Lawyer Planning and Highways

Durham County Council; North East; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in North East England is seeking a Qualified Solicitor or Barrister to join the Planning & Highways Team. This role involves providing legal advice, negotiating and drafting agreements, and representing the Council in civil and criminal courts. Applicants should possess a current practicing certificate and have experience in related matters. The position offers a competitive rewards package, flexible working arrangements, and the chance to work on key projects impacting the community.

Benefits

Competitive rewards package

Generous annual leave

Local Government Pension Scheme

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Must be a Qualified Solicitor, Barrister or CLIEx Litigator with current practicing certificate.
• Should be able to negotiate and draft various agreements.
• Experience in Public Rights of Way and Common Land issues is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice, assistance, and advocacy to Councillors and officers.
• Negotiate and draft various agreements.
• Conduct matters in civil and criminal courts regarding enforcement and appeals.

Skills

Negotiation

Legal advice

Drafting agreements

Public inquiries involvement

Education

Qualified Solicitor/Barrister/CLIEx Litigator

Current practicing certificate

Job description

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

The Planning & Highways Team handles a wide range of matters, including all aspects of Planning and Highways Law, Public Rights of Way and Common Land issues. These new roles will complement the existing team, increasing its capacity to play a vital role in a number of projects over the coming years including the refresh of the County Durham Plan and supporting a number of regeneration projects involving potential CPOs. Its work is a key component in delivering the Council’s strategic vision and priorities.

You will work closely with Councillors and with officers across the whole range of the Council’s activities, providing legal advice, assistance and advocacy. You will be responsible for the negotiation and drafting of various agreements as well as wider policy and strategy. You will advise Council committees and may be required to conduct matters in the civil and criminal courts such as enforcement and appeals, as well as involvement with public inquiries.

You can contact Tim Briton, Senior Lawyer (Regulatory & Enforcement) at [e-mail] for an informal discussion about the role.

WHAT WILL I NEED?

You should be a Qualified Solicitor, Barrister or CLIEx Litigator and Chartered Legal Executive Advocate (Civil) with current practising certificate, or be about to qualify having completed all academic stages.

Please refer to the attached Person Specification for the full criteria.

INTERVIEWS

Interviews will be held during the week of 12th January 2026.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

OUR OFFER TO YOU

• Competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries.
• Generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service).
• Membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme.
• A range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable.

Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.

HOW TO APPLY

Please note, we do not accept CVs. All applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal. Use the ‘Person Specification’ section of the form to clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential (and where possible, desirable) criteria. Applications that do not evidence the essential requirements will not be shortlisted. For guidance on completing your application, visit our website.

If you require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27, Option 6 or via email [e-mail].

All correspondence relating to your application will be sent from [e-mail]. Kindly check your spam/junk folder regularly to ensure you don’t miss any updates.

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