Senior Lawyer (Planning)
| Posting date: | 24 September 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £48,657 to £54,727 per year, pro rata |
| Additional salary information: | £7000 Market Supplement |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 19 October 2025 |
| Location: | Sittingbourne, Kent |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 1 day per week |
| Company: | Swale Borough Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: |
Summary
About Us
Mid Kent Legal Services (MKLS) provides legal services and advice across the Mid-Kent area (to Swale, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells councils). The service covers a range of areas including Property and Regeneration, Planning, Contentious, Contracts & Commissioning and Corporate Governance. Working across multiple councils means a range of high-level, challenging and impactful work ranging from supporting the delivery of garden communities, to the redevelopment of large shopping centres, to letting very large contracts, to delivering affordable housing. In short, it’s a real opportunity to make a difference in an area with vibrant towns, beautiful villages and countryside and fantastic leisure and cultural amenities.
MKLS’s has a reputation as being forward thinking, progressive and innovative and is closely and strongly aligned with is partner authorities. It provides a supportive and nurturing environment, providing opportunities for staff to progress internally and uses technology to maximise the effective use of lawyers' time. In short, it is a great place to work.
We are now looking for a Senior Lawyer (Planning) to join us on a full-time, permanent basis, working 34 hours per week.
Our Offer
A range of benefits including:
-34 hour full time working week with the offices closing at 1:30pm on Friday
-Highly flexible hybrid working opportunities
-7am to 7pm flexi time to suit personal circumstances for most roles
-Generous holiday entitlement which increases after 5 years LG service plus bank holidays with the option to buy additional leave.
-Additional 3 days leave given to enable a close down of the offices between Christmas and New year.
-Free parking
-Range of flexible working opportunities to accommodate people’s home/work life balance including compressed hours, 9-day fortnight, part time.
-Invitations to staff events to celebrate success and support wellbeing that include holistic therapies and outdoor activities
-Employee Assistance Programme which provides confidential & independent information and access to counsellors
-Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) with valuable life cover and financial protection for your family.
Plus many more, please visit our website for more details.
About The Role
As a Senior Lawyer (Planning), you will provide high-quality professional legal services and manage a caseload of complex planning matters.
Ensuring we operate at the forefront of legal excellence and align with Lexcel standards, you will provide high-level legal advice and service to elected Members, committees, senior managers and staff across all three local authorities.
Confirming that planning decisions and processes comply with legal standards, you will provide expert legal advice on planning matters, draft and review critical documents and provide support at planning appeals and inquiries.
You will also stay informed of legal developments in planning law and contribute to policy development, ensuring that local policies remain compliant and strategically sound.
Additionally, you will:
- Stay updated on changes and developments in Planning law
-Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure effective planning processes.
- Supervise junior fee earners and administrative staff in the Planning team
- Deliver training and Member briefings to enhance understanding of planning law and procedures
This is an exciting time to join the MKLS Planning Team with a number of large and high-profile projects happening across the Partner Authorities.
About You
To be considered as our Senior Lawyer (Planning), you will need:
- To be a qualified lawyer, solicitor, barrister, legal executive or have equivalent qualification and experience
- Post qualification legal practice experience in planning and development
- Experience with case management and legal research
- Supervisory experience in connection with planning casework
- Experience with legal document drafting
- Experience of Planning Appeals and court proceedings
- Familiarity with statutory instruments, regulations, and guidance relating to local government planning and development law
-Experience in advising at Committees
-Experience operating in politically sensitive environments
- Knowledge and understanding of the political nature of local government and democratic process
- A full, valid UK driving licence
Other organisations may call this role Senior Legal Counsel, Lead Lawyer, Legal Services Manager, Solicitor, Barrister, Chartered Legal Executive, or Senior Legal Manager.
Selection Process
Following the submission of your application form, it will be reviewed by the recruiting manager. Those that are successful in securing an interview can expect job specific interview assessment, followed by an interview.
Swale Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employee and volunteers to share this commitment.
Maidstone, Swale and Tunbridge Wells local authorities are equal opportunities employers, value diversity and are strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. Equal opportunities are the only acceptable way to conduct business and we believe that the more inclusive our environments are, the better our work will be.
Maidstone, Swale and Tunbridge Wells local authorities are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employee and volunteers to share this commitment.
If you would like to discuss this position, please contact Timothy Pyant, Interim Business Manager on 01622 602155.
