Planning Lawyer - Permanent

Sellick Partnership Limited - Public Sector; England; Hybrid; GBP 51,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

A public sector legal firm is looking for an experienced Planning Lawyer to join their team in Hereford. This hybrid role allows for flexible working and requires expertise in planning and highways law. The ideal candidate will provide legal advice, attend decision-making meetings, and support junior team members. A competitive salary between £51,356 - £55,915 is offered along with a supportive work environment and numerous benefits.

Benefits

Relocation support up to £5,000

Enrolment in Local Government Pension Scheme

Generous annual leave of 31 days plus bank holidays

Professional development opportunities

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Demonstrate knowledge in planning and highways law specialisms.
• Provide legal advice on complex issues and large-scale redevelopment.
• Experience with various planning documentation and legal proceedings.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice to councillors and other stakeholders.
• Attend decision-making meetings and undertake advocacy.
• Support junior team members in legal practice.

Skills

Planning and highways law expertise

Ability to provide legal advice

Experience in drafting legal documents

Education

Solicitor or Legal Executive

Fellow of CiLEX or qualified barrister

Job description

Planning Lawyer
£51,356 - £55,915 (DOE)
Hereford/Hybrid (no fixed weekly attendance)
37 hours per week
Permanent

Overview of the Planning Lawyer role

Sellick Partnership is delighted to partner with Herefordshire Council to recruit an experienced Planning Lawyer into their dedicated and friendly Planning & Highways Team within Legal Services.

The Council is a modern, vibrant workplace where creativity and collaboration is actively encouraged and staff feel engaged and empowered. Employees are provided with choice, tools and the environment to deliver remotely or flexibly.

Key responsibilities of the Planning Lawyer will include

• Provide advice to councillors, stakeholders and senior officers and to liaise with external bodies and legal advisers
• To attend decision making meetings including Planning Committee remotely or in person if required
• Undertake advocacy on contentious planning and highway matters, draft documents and review Cabinet and Planning Committee Reports
• Contribute to the improvement of the Legal Services Team
• Support junior members of the team including the Legal Apprentice in legal practice and procedure contributing towards their professional development

You will provide legal advice and assistance on a wide range of issues, varying in complexity including but not limited to:

• Advice on large scale redevelopment schemes, CPOs, listed buildings, land contamination
• Drafting of S106 and Highway Agreements
• Planning enforcement work and planning/highway prosecutions
• Dealing with Appeals and Public Inquiries
• Lawful Development Certificates, TPO advice
• Judicial Review, High Court proceedings, governance and other areas of legal practice

Required experience for the ideal Planning Lawyer should include

• The role requires expertise in planning and highways law and it is essential that you are able to demonstrate knowledge in these specialisms
• The post holder must be either a Solicitor or Legal Executive who is a fellow of CiLEX or a qualified barrister
• Herefordshire Council do not stipulate a certain PQE and would welcome applications from applicants at any stage of their career, whether or not your expertise is in the public or private sectors

In return, benefits that come alongside the Planning Lawyer role will include

• Basic salary of £51,356 to £55,915 dependent on experience
• This is a hybrid role with flexible attendance - there is no fixed weekly requirement to be in the office
• Relocation packages: support of up to £5,000
• Enrolment in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Professional development - a comprehensive training and development programme
• Generous annual leave: 31 days annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum (pro rata)
• Flexible working
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
• Payment of professional membership feesPick your perks - access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts

How to apply for the Planning Lawyer role

If you have the required experience and would like to apply for this role, you can apply within. Alternatively, if you'd like a confidential chat about the role or what it's like to work at the council, you can contact Natalie Delaney in the Sellick Partnership office.

Sellick Partnership is proud to be an inclusive and accessible recruitment business and we support applications from candidates of all backgrounds and circumstances. Please note, our advertisements use years' experience, hourly rates, and salary levels purely as a guide and we assess applications based on the experience and skills evidenced on the CV. For information on how your personal details may be used by Sellick Partnership, please review our data processing notice on our website.