Planning Solicitor

Think Legal Recruitment; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Think Legal Recruitment is seeking a Planning & Infrastructure Lawyer for Leeds or Manchester. The role focuses on end-to-end consenting for major energy and transport projects within an international law firm, with significant autonomy and leadership responsibilities.

Ideal candidates will handle Development Consent Orders, compulsory acquisitions, EIA work, and drafting of complex agreements, while guiding junior lawyers and managing applications through to examinations.

Qualifications

• Experience running infrastructure consenting projects with some autonomy.
• Experience in Compulsory Acquisition and EIA.
• Ability to draft agreements from scratch and supervise applications through to examinations.

Responsibilities

• Lead major DCO and infrastructure projects across energy and transport.
• Provide planning, consenting and advisory input throughout project lifecycles.
• Negotiate with objectors and draft key agreements.
• Supervise and develop junior lawyers within the team.

Skills

Planning law

Infrastructure consenting

Environmental Impact Assessment

Compulsory acquisition

Drafting agreements

Managing applications

Mentoring juniors

Job description

Planning & Infrastructure Lawyer – Leeds or Manchester

4+ PQE | Leeds | International Law Firm | Planning, Infrastructure & Energy

Some planning roles are largely about advising on individual planning issues.

This one is much more hands‑on.

I'm working with a leading international law firm looking to add an experienced Planning / Infrastructure Lawyer to its Leeds team, following significant growth across the practice.

The Planning, Infrastructure & Energy team has grown considerably over the last five years and now has a substantial national practice, with a strong pipeline of infrastructure and consenting work running through to 2028 and beyond.

This is a genuine opportunity to get stuck into major projects rather than simply having occasional exposure to the sector.

The work includes:

• Major Development Consent Order (DCO) projects across the energy and infrastructure sectors
• Energy consenting and major electricity infrastructure projects
• Compulsory acquisition and related negotiations
• Environmental Impact Assessment work
• Negotiating and drafting agreements with objectors
• Preparing orders and plans and managing the application process
• Examinations, enquiries and planning inquiries
• Transport and Works Act Order consenting
• Major transport, rail, airport, water and port infrastructure projects
• Planning and consenting advice throughout the lifecycle of major developments

And the projects are substantial.

The team is currently involved in major energy infrastructure projects, including electricity network reinforcement, substation schemes involving compulsory purchase, carbon capture and hydrogen infrastructure.

On the transport side, the work includes major rail schemes, airport development, water infrastructure and port projects.

There is also a significant pipeline of DCO work secured well into 2028.

What they're looking for

This isn't a due diligence or purely transactional planning role.

The team is looking for a rounded Planning / Infrastructure Lawyer who can take ownership of consenting matters from beginning to end.

You'll ideally have experience of:

• Running infrastructure consenting projects with a good degree of autonomy
• Compulsory acquisition
• Environmental Impact Assessment
• Negotiating directly with objectors
• Drafting agreements from a blank page
• Managing applications through to enquiries and examinations
• Supervising more junior lawyers

They're looking for someone who is comfortable being a self‑starter and has enough infrastructure consenting experience to know what good looks like.

The role is particularly suited to someone who wants genuine responsibility for matters rather than being one small part of a much larger infrastructure team.

There's flexibility around the working pattern for the right person, although naturally there will be periods around enquiries and examinations where greater flexibility isn't always possible.

Why this role?

You'll be joining a growing Planning, Infrastructure & Energy team with a major international platform behind it, but one where lawyers still have the opportunity to take real ownership of their work.

There's a deep and secured pipeline of DCO and consenting work, significant exposure to major energy and infrastructure projects and plenty of scope to develop your career as the team continues to grow.

It's a particularly interesting opportunity for a Planning / Infrastructure Lawyer who wants to build more depth in the infrastructure space and work on projects that will have a tangible impact on what gets built across the UK.

Salary: Highly competitive for the region, depending on experience.

If you're a Planning / Infrastructure Lawyer in Leeds with genuine consenting and compulsory acquisition experience and this sounds like the sort of work you'd like to get involved in, I'd be happy to have a confidential chat.