Specialist Planning Lawyer

The role

Your mission:

• Specialist Legal Advice: Guide our clients through the intricacies of planning law, ensuring decisions are rooted in sound legal principles and regulatory frameworks.
• Good Governance: Uphold the highest standards of decision-making, ensuring our council's actions are transparent, accountable, and legally robust.
• Drive Strategic Excellence: Play a pivotal role in the development and execution of the Corporate Delivery Plan, aligning our strategies, policies, and operational plans with the council's ambitious objectives.
  
  

Lead with purpose:

• Inspire and Lead: If required, lead a team of professional lawyers, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, responsive legal services that exceed expectations.
• Collaborate: Work closely with the Cabinet, committees, steering groups, and other council bodies to provide legal insights that drive innovation and excellence.
• Subject Matter Expertise: Your ability to handle complex legal matters with finesse, coupled with your strategic vision, will ensure our council meets its planning objectives and delivers outstanding value for our community.
  
  

How will you make an impact:

We need a dynamic and experienced planning lawyer who is passionate about public service and driven to make a difference who will bring a blend of the following:

• Examples of how you've ensured high-quality outcomes in your previous role as a qualified solicitor or barrister with a current practising certificate or FILEX.
• Able to demonstrate how your legal insights have contributed to the achievement of strategic Planning goals.
• Practical experience in planning law, preferably within a local government context.
• Deep knowledge of planning and regeneration law, CPO highways law judicial review, appeals and advising planning committee.
• Proven ability to manage a diverse caseload independently.
• The capability to work in a fast-paced environment, maintaining high standards of attention to detail while meeting deadlines.
• This role offers flexible home working blended with travel into our London Bridge HQ.

Additional salary details

Are you a legal maestro with a flair for planning law? Do you thrive on navigating complex legal landscapes and delivering impeccable advice? If so, Southwark Council is calling you to join us as a Specialist Planning Lawyer, where your expertise will shape the future of our vibrant community!

At Southwark Council, we don't just practice law; we pioneer it. As a Specialist Planning Lawyer, you'll be at the heart of our mission, providing sophisticated and strategic legal counsel to a diverse range of clients, from council officers to the Cabinet, committees, and elected members.

Your role is not just important; it's transformative to our borough with many new developments taking place along the river Thames, residential estates at Elephant and Castle, at the former Surrey Docks at Canada Water, and through to Peckham and Camberwell.

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.

Benefits and more information:

Working for Southwark Council – Southwark

Salary Range: £56,271 - £69,990

This post attracts an additional benefit to the value of £2724 PA for staff to use for Gym membership, health insurance, season ticket purchase, bicycle purchase, additional voluntary contribution to pension, subscriptions, and professional fees. As an alternative, staff can convert the benefits package to cash, which will be paid monthly.

Recruitment timetable

Application Closing Date: 11.59pm on the 13th of September 2024

Interview Date: W/C the 16th of September 2024

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.

The hiring process will also incorporate a presentation.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition.

 

Attachments

• Job Description & Person Specification