maps of differing scales and to accurately depict changes on the network on GIS.
• An ability to interpret historical evidence
• The ability to undertake Path inspections to recognised standards

About the role

Reporting to the Public Rights of Way Manager the role provides an opportunity to work across a range of disciplines to contribute towards sustainable active travel routes.  Public Rights of Way provide an invaluable resource for health and wellbeing activities, principally being routes for walking, horse riding and pedal cycling and are a key element in an interconnected green infrastructure for local communities, who seek good quality and well way-marked routes.

Having good cartographic skills, together with experience of using GIS applications, the post holder will work closely with colleagues to ensure that our Definitive Map is accurate and that changes to the public path network are in line with relevant procedures. In this regard knowledge of both Modification Order and Public Path Order procedures is important.

The post is a hybrid role with opportunities for home and office working, as well a requirement to undertake surveying work on site as required.

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements

• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds and the communities we serve. Leeds City Council is recognised in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index 2024. We are also an Age-friendly Employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.

All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six month probationary period.

This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK  - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK and the role does not meet eligibility for sponsorship, please consider carefully whether you meet the eligibility to apply.

Job Description

Job Purpose:

To assist in carrying out the City Council’s statutory functions relating to the management, recording and protection of public rights of way and access, including the review, consolidation and upkeep of the Definitive Map and Statement in support of the objectives of the Climate, Energy and Green Spaces service

Qualifications: Relevant degree or equivalent qualification or experience. Membership of IPROW ideally.

Responsibilities

• To assist in the management and co-ordination of service provision of the Public Rights of Way functional area, including the following disciplines:
• To review and maintain the Definitive Map and Statement, to ensure the protection of Public Rights of Way.

• To investigate the existence of public rights of way using historical documentation and user evidence.
• Processing Definitive Map Modification Order applications.
• To process Path Order applications and oversee the provision of new paths.
• Contribute to achieving the objectives within the Leeds City Council Rights of Way Improvement Plan.
• To represent and defend the City Council at Public Inquiry and Court as the Councils chief witness.
• Deal with enquiries and searches with regard to public rights of way and Access land.
• To comment on planning consultations and liaise with developers in order to protect and improve the public right of way network.
• Advise landowners, solicitors of the law in relation to access land and public rights of way.
• To inspect, survey and accurately record public rights of way and claimed public rights of way.
• To process applications in relation to statutory declarations on highways and commons land.
• To compile and provide performance information that is up to date accurate and timely as requested.
• To represent the Parks and Countryside service at all appropriate internal and external meetings.
• To fulfil duties in line with the Parks and Green Space Strategy and related strategies and service objectives and in support of the aims of the Leeds Strategic Plan and Council Business Plan.
• To undertake other duties as may be required from time to time.
• To ensure the procurement of goods and services is in accordance with financial regulations, corporate policy and legal requirements.
• To take personal responsibility and abide by the Council’s Health and Safety Policy.
• To abide by the Council’s policies on equality and diversity in the duties of the post and as an employee of the Council.

PERSONAL SPECIFICATION ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS: It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities:  Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements.

Method of Assessment will be through one or more of the following Application Form, Test, Interview or Certificate.

Skills Required

• Ability to communicate with a wide range of people individually and in groups
• Cartographic skill, plotting features and the ability to interpret maps and plans of differing scales
• Ability to interpret historical documentation and user evidence
• Ability to organise time effectively
• Ability to survey paths including in remote locations
• Accurate record keeping skills including the ability to write clear and concise reports
• Ability to resolve difficulties using diplomacy and negotiation skills
• Ability to work on your own and as part of a team
• Ability to work strategically
• Able to demonstrate good IT skills (word processing, spreadsheets, databases and Arc GIS)

Knowledge Required

• Relevant degree or equivalent qualification or experience
• Knowledge of Access and Countryside Legislation

Experience Required

• Experience of managing competing priorities and meeting deadlines
• Experience of using Arc GIS

Behavioural & other Characteristics required

• Achievement of equal opportunities in both employment and service delivery and an understanding of the Leeds City Council policy
• Willingness to take personal responsibility for and abide by the Council’s Health and Safety Policy
• A positive commitment to providing excellence in service provision
• Commitment to developing effective working relationships internally and with services across the Council
• Proactive in contributing to the ethos of team working within the service

PERSONAL SPECIFICATION DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS: It is desirable that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities:  Candidates are not required to meet all the Desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between acceptable candidates.

Skills Required

• Ability to work strategically
• Ability to train colleagues and volunteers in historical research interpretation

Knowledge Required

• Knowledge of the Planning system
• Knowledge of various types of path construction
• Understanding of the working practices of Parish/Town Councils
• Full membership of IPROW or proven experience in Definitive Map work
• Full, clean driving licence

Experience Required

• Representing a Loca Authority at a Local Public Inquiry
• Processing Public Path Orders
• Processing Definitive Map Modification Order applications

Behavioural & other Characteristics required

• To ensure effective consultation mechanisms in order to develop the work of the Climate, Energy and Green Spaces service.