Senior Planning Lawyer

Salary details: £ - £

PLEASE DO NOT APPLY USING THE DERBYSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL WEBSITE, PLEASE SEE DETAILS BELOW.

Are you a qualified lawyer with a passion for planning law? Would you like a caseload of planning work that has a unique quality involving protected landscapes in a National Park? If so, we have a rewarding role as our Senior Planning Lawyer that could be for you.

The Role
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 on week days 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.

About You
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.

About Us
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.

Further Information
If you have any questions about the role, please contact Angela Edwards at angela.edwards@peakdistrict.gov.uk. No agencies at this time please.

Benefits
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.

Further Information
For full job information and to apply please visit our careers site

https://careers.peakdistrict.gov.uk/PeakDistrict/JobDescription/SWDjE-qVGqY

Please be aware that Derbyshire County Council is placing this advert on behalf of this organisation and you should refer directly to its website for details of the terms and conditions attached to this post. Any queries regarding this advert or the recruitment process should be made directly to the organisation.