Job Description
Job Description
Post Title: Principal Solicitor - Planning
Service: Legal and Governance
Hours: 35 hours per week
Duration: Permanent
Salary: £57,948 - £63,390 per annum
Responsible to: Strategic Lead - Legal and Regulatory
Salary placing will normally be at the first point of the scale.
Contact Person: Claire McArthur Tel: 01463 644145 Email: Claire.McArthur@highland.gov.uk
Job Purpose
To be responsible for the provision, delivery and management of the Council’s in house planning legal advice. This includes:
- providing high quality legal services in line with the Council’s corporate priorities and in support of effective service delivery.
- ensuring delivery to performance targets and objectives and to meet the statutory requirements placed on the Council.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- To provide appropriate legal advice to the Council, Officers and elected members on all matters relating to Town and Country Planning, including development, enforcement, tree preservation orders and associated roads advice.
- Drafting and negotiating planning agreements, section 96 agreements and bond agreements.
- Instructing Counsel and/or external solicitors
- Providing clerking services for Planning Application Committees and Planning Review Body
- Preparing for and assisting with planning appeals, Public Local Inquiries and Judicial Review cases.6. To monitor and share changes in the law and practice as they affect the planning service and implement changes when necessary.
- To work collaboratively with other teams and support the training and development of colleagues and clients.
- To provide line management duties within the regulatory services team
- To oversee the Planning Review Body team
- To deliver training on planning and related matters to elected members
- Advising on the requirements of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct and associated guidance
- Providing assistance to the Chief Officer Legal and Corporate Governance with Monitoring Officer duties
- Deputising, when required, as a member of the Legal and Corporate Governance Services management team
- Assisting in the strategic and corporate management of the service
- Ensuring a robust approach to continuous service improvement and efficiency
- Assisting in the provision of the effective management of financial, staffing, property, ICT and other resources
- Promoting good employee relations and ensuring the development of staff through the employment review process
- Maintaining professional standards and undertaking the monitoring and appraisal of performance and attendance in line with Council policy
- Ensuring the health and safety of staff and service users, promoting equality of opportunity and preventing unfair discrimination
Other Duties
Undertaking other duties as required. You will be expected to travel efficiently and effectively between various work locations within the Highland Council area to meet the operational requirements of the Service.
Requirements
- Scottish LLB law degree or equivalent Scottish qualification
- Diploma in Legal Practice
- Current Practising Certificate from the Law Society of Scotland
Please APPLY ONLINE
The Highland Council understands that diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We are committed to equality of opportunity and being fair and inclusive. We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds, representative of the communities we serve and particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be under-represented in our workforce.
As a disability confident employer, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum essential criteria requirements for the post.
Shortlisted applicants will normally be contacted by email, unless otherwise stated. Please check your emails regularly, including your junk/spam folder.
