Planning Lawyer

ENL Legal Recruitment; West Yorkshire; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 67,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Generous annual leave

Job summary

eNL is seeking a Senior Planning Lawyer in West Yorkshire to manage planning, highways, environmental and local government matters. You will advise on complex issues, mentor colleagues and help lead a specialist legal team in a dynamic environment.

The role operates on a hybrid basis with two days per month in the office, offering career progression and a broad caseload including public rights of way and compulsory purchase orders.

Qualifications

• Senior level planning law experience with two additional areas (highways, public rights of way, compulsory purchase or local government law)
• Strong drafting and negotiation skills
• Excellent communication and advocacy abilities

Responsibilities

• Advise on planning, environmental, highways and traffic matters.
• Draft and negotiate planning and highways agreements; advise on enforcement and challenges.
• Support planning inquiries and judicial reviews; undertake advocacy when needed.
• Deliver legal training and mentor colleagues; maintain high quality service.

Skills

Planning law experience

Negotiation

Advocacy

Education

Qualified solicitor/barrister/Chartered Legal Executive

Job description

PLANNING LAWYER - HIGHWAYS & LITIGATION, 5+ YEARS EXPERIENCE, WEST YORKSHIRE/ HYBRID, up to £61,358 DOE – Excellent opportunity to take on a senior legal position within a local authority, advising on complex planning, highways and environmental matters while leading and developing a specialist legal team. JOB REF: 5865

THE ROLE:

The successful Senior Planning, Highways & Litigation Lawyer will advise on planning, environmental, highways and traffic matters, public rights of way, Town and Village Greens, and compulsory purchase orders. You will draft and negotiate planning and highways agreements, advise on enforcement and legal challenges, support planning inquiries and judicial reviews, and undertake advocacy where required. The role will also involve delivering legal training, mentoring colleagues and helping maintain a high quality legal service.

THE CANDIDATE:

The ideal candidate will be a qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive with substantial senior level planning law experience and recent experience in at least two additional areas, such as highways, public rights of way, compulsory purchase or local government law. You will have strong technical, drafting and negotiation skills, excellent communication and advocacy abilities, and the confidence to manage complex matters independently. Experience supervising or managing staff, alongside the ability to build stakeholder relationships, provide senior level advice and support positive change, is essential.

THE PACKAGE:

The role offers a competitive salary, generous annual leave, senior level responsibility and involvement in strategic legal matters, with the opportunity to lead and develop a specialist legal team while managing a varied and complex caseload across planning, highways, environmental and local government law. You will work on a hybrid basis, requiring just two days per month in the office.

At eNL we value diversity and inclusion. We want to attract people at all levels and encourage applications from all suitably qualified candidates, whatever your ethnicity, religion, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or any characteristics protected by law in the jurisdictions in which we operate.