£53,895 - £59,516 per annum

Are you looking to be part of a forward-thinking and innovative legal team with a reputation for excellent service delivery?

Now is the perfect time to become a part of Peterborough City Council’s Legal Service! Following a recent restructure due to the continued growth in our city, we have several exciting opportunities within our Legal Department for Legal Officers and qualified Lawyers with various specialisms. We are looking for positive, enthusiastic, and innovative individuals to join us on our journey. Let’s make a difference together!

All about the Role
We have an exciting opportunity for you to join the Property, Planning & Highways team at Peterborough City Council as a Senior Planning and Highways Lawyer! Our team is made up of a Principal Lawyer, seven Senior Lawyers, one Lawyer, and two Legal Officers.

We are looking for a candidate who has a minimum of two years post qualified experience within the local government with strong knowledge and expertise of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Highways Act 1980.The role will report to the Principal Lawyer, Property, Planning and Highways and will be located within our Sand Martin House office.  

As part of the Team, you will be responsible a caseload of complex matters that will be demanding and with limited supervision from the Principal Lawyer such as:-

• Handling a diverse caseload of planning and highway matters
• Providing advice on a wide range of planning matters including highways
• Drafting and negotiating Planning agreements such as section 106 agreements
• Drafting and negotiating Highways agreements such as Section 278 and 38 agreements
• Attending planning committee meetings
• Undertaking complex legal work, at times highly complex, which will often involve new or complex processes and to be responsible for completing all aspects of the task in accordance with good legal practice and client service specification
• Instructing Counsel and/or external legal support following approval from the Head of Service: Legal Services & Deputy Monitoring Officer when appropriate for complex legal issues and to assist Counsel as required when necessary

All About Our Legal Team
The Legal Department at Peterborough City Council is a robust team of around 50 officers, divided into four sections: Planning & Property, Commercial, Contracts & Procurement, Child Protection, and Litigation (which also includes Adult Social Care and Employment).

Our team comprises lawyers, legal officers, and our newly appointed Head of Legal, supported by administrative staff to ensure efficient service delivery. We not only serve our internal PCC client departments with a range of support across various service areas but also provide external legal support to other Local Authorities.

All about our Benefits?
We value our colleagues and have developed a number of benefits in addition to our generous annual leave starting at 25 days + bank holidays, sick pay and local government pension scheme…

• Access to a range of benefits via Vivup, including in-store and online discounts as well as our Cycle to Work and Home & Electronics schemes
• Buy up to 10 days additional annual leave (pro-rata)
• Access to car lease scheme
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared Cost AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings
• Access to development opportunities including apprenticeships to support your personal and professional growth
• Paid volunteering hourseach year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day
• Access to our equality, diversity and inclusion network
• Opportunities to receive Employee Recognition Awards

All about our Commitments?
We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering diversity, advancing equity, and building an inclusive workplace for everyone. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those from underrepresented groups, including disabled people, care leavers, and individuals from minority ethnic communities. Your unique perspectives and experiences are?encouraged and valued and will play a vital role in our success.

We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you are disabled and require any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process, please contact pccrecruitment@peterborough.gov.uk we will work with you to meet your needs.

We proudly serve the vibrant and diverse communities of Peterborough and are committed to reflecting this diversity within our team. A diverse workforce benefits everyone – our employees, the organisation, and the communities we serve.
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Closing date: 16 February 2025

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