The purpose of the fitness instructor role will be to motivate and inspire our members to achieve their goals, deliver group fitness, and you will also have the opportunity to deliver Personal Training sessions. Using your expert knowledge, you will provide our members with safe and effective inductions, programmes and programme reviews that will keep our members engaged and wanting more.

At all times you will help create a community orientated environment and always deliver excellent customer service.

We currently have casual positions available within our team at Nye Bevan, Skelmersdale. If the above sounds like you, and you hold a Fitness Instructor Level 2 qualification, then we would love to hear from you.

Closing Date: 19 Apr 2026

Team: Operational

Salary: £25,185 per annum pro rata

Why Us?

It’s time to join West Lancs as we embark on delivering our new and ambitious Vision and Priorities.  With a focus on environmental sustainability, generating economic prosperity, building inclusive & healthy communities and financial resilience, we are looking for exceptional candidates to help shape our future. You will be joining an organisation that puts its customers first, takes responsibility and works together with a can-do attitude, all while challenging the status quo to deliver exceptional outcomes for our communities. 

Your Role!

As a Building Inspector, you will play a key role in delivering the Council’s Building Control functions. This includes:

• Acting as a professional lead on Building Regulations, Building Act, and Building Safety Act matters.
• Managing your own caseload for plan checking and site inspections.
• Taking enforcement action to ensure compliance with building regulations.
• Inspecting and determining measures for dangerous structures and controlling demolition works.
• Maintaining accurate site records and reporting on application progress.
• Supporting and mentoring team members, sharing best practices.
• Planning and achieving personal work programme targets, preparing reports, and assisting with statistical returns.
• Acting as an ambassador for the Council, complying with the Building Inspector Competency Framework (BICoF) and Building Safety Regulator standards.
• Providing specialist assistance to the Building Safety Regulator and deputising for the Building Control Technical Manager when required.

About You!

We are looking for someone who is:

• Qualified and Registered:
  • Associate member of a professional institute such as RICS or CABE (Building Control).
  • Registered with the Building Safety Regulator as a Building Inspector (minimum Class 2D), working towards Class 2F.
• Experienced:
  • Strong knowledge of Building Regulations, Building Act, and associated legislation.
  • Experience in plan checking, site inspections, and enforcement within Building Control.
• Skilled:
  • Excellent planning and organisational skills, able to work to tight deadlines.
  • Strong interpersonal and influencing skills to engage with stakeholders and the public.
  • Problem-solving ability and willingness to champion change.
• Technically Competent:
  • Familiarity with building control IT systems, AutoCAD, and drainage design software.
• Other Requirements:
  • Commitment to equality, health & safety, and customer care.
  • Ability to communicate confidently in English.
  • Access to own transport and a full driving licence.
  • Willingness to work flexibly, including outside normal hours when required.

What's in it for you?

We pride ourselves on our friendliness and being a good employer with a range of benefits and employment terms and conditions to suit you. A competitive salary and annual leave entitlement, flexible working, a generous employer pension contribution scheme, work life balance policies, and support for your personal development are just some of the benefits we offer.

If you are eager to be part of a transformative journey and make a tangible impact, West Lancashire Borough Council welcomes your application.

To find out more about West Lancashire Borough Council, please view the attached Role Profile below.

Closing Date: 19 Apr 2026

Team: Operational

Salary: £39,862 to £42,839

This is a voluntary position.

This is not a West Lancashire Borough Council job vacancy. The successful applicant will not be employed by the Council.

The Independent Chair is appointed jointly by the Council and the local Member of Parliament and will operate independently of the Council.

All correspondence should be directed to: ExecutiveSupportTeam@westlancs.gov.uk  

A significant opportunity for Digmoor

Skelmersdale South East (Digmoor) has secured up to £20 million over ten years through the Government’s Pride in Place programme.

This investment is intended to support long-term change by improving local streets and community spaces, strengthening relationships and giving residents a stronger voice in shaping their area.

The programme is structured around three priorities that link back to the Government's Pride in Place Strategy:

• Stronger Communities – building relationships, belonging and local leadership
• Thriving Places – improving high streets, public spaces and neighbourhood amenities
• Taking Back Control – empowering residents in local decision-making

A Neighbourhood Board will guide this work. We are seeking an Independent Chair to lead that Board and ensure the programme remains open, balanced and genuinely community-led.

This is a rare opportunity to help shape the direction of Digmoor over the next decade. Whilst we have the ability to deliver early interventions, the most meaningful change will depend on sustained leadership, strong governance and broad community participation.

The role

The Independent Chair will lead the Skelmersdale South East (Digmoor) Neighbourhood Board.

This is a strategic, facilitative and stewardship role. The Chair does not manage projects or administer funding. West Lancashire Borough Council will act as the Accountable Body, providing financial, legal and administrative oversight.

