Lead Lawyer (Planning & Highways) – Westmorland & Furness Council
Location: Hybrid Working with Agile working across Westmorland & Furness. Contract Type: Permanent.
Westmorland & Furness Council is seeking an experienced Lead Lawyer (Planning & Highways) to play a senior role within our Legal Team. This is an exciting opportunity to support the Council’s planning and highways work.
What You’ll Be Doing
In this leadership role, you will:
* Provide high‑quality, practical and focused legal advice on planning and highways work and corporate projects.
* Supervise and mentor colleagues, helping to develop excellence within the team and ensure high practice standards across Legal Services.
* Lead on completion of S106 Agreements.
* Advise at Planning Committees.
* Prepare for hearings and enquiries.
* Deal with planning appeals.
* Handle planning enforcement.
* Lead on completion of S278 Agreements and other Highways Agreements.
* Contribute to service planning and maintain high standards of legal practice management.
* Provide advice to officers and elected members, attend Council Planning Committees and working groups as required.
About You
Qualifications:
* Qualified Solicitor, Barrister, or CILEX Lawyer with a current practising certificate.
* At least 3 years’ post‑qualification experience.
Key skills:
* Strong expertise in planning and highways law, confident advising at a senior level.
* Strong team player with a proven track record of delivering to deadlines, effective communication skills and sound judgement.
* Experience working in a busy, pressurised environment and enjoyment of challenges.
* Good IT literacy skills and ability to use electronic publications for legal work and research.
Benefits
Working at Westmorland & Furness Council you will receive competitive benefits, including a pension scheme, enhanced annual leave allowance and other assorted perks.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Westmorland & Furness Council is committed to improving the diversity of its workforce to better reflect the communities it serves. We welcome applications from everyone and work to promote an inclusive, supportive culture that values and celebrates differences.
As a Disability Confident Leader, disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria are guaranteed an interview. We also offer guaranteed interviews to Armed Forces personnel and veterans, and to those in care or care experienced and under 24 years old who meet the essential criteria.
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