Planning Lawyer

Government of The United Kingdom; Bakewell CP; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexi-time

Pension scheme

Holiday entitlement

Free parking

Job summary

The Peak District National Park Authority's legal team seeks a fully qualified solicitor, barrister or CILEX to provide high quality planning, environmental and minerals advice, and handle S106 agreements, enforcement and litigation. The role emphasises stakeholder relations and practical workload management.

You will join a forward-thinking team, with training and mentoring available, in a hybrid working model with flexible hours, a competitive pension, generous holiday entitlement and parking

Qualifications

• Fully qualified solicitor, barrister or CILEX with knowledge of planning law and practice.
• Ability to provide accurate, solutions-focused legal advice and maintain stakeholder relationships.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; strong organisation and attention to detail.
• Experience in advocacy or related areas is desirable; training and mentoring available.

Responsibilities

• Provide high quality legal advice and representation on planning, environmental and minerals matters.
• Advise on S106 agreements and planning enforcement and litigation.
• Attend Planning Committee meetings and support the legal team with casework.
• Collaborate with colleagues to deliver an exemplar legal service for the Authority.

Skills

Planning law

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Organisation skills

Education

Qualified solicitor OR barrister OR CILEX

Job description

As the body responsible for conserving and enhancing the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the Peak District National Park, the work we undertake in the legal team is unique. In this role you will be responsible for providing high quality legal advice and representation in a wide variety of planning, environmental and minerals related matters, all of which involve consideration of the special qualities of our protected landscape. In particular, you can expect to be undertaking S106 and associated Agreements, all methods of planning enforcement and litigation, and attending and advising at Planning Committee (meetings are held in day time hours). This is a key role within our legal team working alongside experienced, forward-thinking colleagues, all of which have the collective aim of preserving and protecting our National Park.
We are seeking a fully qualified solicitor, barrister or CILEX with knowledge and experience of planning law and practice. You should have experience of providing accurate, solutions-focused legal advice, together with excellent communication and interpersonal skills to build and maintain positive stakeholder relationships. You will possess strong technical skills and be able to demonstrate exceptional organisation skills as well as high attention to detail and a strong practical approach to your workload. Experience of working for a National Park is not essential; we welcome applications from all practice backgrounds and recognise the value, insight and breadth of knowledge that this brings. Similarly, whilst experience of advocacy and other specific elements of this role are desirable, if you have transferable skills and a willingness to learn, we will provide you with the training and mentoring to develop your skills, enabling you to excel in this role and progress your career.
Our legal team is highly regarded throughout the Authority as professional and reliable, delivering an excellent legal service, with every member of the team having a positive, \"can-do\" attitude and adopting a problem-solving approach to any challenge presented. We have a positive and supportive culture within our legal team, sharing knowledge and best practices regularly. We are a true team, with the collective ambition of continuous improvement to provide an exemplar legal service to the Authority. Everyone is encouraged to share creative and innovative ideas to improve our team and the delivery of our legal service. The Peak District National Park was the first of Britain's 15 national parks and is still enjoyed by millions, looking for both adventure and a breathing space to escape. It is also the most accessible due its proximity to four major cities of the UK and its 38,000 residents. We recognise the importance of our national park and our job is to speak up and care for the Peak District National Park for all to enjoy forever.
We operate a hybrid working model and enjoy a healthy work-life balance. We offer a range of staff benefits including flexi-time, a high-quality defined benefit pension scheme, 26-31 days holiday, plus Bank Holidays and the option to purchase more, volunteering leave and free parking at most of our offices. Please check out our Total Reward Brochure to see what else we offer. Our Values

• Care - We care for the Peak District National Park, the people we work with and all those we serve. It's at the heart of everything we do.
• Enjoy - We take pride in what we do and feel good about our contribution.
• Pioneer - We were born of pioneers. We will continue to explore opportunities to inspire future generations.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion The Peak District National Park Authority is committed to equal opportunities. We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join us.