Principal Lawyer - Planning and Highways
UK Visa Sponsorship Analytics
Analytics are greyed out due to low classification confidence (58.0%).
Occupation Type
Solicitors and lawyers
Occupation Code Skill LevelHigher Skilled
Sponsorship Salary Threshold
£51,600
(£26.46 per hour)
Occupation rate applies
Above analytics are generated algorithmically based on job titles and may not always be the same as the company's job classification. You can also check detailed occupation eligibility, and salary criteria on our UK Visa Eligible Occupations & Salary Thresholds page.
Disclaimer: Hunt UK Visa Sponsors aggregates job listings from publicly available sources, such as search engines, to assist with your job hunting. We do not claim affiliation with Somerset Council. For the most up-to-date job details, please visit the official website by clicking "Apply Now."
Description
About The Job
Some key information
We’re working to improve the lives of people in Somerset – and you’ll be a key part of that.
We need a specialist Planning & Highways Lawyer with experience of leading and managing a legal team comprising Planning and Highways lawyers. The ideal candidate will have experience of providing legal advice to the council at both strategic and operational levels and helping to drive forward vital improvements in both development planning and development management.
Your day-to-day work will involve:
To lead on all aspects of Planning and Highways legal work, including undertaking their own cases, ensuring through appropriate delegation and supervision that all work is of the correct quality and performed in a timely manner. All work will be undertaken with the purpose of assisting the Council to achieve its business objectives.
To have full responsibility for the efficient management of the budget for the Planning and Highways legal team. To ensure that external legal costs relating their areas of legal work are efficiently and properly managed and that contracts with external providers are managed efficiently and that the quality and service provision represent good value for money and any performance issues are addressed in a timely manner.
To ensure the team assists and supports the Council in achieving its outcomes successfully. To ensure the team has the skills and competencies to advise on all relevant matters within agreed resources and to demonstrate success by providing regular data to the Head of Legal Services, setting out clearly measured timely quality outcomes.
To ensure through robust performance management, the delivery of value for money services to high practice standards within a culture of continuous improve
Some key information
- Salary: £65,101 per annum (inclusive of a £10,000 time limited recruitment allowance)
- 33 days annual leave, plus bank holidays.
- Permanent, Full-time contract (37 hours per week).
- Relocation package up to £8,000 for those moving to Somerset
- Taunton, Somerset based (Dynamic Working – flexible arrangements including working from home).
- Regretfully, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. We are only able to proceed with candidates who already have the right to work in the UK without the need for visa sponsorship.
We’re working to improve the lives of people in Somerset – and you’ll be a key part of that.
We need a specialist Planning & Highways Lawyer with experience of leading and managing a legal team comprising Planning and Highways lawyers. The ideal candidate will have experience of providing legal advice to the council at both strategic and operational levels and helping to drive forward vital improvements in both development planning and development management.
Your day-to-day work will involve:
To lead on all aspects of Planning and Highways legal work, including undertaking their own cases, ensuring through appropriate delegation and supervision that all work is of the correct quality and performed in a timely manner. All work will be undertaken with the purpose of assisting the Council to achieve its business objectives.
To have full responsibility for the efficient management of the budget for the Planning and Highways legal team. To ensure that external legal costs relating their areas of legal work are efficiently and properly managed and that contracts with external providers are managed efficiently and that the quality and service provision represent good value for money and any performance issues are addressed in a timely manner.
To ensure the team assists and supports the Council in achieving its outcomes successfully. To ensure the team has the skills and competencies to advise on all relevant matters within agreed resources and to demonstrate success by providing regular data to the Head of Legal Services, setting out clearly measured timely quality outcomes.
To ensure through robust performance management, the delivery of value for money services to high practice standards within a culture of continuous improve
ment, including providing clear succession planning measures to ensure staff development, progression and effective service continuity.
To establish and maintain an understanding of the client’s business needs and objectives through building and maintaining professional relationships. Mentoring and encouraging more junior team members so that the client’s objectives are understood and shared throughout the team.
To ensure through proper delegation and professional supervision arrangements that work is undertaken in the most efficient manner. To ensure that the use of external advice and support is only procured in accordance with agreed procedures and is focused on achieving best value.