The Chair’s responsibility is to ensure that:

• The Board operates effectively, transparently and in line with national requirements
• Decisions are evidence-informed, well-considered and clearly recorded
• Discussion is constructive, inclusive and balanced
• The programme reflects the long-term interests of the Digmoor community rather than individual or organisational agendas

As an independent presence, you will create the conditions for others to lead, enabling confident participation and ensuring no single voice dominates. You will guide the Board towards collective decisions that command confidence across the community.

You will:

• Lead the recruitment and convening of the Neighbourhood Board working with the Council and MP
• Build a Board that reflects the breadth and diversity of the Digmoor area
• Chair meetings and ensure fair, well-structured and productive discussion
• Guide preparation of a ten-year neighbourhood plan and four-year investment programme
• Act as a visible, credible and impartial ambassador for the programme

About the Board

National governance requirements mean the Board must:

• Have at least eight members
• Be resident-led, with at least 51% living or working within the neighbourhood
• Include the local MP
• Include at least one ward councillor
• Operate with equal voting rights for all members
• Publish agendas and minutes in line with transparency requirements

All members must sign and adhere to a Code of Conduct based on the Seven Principles of Public Life.

The Chair must be independent so cannot be an elected representative for either the Borough Council or County Council and cannot be employed in a role directly responsible for delivery of the programme.

Key responsibilities

Leadership and facilitation

• Lead recruitment and onboarding of Board members (supported by the MP and Council)
• Establish a culture of openness, respect and accountability
• Enable inclusive discussion and balanced participation
• Offer constructive challenge and impartial perspective
• Maintain focus on long-term community outcomes

Community engagement

• Prioritise meaningful engagement with residents and local organisations
• Ensure the Board reflects the whole community and not only established or well-connected voices
• Create clear pathways for participation so more residents can shape priorities over time
• Build confidence and leadership capacity within the community over time

Planning and investment

• Oversee development of a ten-year plan and associated four-year investment programme aligned to the three national priorities
• Support a balanced programme of physical improvements and community-based activity
• Ensure proposals align with an agreed neighbourhood boundary and programme rules
• Support effective monitoring, learning and adaptation as the programme evolves

Governance and stewardship

• Ensure conflicts of interest are declared and managed
• Ensure meetings are conducted appropriately and decisions recorded transparently
• Uphold high standards of integrity, accountability, transparency and fairness
• Protect the independence and reputation of the Board.

The role will involve navigating differing views and managing disagreement calmly as not every proposal or priority may be funded. The Chair must guide the Board towards collective decisions that are fair, defensible and rooted in community priorities.

The Chair should not

This role is strategic and facilitative and to protect the integrity of the programme, the Chair should not:

• Act as a gatekeeper or build cliques; the Board should include a wide range of voices, including those who may differ from the Chair’s.
• Seek to push personal or organisational agendas — the programme must reflect what the community wants.
• Position themselves as the only decision‑maker or the main expert in the room.
• Take on day‑to‑day delivery or operational management as this is a strategic convening role.

About you

Previous chairing experience is welcome but not essential. We recognise those that apply may have experience gained from the public, private or voluntary sector. What matters most is whether you can be trusted locally and you can exercise sound, impartial judgement in a visible public role.

You will:

• Have a strong and credible connection to Digmoor and/or Skelmersdale
• Be comfortable working with people from a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives
• Demonstrate fairness, objectivity and the ability to offer constructive challenge
• Be confident operating in an accountable public environment
• Have the time, resilience and commitment required over a sustained period
• Be motivated to build wider participation and future community leadership

Commitment

This is a voluntary position, similar in responsibility to being a school governor or charity trustee.

The Board will meet regularly, particularly during the early planning stages. Following appointment, it will be essential that you make time to meet with relevant stakeholders, work with the Council and the MP to shape the recruitment of the Board itself. The Chair may also undertake community engagement and preparation work between meetings.

As part of this role, you may also need to engage with other regional Pride in Place programmes as well as Participate in the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) ‘Network for Neighbourhoods’ forum.

There is no salary or honorarium attached to this role however reasonable expenses will be reimbursed.

The appointment will also be subject to:

• An enhanced DBS check
• Two satisfactory references

How to apply

Please download the application form below and submit a brief statement up to 500 words outlining:

• Your connection to Digmoor and Skelmersdale
• Why you wish to take on the role
• Your approach to recruiting and leading a community Board
• How you would ensure decisions remain community-led and accountable
• Two referees

 When you have completed the form, please email it to ExecutiveSupportTeam@westlancs.gov.uk subject line "Volunteer Application for Chair of Digmoor Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board"

We welcome applications from residents and others with a strong connection to the area, whether or not you have previous experience of governance roles.

Closing Date: Friday 10^th April

Interviews will take place on Thursday 16^th April.

If you require the information in another format or need adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know when applying.

For an informal conversation around this role – you can contact Corin Henderson at corin.henderson@westlancs.gov.uk

For more information about the national Pride in Place Programme, visit: Pride in Place Programme prospectus - GOV.UK

You can read the Pride in Place Strategy here: Pride in Place Strategy - GOV.UK

Closing Date: 10 Apr 2026

Team: Volunteer