Job Description

We have an opportunity for a Principal Associate to join our Planning Team based in Birmingham.

About the team

We have one of the leading planning practices in the country operating nationally from Birmingham and London. We advise on some of the most high profile developments in the UK across all of the main development sectors and offer the full spectrum of advice on all aspects of planning law, highways, compulsory purchase and compensation. Our practice extends from strategic advice on complex planning applications and infrastructure consenting to appeals and court litigation work.

The Planning Team prides itself on providing commercially sound and clear planning advice to developers, landowners, house builders, retailers and local authorities. The team is involved in a wide range of schemes including:

• Advising on high-profile commercial development projects, including major office and retail and logistics schemes;
• Acting for all of the major house builders on residential-led strategic projects of up to 5,000 new homes;
• Infrastructure work, including Development Consent Orders, particularly in the highways sector and strategic rail freight interchange market;
• Compulsory purchase work acting for both acquiring authorities and objectors, particularly in respect of large housing and regeneration schemes, including advising on compensation claims and referrals to the Upper Tribunal.

The team is further committed to providing industry updates, whether this is through thought leadership content campaigns or events discussing the future of real estate. We regularly provide bespoke training to clients and contributes to external training events.

Our clients include Land Securities, U&I, IM Properties, St Modwen, Helical Bar, Schroders, Goodman Logistics, Lovell Partnership, Clarion Housing, The Dolphin Square Foundation, Miller Group, Eco World, Bloor Homes, Persimmon Homes, Sanctuary Housing Association, Taylor Wimpey Homes, Transport for London, National Highways, London Borough of Barnet, Old Oak Development Corporation and Westminster City Council.

Highlights of the team's recent work include:

• Advising London Borough of Barnet on the multi-billion pound Brent Cross Cricklewood scheme which will create: a new town centre, incorporating: 7,500 homes, 27,000 jobs, three re-built schools, redevelopment of Brent Cross shopping centre, new parks and community facilities, an additional Thameslink train station, as well as major road and public transport improvements;
• Advising the Langley Consortium on all planning related matters in connection with a new sustainable urban extension of 5,000 new homes on land within the Green Belt to the east of Sutton Coldfield;
• Advising National Highways on applications for Development Consent Orders for major highway schemes;
• Acting for the Crown Estate on the residential redevelopment of Land East of Luton;
• Acting for South Tees Development Corporation on a CPO to secure regeneration of an 800 acre site comprising the former Redcar steelworks;
• Advising Bloor Homes on its objection to the making of a compulsory purchase order by Chichester District Council to acquire land controlled by Bloor Homes for residential development;
• Primary advisers to Transport for London on all of their highways agreements and licences; and
• Advising Ebbsfleet Development Corporation in relation to the Corporation's planning function, including advising on planning committee meetings.

About you

You will be a qualified solicitor who can:

• Manage your own caseload to tight deadlines, remain calm under pressure and prioritise your workload effectively;
• Work in a team environment (which may involve working as part of a bigger project team) and support your colleagues;
• Give clear, practical advice with sound commercial judgment and swift accurate implementation of instructions;
• Negotiate effectively and deliver commercial solutions for our clients;
• Communicate appropriately at all levels within the team and the wider business as well as with clients, agents and other parties as well as attend inquiries, judicial reviews and appeals;
• Work closely and collaboratively with Gowling WLG team members, clients, and other professionals (e.g. local authorities, agents, surveyors, consultants, accountants and others).

And who has experience of or is keen to develop your experience of:

• Drafting planning related deeds and documents;
• Understanding planning related deeds and documents and preferably have experience of drafting and dealing with planning agreements, infrastructure agreements, planning applications, hearings and appeals, compulsory purchase issues and planning due diligence;
• Preparing for and participating in marketing functions as part of added value services to our clients;
• Assisting and contributing to the preparation and delivery of presentations (seminars, beauty parades, marketing functions, and training sessions) as part of our added value services to our clients and within the team.

What we can offer you

The opportunity to work for a firm which has been recognised as one of the best places to work in the UK and has been ranked by Great Place to Work® for 25 consecutive years.

Excellent benefits, including:

• 27 days annual leave, with the option to buy up to a week's extra annual leave
• Private medical insurance, and the option to add family members
• A generous pension allowance
• Life assurance covering four times your annual salary
• The chance of a three-month sabbatical every five years
• Maternity, paternity and adoption leave schemes
• A range of health and wellbeing programmes
• Opportunities to flourish in your role through training and personal development

Many of our people work flexibly in some way. If you would like to explore your own flexible working arrangements with us, we are happy to discuss this during the recruitment process.

Equal opportunities

Gowling WLG is committed both to promoting equality and diversity in the firm and to Equal Opportunities in employment. The firm believes in equality of opportunity regardless of race or racial group (including colour, nationality, ethnicity, national origins), religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender re-assignment and gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy, maternity and paternity. This also includes any incidents of perceptive or associative discrimination and harassment.

At Gowling WLG we seek to attract and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures, to create an exciting and rewarding place to work. Our aim is to fulfil everyone's potential and together to achieve personal and business goals.

Any offers we make will be conditional subject to clearance by the SRA, evidence of eligibility to work in the UK and DBS clearance.

For more information on the role please get in touch with Arun Kainth - Arun.Kainth@gowlingwlg.com

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