Planning Solicitor / Associate (Permanent) in Chelmsford, Essex

Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals and over 600 staff based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client. We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. Next Level Law is also applied to our people. RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 6th best law firm to work at in 2026. With our ambition to succeed, comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 45% of our partnership. Our Residential Development team sits within our wider Real Estate Division and specialise in the acquisition, sale and development of land for an array of national and SME Residential Developers and Registered Providers. The team also works closely with other Birketts’ teams, which includes full support from tax, planning, environmental, construction and Real Estate litigation teams. Our property lawyers are particularly experienced in dealing with development and investment, planning, secured lending and landlord and tenant matters. Participating in marketing and networking initiatives Ownership of personal financial performance, demonstrating accountability and a commercial mindset Completion of a recognised training contract or equivalent qualifying experience Applies strong legal and commercial judgement, researches precedents effectively, and drafts complex documents with appropriate senior guidance Manages time recording, billing support and workload efficiently to meet financial targets and maximise fee recovery Actively supports business development through events, pitches and networking, building profile and identifying opportunities via firm and client relationships Delivers high-quality client service with minimal supervision, providing timely, accurate advice and demonstrating strong understanding of client needs and priorities Consistently meets compliance requirements by completing reviews and reports on time, adhering to risk management best practices, understanding Lexcel standards, and completing all mandatory training To be competent in using Microsoft Word, Excel, time recording software, case management, Outlook and digital dictation Hybrid Working Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. This role attracts a split of 80% office days and 20% working from home days per week. We welcome applications from people looking for flexible, agile, and part-time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application. 25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays ~ Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service ~ Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed) ~ Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee) ~ Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme ~ Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share) ~ Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance ~ Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave ~ Subsidised gym membership ~ Electric car scheme ~ Dress for your Day Policy You can find out more on our website: At Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. Artificial Intelligence (AI)