The role
What does a Senior Planning Lawyer do at Southwark Council?
As a Senior Planning Lawyer, your role is to help provide often strategic and complex legal advice in relation to planning and development. You will hold a varied and interesting. You will advise and support the council’s n new strategies and polices in the planning department. You will be part of the council’s team tasked with helping to ensure that the planning service remains responsive to evolving demands.
Your responsibilities will include advising committees, advising councillors and officers on complex planning law matters, drafting and negotiating s106 agreements, s278/38 agreements, defending judicial reviews, conducting planning appeals, advising about planning enforcement, environmental law and providing any related governance advice.
You will have responsibility for some financial management, monitoring chargeable hours and ensuring compliance with Lexcel requirements.
Who are we looking for?
We’re looking for a highly skilled and experienced Senior Planning Lawyer who is able to work independently and is comfortable supervising others. You will have significant experience of advising in relation to complex s106 agreements, s278/38 agreements, defending judicial reviews, conducting planning appeals, CPOs, advising about planning enforcement, environmental law and providing any related governance advice.
You will be a Solicitor, Barrister, or Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives with a current practising certificate (or eligible to apply for one), with extensive experience of advising on and managing complex planning and development matters.
You will have demonstrable experience of:
- Leading complex planning matters to achieve successful outcomes
- Building and sustaining effective and collaborative relationships with stakeholders
- Meeting and monitoring agreed performance targets
You will fit well into our team if you:
- Use initiative and excellent problem solving skills to meet deadlines and manage conflicting priorities and enjoy helping others to achieve so too
- Are able to adapt to changing demands and manage people
- Enjoy finding practical solutions to complex legal issues
- Are a team player who wants to continue to build and enjoys working in a supportive team
- Have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Additional salary details
About Southwark Council
Southwark Council is the largest local authority social landlord in London, managing 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of Southwark’s residents. We are home to over 18,300 businesses including iconic London venues such as The Shard, The Tate Modern and Borough Market along with many social enterprises and we have a young, diverse, and growing population.
At Southwark we are committed to making our borough just and fair and are taking positive action to tackle inequalities. Our residents and communities are our greatest asset and the passion we have for Southwark is shared by millions of Londoners who enjoy our outstanding cultural offer, use our hospitals and attend our universities.
Our refreshed borough plan and focus on Southwark Stands Together, (which is our work with Southwark’s communities and the council’s staff to tackle racism, injustice and inequality) underpins all that we do.
Southwark’s Legal Service
Our vision is to be the council’s first choice provider of legal services, offering a high-quality, sustainable, responsive and efficient value for money service to the council.
Our team is a friendly and well respected in the planning industry. Their fantastic work makes a key contribution to the council’s overarching goal to deliver positive outcomes for our residents, businesses, and partners in terms of housing, office space and the council’s other plans for the local area identified in the Southwark Local Plan.
Benefits and more information:
Working for Southwark Council – Southwark
Salary Range: £51,099 - £58,197
This post attracts an additional benefit to the value of £2,327 PA for staff to use for Gym membership, health insurance, season ticket purchase, bicycle purchase, additional voluntary contribution to pension, subscriptions and professional fees.
In addition there is a 7.5% Market Supplement Monthly Payment based on annual salary.
Recruitment timetable
Application Closing Date: 11.59pm on 5th July
Interview Date: Week Commencing 15th July
We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together initiative. We particularly welcome applications from members of the black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.
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