NQ Planning Solicitor

Planning Solicitor (NQ–5 Years PQE)

Work on complex planning and development projects. Advise high-quality clients. Build your career with balance.

The Opportunity

We are looking for a Planning Solicitor with up to 5 years’ PQE to join our specialist team, advising on a broad range of complex and high-value planning matters.

You will support a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, developers, landowners, businesses and public sector organisations on projects that shape the built and natural environment.

Working closely with highly experienced colleagues and partners, you will gain early exposure to sophisticated work, strategic decision-making and client relationships from the outset.

This role offers the opportunity to develop broad expertise across planning law, including applications and appeals, enforcement, judicial review and infrastructure matters, while building a long-term career in a firm that combines high-quality work with a more balanced and sustainable approach to practice.

Alongside supporting the wider team, you will manage your own caseload and take real responsibility for matters, with direct partner support and mentoring throughout your development.

What You Will Be Doing

You will advise on a wide range of planning and development matters, including:

• Planning applications, appeals and objections
• Section 106 agreements and highways agreements (s38/s278)
• High Court challenges and Judicial Review
• Enforcement, prosecutions and lawfulness matters, including Certificates of Lawfulness
• Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPO), village greens and public rights of way
• Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) matters

You will work across both contentious and non-contentious matters, providing clear, commercially focused advice tailored to clients’ objectives.

What Sets This Role Apart

• Partner-led from day one
• You will work directly with partners from the outset, gaining exposure and experience that many solicitors take years to access elsewhere.
• High-quality work
• Our matters are complex, high-value and often bespoke, delivered to the standards clients would expect from much larger firms.
• A more balanced way of working
• We believe exceptional legal work should be delivered sustainably. Our approach to workload and billing supports long-term career development without compromising wellbeing.

About You

We are looking for a confident, commercially minded solicitor who is keen to develop within a specialist planning team.

You will:

• Be newly qualified up to 5 years’ PQE
• Have experience in planning law across contentious and non-contentious matters
• Demonstrate a commercial approach and the ability to work to deadlines
• Be confident managing multiple matters and delivering excellent client service
• Have strong communication skills and be comfortable working with a broad range of clients
• Have excellent attention to detail and a commitment to quality

Experience in environmental, energy or regulatory matters would be beneficial, but is not essential.

You will also be willing to contribute to business development and marketing activity where appropriate.

Apply for This Role

If you are looking to build your planning law career within a supportive, high-performing team that combines quality work with a sustainable approach to practice, we would love to hear from you.