Principal Planning Lawyer

Venn Group; West Yorkshire; Hybrid; GBP 51,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent legal advisory service in the United Kingdom is seeking a Principal Lawyer for Planning and Highways. In this senior role, you'll provide expert advice on a variety of planning and highways matters, ensuring that your contributions shape vital infrastructure and communities. This position offers hybrid working, alongside opportunities for mentoring and leadership development within a collaborative and dedicated legal team. The ideal candidate will have substantial experience in planning law and a genuine interest in supporting others.

Benefits

Local Government Pension Scheme

27.5 days annual leave, rising to 32.5 after five years

Generous family-friendly policies

Health and wellbeing support services

Travel, parking and cycle benefits

Qualifications

• You must be a qualified solicitor, barrister, or CILEX lawyer.
• Experience in planning law at a senior level is required.
• Confident in advising on complex planning matters.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice on planning and highways work.
• Support junior lawyers and develop management skills.
• Advise officers and elected members on governance matters.

Skills

Advising on complex planning matters

Mentoring and supporting others

Working with committees and members

Planning enforcement and public law matters

Education

Qualified solicitor, barrister or CILEX lawyer

Experience operating at a senior level

Job description

Principal Lawyer – Planning and Highways

£51,356 – £56,494 + £3,000 market supplement | Hybrid working

This is a senior in-house role within a large local authority legal service, offering the chance to work on a wide range of planning and highways matters that directly shape places, infrastructure and communities.

The role sits within a specialist planning and highways team and combines high-quality technical work with opportunities to develop leadership skills.

The team

You’ll join a dedicated Planning and Highways legal team advising on planning, highways, rights of way and related environmental matters. The team supports ambitious regeneration, infrastructure and sustainability objectives and works closely with planning officers, highways colleagues and elected members.

It’s a supportive and collaborative team environment, with a strong emphasis on practical, solutions-focused advice.

The role

You’ll be one of the lead lawyers in the team, providing advice on a broad mix of planning and highways work. Alongside your caseload, you’ll have scope to support junior lawyers and develop your management and leadership capability over time. The caseload will include:

• Section 106 and Section 278 agreements
• Complex and routine planning and highways advice
• Planning enforcement and public law matters
• Public inquiries and hearings
• Advising officers and elected members on risk, governance and decision-making

Who this role suits

• A qualified solicitor, barrister or CILEX lawyer
• An experienced planning lawyer, operating at a senior level
• Confident advising on complex planning matters and working with committees and members
• Interested in broadening your experience into highways, public rights of way and wider local government law (or already experienced in these areas)
• Someone who enjoys mentoring and supporting others, even if you’ve not formally managed before

Working arrangements and benefits

• Hybrid working
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• 27.5 days annual leave, rising to 32.5 days after five years, plus bank holidays
• Generous family-friendly policies
• Health and wellbeing support services
• Travel, parking and cycle benefits

For more information

• Contact Nik Stoate at Venn Group [e-mail]