- Pay Rate:
up to £52,512.00 per annum, depending on experience
- Hours per Week:
37 Monday – Friday, normal working hours
- Hertford,
SG13 8EQ
Planning Lawyer – Legal Services
Job Ref: E Hertfordshire RQ592873
Hybrid role: predominately remote but will need to attend the office for planning committee meetings once a month
To provide a high quality and responsive Legal Service to the Council and external clients in relation to all planning law and associated matters and other areas of legal work.
Key responsibilities:
- Provide timely and effective specialist legal advice to the Council’s Planning Department, elected Members, including at committees, and officers across the council on all matters related to Town and Country Planning and associated legislation.
- Advise the Council’s Planning Department, the Council and members on all matters related to Town and Country Planning and associated legislation.
- Manage a varied caseload of complex and substantial legal work including, but not limited to, planning disputes, section 106 agreements, providing advice and support on planning law issues, drafting agreements, article 4 directions, public inquiries, the local plan and dealing with all matters ancillary thereto.
- Negotiate, draft and deal with agreements under s.106 Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and any other related agreements.
- Deal with all matters involving planning enforcement covered by planning legislation and all related legislation including, but not limited to, enforcement notices, stop notices and notices under s.215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
- Advise in respect of Listed Buildings and conversation matters.
- Keep officers and members informed of new legislation and case law relevant to their operations, including training seminars where appropriate and to ensure that they maintain a sound application of legal requirements.
- Contribute to preparation of committee reports and attendance at Council and committee meetings from time to time as directed and required.
- Attend, advise and provide legal services to council Committees and Panels as required, particularly Development Management Committee meetings.
“Role Requirements” – to give yourself the maximum chance of success please try and ensure your CV addresses the following essential criteria:
Qualifications:
- Admitted qualified solicitor or barrister with an understanding of local government.
- 2 (and above) Degree in law or equivalent degree and first-time pass in Common Professional Examination (CPE) or Graduate Diploma (GDL) (Law conversions).
- A current practising certificate or eligibility for a current practising certificate.
Knowledge & Skills:
- Good knowledge of relevant legislation of the relevant legal areas and the decision-making processes and procedures.
- Good understanding of current issues and best practice delivery relevant to the services areas.
- Knowledge of governance arrangements.
- Ability to manage own caseload and to work effectively to high professional standards, including being able to respond quickly and accurately to urgent matters and meet deadlines.
Experience:
- Effective handling of case load relating to planning law work, including, but not limited to, planning disputes, section 106 agreements, providing advice and support on planning law issues, drafting agreements, article 4 directions, public inquiries, the local plan.
- Drafting agreements and dealing with complex legal matters.
- Negotiating, drafting and dealing with agreements under s.106 Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and any other related agreements.
- All matters involving planning enforcement covered by planning legislation and all related legislation including, but not limited to, enforcement notices, stop notices and notices under s.215 Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
- Advise in respect of Listed Buildings and conversation matters
- Research and giving advice, and undertaking transactions or case work in matters relating to planning law.
- Advising at committees, particularly Development Management Committees
NB: Please feel free to apply to us direct via [email protected] by quoting the job reference and job title exactly. SEE DETAILS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS AD.
If you have previously applied to one of our vacancies and have already sent the required supporting documentation to us, please make this clear when you re-apply as this will help speed up your application.
Please quote the Job Title & Vacancy Reference No. in your application, or we will be unable to match your CV to the role being applied for.
Other “Essential Requirements” – Please check to ensure that your CV addresses the following items:
- Our clients are generally seeking applicants who are reasonably local, so on that basis we would ideally like you to supply us with your address (or at least your post code) and a telephone number so that we can reach you during working hours.
- Your recent UK working experience going back at least 5 years, or full employment history if you have been working for fewer years than this.
- Your availability to work either immediately, or at short notice.
- Please refer to the Role Requirements section above - your CV must address the requirements listed.
Other preferable/desirable details to include on your CV, if applicable:
- Any local authority/public sector experience
- Any relevant qualifications held or being studied for.
VW
CV Tips
Your CV needs to be current with your most recent role. We won’t be able to submit it with any unexplained gaps in employment. It will save time and improve your chances of success if we can put your CV forward immediately without having to ask for revisions.
Your CV must cover the “Essential Requirements” of the role. Ideally you will address the “Essential Requirements” on each job description page directly, in a bullet point list. Please include any DBS details and other qualifications called for.
Your CV should clearly state that you are available to start work either immediately, or at short notice. In general, our clients are unable to work with notice periods of more than 1 week from the point at which a role is offered, 2 weeks at the very most.
We do not put forward covering letters, so please ensure that your CV in contains all relevant information being called for.
We recommend that you consider sending us a CV suitably tailored CV for each role that you apply for. Job board aggregator sites will generally store only one version of your CV, which can be a bit limiting, so this is to your advantage.