Planning and Environment Solicitor

SouthernWaterServices; Worthing; Hybrid; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water services provider is looking for a Planning & Environment Solicitor to provide high-quality legal services. The role involves advising on environmental issues, managing legal risks, and drafting complex documents. Ideal candidates will have a minimum of 3-4 years of experience in Planning Law and possess strong teamwork skills. This position offers a competitive salary and benefits, including generous pension contributions and flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Generous pension up to 11% company contribution

25 days annual leave

Life assurance equal to 4x salary

Salary sacrifice electric car scheme

Health Cash Plan

Full funded eye tests

Two paid volunteering days a year

Occupational health service

Discounts with over 800 retailers

Digital GP service

Study support for qualifications

Competitive maternity leave and flexible return to work

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Minimum 3-4+ years relevant post-qualification experience in Planning Law.
• Previous experience working on planning and environment issues.
• Knowledge of court procedures and legal precedents.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice on environmental and planning issues.
• Identify and manage areas of risk for the Company.
• Draft complex legal documents quickly and accurately.

Skills

Planning Law

Teamwork

Commercial Effectiveness

Legal Precedents

Education

Qualified lawyer (Solicitor/Barrister/Chartered Legal Executive)

Job description

Closing Date: 2025-11-14

Job Title: Planning & Environment Solicitor

Location: Durrington, West Sussex (hybrid 2-3 days p/w)

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: 37, Monday to Friday

Salary: £competitive

There has never been a better time to join our organisation as we build towards a greener future, tackling climate change, minimising our environmental impact and reducing our carbon footprint!

Job Overview

To provide high quality environmental legal services to Southern Water to enable delivery of various capital, operational and infrastructure programmes, particularly those matters relating to AMP8 (and future AMPs) and company turnaround projects.

• Provide focused accurate, effective and timely legal advice, analysis and support to the relevant business function on environmental and planning issues to enable the business function to meet and manage its objectives.
• Provide advice in a clear, useable way enabling others (at whatever level in the business) to immediately understand key facts and issues.
• Identify areas of risk for the Company in relation to environmental, planning and regulatory matters and either directly provide or work with others to implement solutions to manage these risks.
• Stay abreast of legal developments in order to identify the potential impact on the company.
• Prepare and undertake negotiations on behalf of the company.
• Draft complex legal documents quickly and accurately.

About You

• Qualified lawyer (Solicitor/Barrister/Chartered Legal Executive) with a minimum 3-4+ years relevant post-qualification experience with an emphasis in Planning Law.
• Previous experience working on planning and environment issues required.
• Self starter with ability to work as part of a team and to work pro-actively across and with a number of other functions.
• Knowledge of law, court procedures and legal precedents.
• To provide advice in a clear, useable way enabling others (at whatever level in the business) to immediately understand key facts and issues.
• To identify areas of risk for the Company in relation to planning, environmental and regulatory matters and either directly provide or work with others to implement solutions to manage these risks.
• Commercial Effectiveness and Business Expertise.

Package

This role will be full time Monday to Friday with a hybrid approach to working between our Durrington office and home. We are offering a competitive salary, depending on skills and experience as well as other benefits including:

• Generous pension up to 11% company contribution
• 25 days annual leave
• Life assurance equal to 4x salary
• Salary sacrifice electric car scheme (after 6 months service)
• Health Cash Plan
• Full funded eye tests
• Two paid volunteering days a year
• Occupational health service
• Discounts with over 800 popular retailers
• Digital GP service
• Study support may be available for job-related qualifications
• Competitive maternity leave and flexible return to work options
• Cycle to work scheme

Join our Legal team and see how far your career could progress with a company committed to career progression, training and development opportunities, our customers and the environment.

Does this opportunity excite you but you’re not 100% sure if you meet all the requirements for the role? Or are you concerned that ‘normal’ office hours aren’t possible given your personal circumstances? Whilst we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we’ll try to find a practical solution. So why not engage with us and find out more about this role?

Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, because delivering water for life is our core purpose. To achieve this, we need 24/7 support in place to resolve incidents quickly and efficiently. All our employees understand the importance of out-of-hours incident support – because when problems appear, fixing them is our top priority. That’s why our people join together and support when and however needed to make sure our customers get the service they deserve. Joining the Southern Water family means you’ll become part of our incident support team. During your interview, your manager will speak to you about any incident support rotas that apply to your position.