Planning Solicitor

About your new role

We have 3 positions ranging from Solicitor, Associate and Principal Associate or Legal Director within our Planning team. Ideally based in Birmingham or Liverpool. However, we will consider other locations. The team handles a large variety of high-quality work for both private and public sector clients.

Examples of the type of work include:

• Various strategic residential and New Town projects – advising on all planning aspects for both applicants and LPA’s, including advising on a new garden town which is to comprise 23,000 dwellings and major infrastructure.
• Promoting over 10 major CPO projects, including various major highways CPO’s.
• DCO’s and Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects – including acting for promotors and utility companies.
• Judicial review challenges.
• Day to day planning advisory work for a range of clients and infrastructure agreements, including developers, housebuilders and public bodies.

The national team works collaboratively across offices, undertaking high quality work in a supportive environment.

Due to a strong pipeline of work and significant projects there is a need to recruit an additional experienced specialist planning solicitor to our national Planning team. Candidates will be considered for Associate level up to Legal Director level, depending on experience.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• Work collaboratively with members of the Planning team and wider firm to meet client needs, providing clients with commercially focussed planning advice and guidance. The role may involve some travel in view the projects we undertake.
• To have conduct of matters and work as part of the team on larger projects.
• Help support growth for the Planning practice both nationally and in the relevant location.
• Work in accordance with Weightmans’ values.

This list is not intended to be exhaustive and you will be expected to perform other duties and have other responsibilities that fall within the wider remit of the role.

About You

• Qualified solicitor.
• 2 - 10 years’ post qualification experience in Planning law.
• The ideal candidate will have some private practice experience, good experience on CPO matters and drafting of section 106 agreements.
• Technically strong and good communication skills.
• Excellent time management and organisation skills.
• A team player, who has the ability to work as part of a team and on own initiative.
• Flexible approach.

The role is ideally based in our Liverpool or Birmingham office but we will also consider candidates for Manchester, Leeds or Newcastle. The firm supports and encourages flexible working arrangements.

Why work for us

Weightmans is a Top 40 law firm with offices throughout the UK. Having been recognised as the leading legal employer and 10th overall employer at the annual Britain's Top Employers awards 2024 and achieved record rankings in Chambers UK.

We are proud to be an accredited living wage employer.

The independent research showed "Weightmans provides exceptional employee conditions, nurtures and develops talent throughout all levels of the organisation."

We are truly committed to fostering a culture of equality and diversity, where everyone in the firm is respected and recognised on merit for the work that they do.

We strongly encourage applications from people of all ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations and disabilities. Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustment at any stage of the application process.

Please feel free to note your preferred pronouns in your application.

Work for a firm where people matter – work for Weightmans – We See the possibility in you.

As well as being immensely proud of the work we carry out for our clients and the culture we provide to our people we offer a wide range of benefits including:

• 28 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays (pro-rated for part time).
• Hybrid working including provision of home office equipment.
• Healthcare cover/ Medicash.
• Pension plan.
• Life Insurance 4 x salary.
• Interest free travel loan scheme.
• Employee Assistance Programme including counselling, legal and consumer advice service.
• Discounted gym membership.
• Discounted dental scheme.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Offers & discounts.
• Great reward and recognition scheme.

Please note

• We encourage candidates to speak to us direct/apply direct for the opportunities we have available.
• Any reference to experience or PQE in our adverts or job descriptions is to be used as a guideline only. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and with different levels of experience who can demonstrate that they fulfil the requirements of the role.
• The successful candidate appointed to this role will be subject to our standard background checking process, and any offer of employment made is conditional upon successful completion of those checks. Further details can be obtained from the Recruitment team.
• We are open to part time/job share applicants.

Recruitment agencies (PSL /non-PSL)

Weightmans operates a strict 'preferred supplier list' (PSL) and is committed to working closely with the recruitment agencies that feature on that list. As such, Weightmans does not accept speculative or unsolicited CVs, profiles or any other introductions from both our PSL and non-PSL agencies. If a PSL or non-PSL agency chooses to submit a speculative or unsolicited CV, profile or introduction without instruction from a member of Weightmans’ recruitment team, we will reserve the right to treat the introduction as a gift and contact the candidate directly without accepting or entering into the agency’s terms nor being liable for a recruitment fee.

Eligibility to work in the UK

Eligibility to work in the UK will be verified in the final stages of the selection process. All candidates must either already have a right to work in the UK before commencing employment, or meet the Home office criteria for Visa sponsorship. Candidates who require sponsorship should evaluate the Home Office eligibility criteria for a Skilled Worker visa before applying.