Senior Solicitor / Senior Lawyer

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact: Rebecca Wright, Head of Service, Legal, Democratic and Registration Services

Senior Solicitor / Senior Lawyer (Planning & Highways)

Are you an experienced planning and highways lawyer looking for an opportunity to work on high-profile developments, major infrastructure projects and complex regulatory challenges?

Wrexham County Borough Council is seeking an ambitious and highly skilled Senior Solicitor / Senior Lawyer to join our Legal Services team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in supporting the Council’s Place Directorate, advising on a varied and challenging portfolio of planning, highways and environmental matters. Based on the Council's Place Team, the successful candidate will be a trusted advisor to officers, senior leaders and elected members on matters that directly impact the future growth and development of the County Borough.

About the Role

You will manage your own complex caseload whilst managing a small team of lawyers. The role will involve providing strategic, practical and solution-focused legal advice across a broad range of planning and highways matters, including:

• Planning applications and development management.
• Planning enforcement, injunctions and appeals.
• Major regeneration and infrastructure projects.
• Section 106 Agreements and related planning obligations.
• Highway adoption and infrastructure agreements.
• Section 38 and Section 278 Agreements.
• Rights of way and highways matters.
• Judicial review and statutory challenge work.
• Committee attendance and support to elected members.
• Representation of the Council in Courts, Tribunals and Public Inquiries where appropriate.

You will work closely with Planning, Highways, Environment and Regeneration colleagues, helping to deliver key Council priorities while ensuring robust governance and legal compliance.

About You

We are looking for a qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Fellow of CILEx with substantial experience in planning and highways law.

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:

• Significant post-qualification experience in planning and highways law.
• Experience of advising in a local government or public sector setting.
• Strong drafting, negotiation and advocacy skills.
• Experience of handling complex legal matters with minimal supervision.
• The ability to provide clear, practical advice to officers and elected members.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• A proactive, flexible and strategic approach to legal practice.
• An understanding of the wider challenges facing local government.

Previous experience of supervising or mentoring legal staff would be advantageous.

Why Wrexham?

This is an opportunity to join a supportive and forward-thinking legal team at a time of significant investment and development across the County Borough. We offer challenging and rewarding work, flexible working arrangements and opportunities to develop your career within a modern local authority legal service.

The Council is committed to developing its bilingual workforce and welcomes applications from candidates who demonstrate their capability to work in both English and Welsh.

Wrexham Council welcomes applications from suitably qualified candidates regardless of race, gender, disability, sexuality, religious belief or age.

Interested?

If you are a planning and highways specialist looking for a varied, strategic and rewarding role within local government, we would love to hear from you.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact:

Rebecca Wright
Head of Service, Legal, Democratic and Registration Services