Job Description and Person Specification: https://docs.maidstone.gov.uk/jobs/Senior-Lawyer-Planning_Sept-25-Final-JDPS.pdf
Interview Date: W/C 3rd November 2025
Mid Kent Legal Services (MKLS) provides legal services and advice across the Mid-Kent area (to Swale, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells councils). The service covers a range of areas including Property and Regeneration, Planning, Contentious, Contracts & Commissioning and Corporate Governance. Working across multiple councils means a range of high-level, challenging and impactful work ranging from supporting the delivery of garden communities, to the redevelopment of large shopping centres, to letting very large contracts, to delivering affordable housing. In short, it’s a real opportunity to make a difference in an area with vibrant towns, beautiful villages and countryside and fantastic leisure and cultural amenities.
MKLS’s has a reputation as being forward thinking, progressive and innovative and is closely and strongly aligned with is partner authorities. It provides a supportive and nurturing environment, providing opportunities for staff to progress internally and uses technology to maximise the effective use of lawyers' time. In short, it is a great place to work.
We are now looking for a Senior Lawyer (Planning) to join us on a full-time, permanent basis, working 34 hours per week.
Our Offer
A range of benefits including:
-34 hour full time working week with the offices closing at 1:30pm on Friday
-Highly flexible hybrid working opportunities
-7am to 7pm flexi time to suit personal circumstances for most roles
-Generous holiday entitlement which increases after 5 years LG service plus bank holidays with the option to buy additional leave.
-Additional 3 days leave given to enable a close down of the offices between Christmas and New year.
-Free parking
-Range of flexible working opportunities to accommodate people’s home/work life balance including compressed hours, 9-day fortnight, part time.
-Invitations to staff events to celebrate success and support wellbeing that include holistic therapies and outdoor activities
-Employee Assistance Programme which provides confidential & independent information and access to counsellors
-Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) with valuable life cover and financial protection for your family.
Plus many more, please visit our website for more details.
About The Role
As a Senior Lawyer (Planning), you will provide high-quality professional legal services and manage a caseload of complex planning matters.
Ensuring we operate at the forefront of legal excellence and align with Lexcel standards, you will provide high-level legal advice and service to elected Members, committees, senior managers and staff across all three local authorities.
Confirming that planning decisions and processes comply with legal standards, you will provide expert legal advice on planning matters, draft and review critical documents and provide support at planning appeals and inquiries.
You will also stay informed of legal developments in planning law and contribute to policy development, ensuring that local policies remain compliant and strategically sound.
Additionally, you will:
- Stay updated on changes and developments in Planning law
-Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure effective planning processes.
- Supervise junior fee earners and administrative staff in the Planning team
- Deliver training and Member briefings to enhance understanding of planning law and procedures
This is an exciting time to join the MKLS Planning Team with a number of large and high-profile projects happening across the Partner Authorities.
About You
To be considered as our Senior Lawyer (Planning), you will need:
- To be a qualified lawyer, solicitor, barrister, legal executive or have equivalent qualification and experience
- Post qualification legal practice experience in planning and development
- Experience with case management and legal research
- Supervisory experience in connection with planning casework
- Experience with legal document drafting
- Experience of Planning Appeals and court proceedings
- Familiarity with statutory instruments, regulations, and guidance relating to local government planning and development law
-Experience in advising at Committees
-Experience operating in politically sensitive environments
- Knowledge and understanding of the political nature of local government and democratic process
- A full, valid UK driving licence
Other organisations may call this role Senior Legal Counsel, Lead Lawyer, Legal Services Manager, Solicitor, Barrister, Chartered Legal Executive, or Senior Legal Manager.
Selection Process
Following the submission of your application form, it will be reviewed by the recruiting manager. Those that are successful in securing an interview can expect job specific interview assessment, followed by an interview.
Swale Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employee and volunteers to share this commitment.
Maidstone, Swale and Tunbridge Wells local authorities are equal opportunities employers, value diversity and are strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. Equal opportunities are the only acceptable way to conduct business and we believe that the more inclusive our environments are, the better our work will be.
Maidstone, Swale and Tunbridge Wells local authorities are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employee and volunteers to share this commitment.
If you would like to discuss this position, please contact Timothy Pyant, Interim Business Manager on 01622 602155.
Job Description and Person Specification: https://docs.maidstone.gov.uk/jobs/Senior-Lawyer-Planning_Sept-25-Final-JDPS.pdf
Interview Date: W/C 3rd November 2025
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.