Planning Lawyer

Organisation: Leicestershire County Council

Work Location: County Hall, Glenfield, Leicestershire LE3 8RA

Salary: £41,259 - £55,602 per annum + a 10% Golden Hello (Subject to Terms and Conditions) (pro-rata for part-time)

Working Hours: 37 Working Hours per Week

Contract Type: Permanent

Closing Date: 15th November 2026

Interview Date(s): TBC

Leicestershire County Council has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Planning Lawyer to join its supportive and well‑established Environment & Property legal team.

This role is ideally suited to a lawyer with a strong background in planning and development law who is looking to work on a high‑quality, varied and influential caseload. You will play a key role in advising senior officers and elected Members on complex planning and highway matters that directly shape growth, infrastructure and communities across Leicestershire.

About the Role

To be a planning and highways specialist assisting in the provision of an efficient and effective in house legal service to the County Council and in particular to the County Council’s planning, highways and environment, and related functions within the responsibility of the Director of Environment and Transport.

The post holder will provide specialist legal advice on a wide range of planning issues, including planning committee work, major development proposals, section 106 obligations, enforcement and appeals. Highways and infrastructure matters form part of the role where they support planning and development activity.

We welcome applications from candidates with local authority or private practice experience, who are confident advising at Member level, comfortable attending planning committees, and able to provide clear, practical and solution‑focused legal advice.

Why join us?

• A planning‑focused role with meaningful involvement in development and infrastructure projects

• Regular exposure to planning committees and strategic decision‑making

• A supportive and collaborative legal team with strong professional leadership

• Opportunities to mentor and support colleagues, commensurate with experience

The Environment & Property Team comprises a mix of experienced lawyers and support staff and offers a positive working environment where professional development is encouraged.

About You

To apply for this post, you must have:

• Professional qualification as an admitted Solicitor, Barrister entitled to practice, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives or Associate or Graduate Member working towards admission as a Fellow.

• Demonstrable recent experience of advising on planning and development mattersdrafting, negotiating and advising upon section 106 planning obligations and unilateral undertakings. Advising and attending as legal representative at planning committees or equivalent decision-making bodies.

• Experience of providing legal advice to senior officers and/or elected Members on planning matters and planning enforcement, appeals and/or other contentious planning matters

• Confident and comfortable in the conduct of complex and fast moving negotiations in relation to all aspects of planning matters. Able to use IT applications including a computerised case management and legal research and time recording systems.

• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with members, colleagues, customers and internal and external stakeholders and to persuade and influence an appropriate outcome.

• Ability to research and assimilate information rapidly and present effective client focused solutions and appropriate advice and guidance in a timely manner and able to work accurately under pressure with minimum supervision to achieve objectives and deadlines.

• Up-to-date and detailed knowledge of planning law and practice. Detailed knowledge of section 106 planning obligations and the law relating to the development and use of land.

Possession of a current driving licence and access to a vehicle is required.

In addition, we also expect you to share our commitment to our values and to delivering accessible and inclusive services which meet the needs of all of our residents. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these commitments as part of the selection process.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability. We are a Disability Confident Employer.

Interested in Flexible Working?

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which may include part time working, job sharing, term-time working, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid working, depending on the requirements of the role and the service. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below.

For more information or an informal discussion, please contact:

Katy Jobanputra, Team Leader

Telephone: 0116 305 6055

Email: Katy.Jobanputra@leics.gov.uk

How to Apply

At Leicestershire County Council we’re looking for top talent from all walks of life. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, and whatever your background - we care about what you bring to our organisation, not just what’s on your CV. That’s why we’ve designed a recruitment process that’s fair, accessible, and focused on potential. And with benefits that support people at every age and stage of life, we make sure you can thrive - both personally and professionally.

If you share our passion to make a difference for the people of Leicestershire, we’d love to hear from you. Click the apply button to submit your application, ensuring that you upload a supporting statement that explains how you meet the criteria listed in the ‘About You’ section above. Without this information, we won’t be able to assess your suitability for the role, and your application will be rejected. For tips on how to write your statement, see the How to Apply section on our career site.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

If you have any technical issues when trying to apply for this post or you want to request an application pack in an alternative format, please contact our Employee Service Centre by telephoning 0300 3030222 (select option 2) or raising a ticket via our online portal: .

By applying for this post, you agree to our Terms and Conditions.