Directorate: Neighbourhoods & Regeneration
Service: Planning & Place
Unit: Planning Contributions and Planning Legal
Job Title: Principal Planning Lawyer
Grade / Salary: Grade12
Responsible To: Head of Planning & Place and Council Solicitor
General Job Objective:
To undertake planning related legal work on behalf of the Council (including providing external services where required).
To support the Councils Planning Committee.
To assist with the provision of legal services and deal with legal matters commensurate with the knowledge and experience of a practicing solicitor / barrister / legal executive or equivalent.
To Lead the Planning Contributions Team in securing the appropriate CIL and other contributions from all developments within the District.
Key Tasks:
- To provide, timely and focussed, legal advice in relation to Planning Law & Practice and general property matters. Including drafting all relevant legal documents associated with planning and property matters.
- To manage, handle, and/or delegate the assessment of all legal applications (Lawful Development Certificates, Deed of variations, etc) received by the Department.
- To effectively and efficiently manage the Planning Contribution functions and Planning Legal functions of the Council whilst ensuing a top-quality service is provided for all users. This includes but is not limited to the:
- Managing, training, and supporting staff across both Planning Legal and Planning Contribution teams,
- Supporting the Service Area in meeting key targets, such as timely decision-making and ensuring the right decisions are made,
- Indirect budget responsibility, but with a focus on growing income generation,
- Signing off delegated decisions alongside other Managers and the Head of Planning & Place and delegating work across the managing teams and wider department.
- Handling first stage complaints, where appropriate, with the goal to minimise complaints. Ultimately to ensure customer/user satisfaction across the function.
- To have a strong customer ethos, excellent personal conduct, integrity and credibility that inspires confidence in Members, clients, departments, and partners.
- To carry out research and provide specialist legal advice including planning, CIL, development works, Local Government Law, and decision-making (including knowledge of the Council’s constitution and delegations of authority).
- To prepare matters and arrange appropriate representation for the Council at Hearings, Public Enquiries, and Tribunals, or to provide the appropriate representation directly.
- To attend meetings of the Council’s Planning Committee (or other meetings as required) and to advise Chief Officer’s and Members on matters of law, procedure and related specialist matters.
- To contribute to best practice within the Council’s Legal and Planning Departments and to be aware of changes and developments in legislation and case law in the aforementioned areas of the law.
- To support the Enforcement Team and planning enforcement function.
- To create, promote, and support Service enhancement.
The post holder is required to carry out any other duties appropriate for the grade and responsibility level of the post. This includes undertaking work, where necessary, to support the wider Service area (Planning & Place or as amended) and the statutory functions of the Council. As a practicing Solicitor or equivalent to cover the wider work of the Council’s Legal Department on occasions, and to deal with legal queries in the temporary absence of specialist in-house support (due to annual leave of other Council solicitors, etc).
The post holder will be required to comply with all relevant legislation and in accordance with the Council’s policies and procedures.
The post holder will be employed under the NJC Conditions of Service for Local Government Services.
Prepared by: Head of Planning & Place.
Date: 6th May 2025.
Last Updated on Wednesday, June 11, 2025