To work with clients to ensure that where practicable activity is moved into client functions where that represents a more effective arrangement.
Be an integral part of the Management Team of Legal Services, demonstrating a personal commitment to the Council’s values and encouraging and holding to account those values throughout their team.
To support the Monitoring Officer and the Head of Legal Services & Deputy Monitoring Officer at committee meetings, meetings with senior officers or other important meetings with councillors and external stakeholders.
What kind of experience or qualifications do I need?
We offer ongoing support, training and guidance to help you be the best you can be. But you will need to have:
We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our team. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if there’s anything you want to talk about before you apply.
If you’re looking to relocate to Somerset, we can offer a relocation allowance of up to £8,000.
To establish and maintain an understanding of the client’s business needs and objectives through building and maintaining professional relationships. Mentoring and encouraging more junior team members so that the client’s objectives are understood and shared throughout the team.
To ensure through proper delegation and professional supervision arrangements that work is undertaken in the most efficient manner. To ensure that the use of external advice and support is only procured in accordance with agreed procedures and is focused on achieving best value.
To work with clients to ensure that where practicable activity is moved into client functions where that represents a more effective arrangement.
Be an integral part of the Management Team of Legal Services, demonstrating a personal commitment to the Council’s values and encouraging and holding to account those values throughout their team.
To support the Monitoring Officer and the Head of Legal Services & Deputy Monitoring Officer at committee meetings, meetings with senior officers or other important meetings with councillors and external stakeholders.
What kind of experience or qualifications do I need?
We offer ongoing support, training and guidance to help you be the best you can be. But you will need to have:
- A Solicitor, Barrister (Supreme Court of England and Wales/English Bar) or Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives or equivalent relevant qualification with relevant experience.
- Evidence of work related continuing professional development in your specialist field.
- Significant experience of working successfully with Members and Directors on complex issues and the development of strategic direction.
We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our team. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if there’s anything you want to talk about before you apply.
If you’re looking to relocate to Somerset, we can offer a relocation allowance of up to £8,000.
Somerset is special - with beautiful stretches of sandy coastline, caves, moors, the unique Somerset Levels, cool-list towns, the world’s largest green-field music festival and fantastic local food and produce. It's all here on your doorstep! Somerset enjoys good road, rail and air travel networks, with access to the rest of the country; London by train in less than 2 hours, and national and international flights from and to Bristol and Exeter airports, easily accessible from the M5 motorway.
What's in it for me?
We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.
We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:
The salary for the role is Grade 7 - £55,101 per annum.
A supplement allowance of £10,000 per annum is linked to the Principal Lawyer - Planning and Highways, bringing the salary to £65,101 per annum. This allowance is subject to National Insurance, Tax and Pension deductions
What's in it for me?
We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.
We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:
- We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
- Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave
- Staff discounts in gyms.
- Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
- Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
- A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
- My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more
The salary for the role is Grade 7 - £55,101 per annum.
A supplement allowance of £10,000 per annum is linked to the Principal Lawyer - Planning and Highways, bringing the salary to £65,101 per annum. This allowance is subject to National Insurance, Tax and Pension deductions
and will be paid in accordance with standard payroll procedures.
The allowance is time-limited and will expire on 31/01/2028. All supplement allowances are reviewed 18 months from the original approval date and may be adjusted or withdrawn based on organisational need, role changes, or market conditions.
Please note:
For more information about the role, you can contact Kehinde Awojobi, Head of Legal, on kehinde.awojobi@somerset.gov.uk.
When completing your application/CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment.
Closing date for applications: Sunday 29th March 2026
If you have all the information you need, just hit the apply button - we can’t wait to hear from you.
The allowance is time-limited and will expire on 31/01/2028. All supplement allowances are reviewed 18 months from the original approval date and may be adjusted or withdrawn based on organisational need, role changes, or market conditions.
Please note:
- If the role is re-evaluated or the salary changes as a result of the Pay and Grading Review, the allowance may be reduced or cease entirely.
For more information about the role, you can contact Kehinde Awojobi, Head of Legal, on kehinde.awojobi@somerset.gov.uk.
When completing your application/CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment.
Closing date for applications: Sunday 29th March 2026
If you have all the information you need, just hit the apply button - we can’t wait to hear from you.