Planning & Highways Solicitor/Barrister

Salary: £50,269 - £53,460 per annum Pay award pending from 1 April 2026

Permanent | Full Time | 37 hours per week

Overview of the Planning & Highways Solicitor/Barrister position

Sellick Partnership are proud to be recruiting for a Planning & Highways Solicitor/Barrister to join a local authority legal team in the Gloucestershire region. The successful lawyer will provide high-quality, proactive and pragmatic legal advice across a varied and challenging caseload.

This is an opportunity to play a key role in supporting planning, development and highways activity, working closely with elected members, officers, planning professionals and external partners. You will provide practical, solutions-focused advice on complex and sometimes contentious matters, helping the council make sound, lawful and effective decisions.

You will also represent the council at tribunals, public inquiries, courts, committees and other relevant forums.

Responsibilities of the Planning & Highways Solicitor/Barrister

• Manage a broad and varied caseload covering all aspects of planning and highways law, including:
• Advising on planning applications, planning enforcement and highway matters.
• Providing legal advice to planning committees, panels and officers.
• Advising elected members and officers on complex planning and enforcement issues.
• Drafting, advising on and negotiating a wide range of legal agreements.
• Supporting the development and review of planning-related policies and documents.
• Working closely with counsel and planning officers to prepare for complex public inquiries, including reviewing evidence and statements, collating documentation and assisting with case preparation.
• Attending planning committee once per month and, very occasionally, court in relation to planning enforcement proceedings.
• Advising on and preparing compulsory purchase orders.
• Determining town and village green applications.
• Providing legal advice across a range of highways matters, including public rights of way.
• Managing your own caseload effectively and delivering clear, timely and commercially aware legal advice.

Requirements and experience of the Planning & Highways Solicitor/Barrister

• You will be a qualified Solicitor or Barrister with substantial post-qualification experience and significant expertise in planning and highways law. You will also have:
• A sound working knowledge of local government law and practice.
• Proven experience managing a complex caseload independently.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to assess complex and high-risk issues and provide clear, robust and practical advice.
• The confidence and professionalism to work effectively with senior managers, officers, elected members and a wide range of external partners and agencies.
• The ability to build effective working relationships and communicate complex legal issues clearly to non-legal colleagues.
• The resilience to manage sensitive, challenging and contentious matters professionally.
• A proactive, pragmatic and solutions-focused approach to legal advice.

This is a varied and influential role where your legal expertise will directly support important decisions affecting the council, local communities and the places in which people live and work.

You will have the opportunity to work on a diverse range of planning and highways matters, collaborate with experienced professionals across the organisation and play a key role in delivering high-quality legal services.

Benefits available to the appointed Planning & Highways Solicitor/Barrister

• Excellent holiday allowance with the option to purchase additional annual leave through monthly salary deductions.
• Generous local government pension scheme.
• Hybrid working and flexible working arrangements.
• Access to Reward Gateway, providing a range of employee benefits including high street discounts, tax-efficient cycling equipment, the car benefit scheme.

How to apply for the Planning & Highways Solicitor/Barrister position

If you are an experienced planning and highways lawyer who enjoys finding practical solutions to complex legal issues, please apply immediately to be considered for shortlisting. Alternatively, should you require further information or wish to discuss your suitability before applying please contact Kiran Purewal in the Sellick Partnership Manchester office for a confidential discussion.

Closing date: 13th September

Sellick Partnership is proud to be an inclusive and accessible recruitment business and we support applications from candidates of all backgrounds and circumstances. Please note, our advertisements use years' experience, hourly rates, and salary levels purely as a guide and we assess applications based on the experience and skills evidenced on the CV. For information on how your personal details may be used by Sellick Partnership, please review our data processing notice on our website.