Senior Lawyer - Planning and Highways

Are you an experienced Planning and Highways Lawyer looking for an opportunity to work on significant developments, major infrastructure projects and complex legal issues that help shape the future of a thriving and ambitious borough? We're seeking a skilled Senior Lawyer - Planning & Highways to join our Legal Services team. This is an exciting opportunity to provide specialist legal advice on a diverse range of planning, highways and regeneration matters, supporting key projects that contribute to the growth and development of Reading.

Working closely with Planning, Highways, Property and Transport teams, you'll play a vital role in delivering practical and commercially focused legal solutions that support the Council's strategic ambitions while managing legal risk effectively.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities. We support hybrid working; it’s important to us that working arrangements are designed to enable our employees to excel and within this role you’ll have the opportunity to work in a way that suits your lifestyle.

About The Role:

• As a Senior Lawyer - Planning & Highways, you'll manage a varied and challenging caseload, providing expert legal advice across a broad range of planning and highways matters.
• Advise on planning law, highways law and associated regulatory matters.
• Draft, negotiate and complete Section 106 Agreements, Section 278 Agreements and other planning-related legal agreements.
• Support major regeneration, development and infrastructure projects.
• Advise Planning Committees, officers and elected members on complex legal issues.
• Provide legal advice on planning enforcement, compulsory purchase and public rights of way matters.
• Represent the Council in negotiations, inquiries, hearings and court proceedings where appropriate.
• Draft legal documentation, reports and briefing papers to a high professional standard.
• Build strong working relationships with internal clients, developers, external solicitors and other stakeholders.
• Support and mentor junior lawyers and legal support colleagues where appropriate.

This role offers the opportunity to work on some of the most significant planning and development projects within the borough, helping to create positive outcomes for residents, businesses and communities.

About You:

We're looking for a qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Fellow of CILEX with substantial experience in planning and highways law entitled to practise in England and holding a current practising certificate. You’ll have strong legal analytical skills, excellent written and verbal communication, and the ability to explain complex legal issues clearly to a range of audiences. You’ll be confident managing a varied workload, exercising sound judgement and working independently while building effective relationships with colleagues and clients. You’ll also bring political awareness, resilience and a commitment to continuous improvement. A willingness to supervise colleagues, contribute to team development and deputise for a Principal Lawyer in team management is important.

We are looking for someone who can demonstrate:

• Qualification as a Solicitor, Barrister or Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX), with a current practising certificate and entitlement to practise in England.
• In-depth experience of providing legal services across a range of local government services.
• Significant post-qualification experience advising on planning and highways matters.
• Strong knowledge of planning legislation, highways law and local government legal practice.
• Experience drafting and negotiating planning obligations, highways agreements and related legal documentation.
• The ability to provide practical, commercially aware and solution-focused legal advice.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience managing a busy caseload involving complex and sensitive matters.
• Strong drafting and advocacy skills.
• A collaborative approach, with a willingness to support colleagues, supervise staff and contribute to service improvement.
• The ability to keep abreast of developments in law and best practice and identify opportunities to improve the service.

Experience in planning and highways law, ideally within a local authority or a similarly complex organisation, would be relevant to this specialist role.

You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.

Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:

• Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do.
• Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential.
• Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way.
• Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed.

Our offer:

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition are strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave.
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities.
• Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading.
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS).
• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted.
• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work.
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax.

For more information on this position please contact Jayne La Grua, Director – Legal at Jayne.LaGrua@reading.gov.uk

Closing Date: Sunday 8th November 2026

Interview Date: To be confirmed

Interview Setup: In person at the Civic Centre, Bridge Street, Reading, RG1 2LU