Salary: £44,075 - £47,181 (Grade 10)

Location: Civic Centre, Poulton-le-Fylde (with flexible working options)

Wyre Council is seeking an experienced Planning Solicitor to join our Legal Services team. This is an excellent opportunity to work on a wide range of high-profile planning matters, supporting the Council’s planning functions and wider corporate objectives.

About the role
You will contribute to the delivery of a comprehensive and high-quality legal service, with a particular focus on planning law. The role involves managing a varied and complex caseload and providing pragmatic, solution-focused legal advice to officers and members.

Key responsibilities include:

•    Advising Planning Committee and other committees as the Council’s legal advisor

•    Drafting and negotiating Section 106 agreements

•    Drafting enforcement notices and advising on planning enforcement matters

•    Representing the Council in court and at inquiries where required

•    Providing legal advice to planning and other client departments

•    Drafting instructions to Counsel and attending meetings as appropriate

•    Supporting the development of the Legal Services team and contributing to the Council’s wider objectives

Depending on experience, you may also advise on related areas such as commercial property, contracts, procurement, licensing or litigation.

About you
You will be a qualified solicitor with demonstrable experience in planning law. You will be confident handling your own caseload and able to work effectively with minimal supervision while contributing positively to a team environment.

You will have:

•    Proven experience in planning law

•    Strong written and verbal communication skills

•    Ability to build effective working relationships with officers, members and stakeholders

•    A pragmatic, solutions-focused approach and ability to work under pressure

•    High levels of IT literacy, including Microsoft Office

•    Experience of working within a local authority legal service and broader public sector law experience would be advantageous but is not essential.

Our values
At Wyre Council, our values are central to everything we do. You will be expected to demonstrate behaviours that reflect being professional, innovative, collaborative and customer-focused, helping us deliver excellent services to our communities.

What’s in it for you

•    Flexi time and the option to work remotely part of the week as agreed with your line manager.

•    Free parking on site.

•    Generous annual leave allowance. A minimum of 24 days (pro rata) in addition to all bank holidays, rising to 26 days after four years and 29 days after five years local government service.

•    Future development – face to face and virtual courses in line with your developmental goals. 

•    Employee wellbeing support.

•    A local government pension scheme, with generous employer contribution. 

•    The opportunity to work for the local community and make a difference.

For further information or to apply, please click on the 'Enquire/Apply' button below.

Closing date: 19 April 2026

Please note, we reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a sufficient number of suitable applications. You are therefore encouraged to submit your application as soon as possible.