Planning and Consenting Solicitor

Circa £95,000 per annum (depending on skills & experience)

Full Time / 37 hours per week

Huntingdon or London / Hybrid

Anglian Water offers a flexible approach to working location. This role provides the opportunity for hybrid working, with an average of 2-3 days a week in the office as required.

Make every drop of your potential count. Join our team

We're one of the leading providers of water and water recycling services in the UK and our organisation is an industry benchmark for quality and customer service. Our purpose is to bring environmental and social prosperity to the region we service through our commitment to love every drop and as a business, we strive to "make today great" for our staff and our 6m customers, putting water at the heart of everything we do. So if you are you looking to join a purpose led, leading and forward-thinking organisation, we may be just what you are looking for.

We currently have an exciting new opportunity to join our highly valued inhouse legal team as an experienced, qualified UK solicitor or barrister. You would be joining a 20+ strong legal team whose working philosophy is "your problem, our problem, no problem" and where we are constantly striving for high performance. If this resonates with you, you can look forward to joining a purpose led business with an open and collaborative culture, and enjoy focussing on delivering the best possible outcome for our business, customers and other stakeholders. This new role is open to all suitably qualified and experienced candidates and likely to suit an individual who has a strong track record in planning and consenting work.

What you'll be doing:

As a planning lawyer, you will be primarily responsible for legal advice in relation to all planning consents (including conventional planning permissions and development consent orders), other statutory consenting (EPR, Water Abstraction, Wildlife and Countryside Act etc) and related matters (including compulsory acquisition) within the Company supporting the major infrastructure team's work. In doing so, you will play a key part in helping the business deliver on its purpose.

You will have the support of the wider legal team who are experienced and have a firm understanding of Anglian Water and the regulatory environment in which it operates.

• Advising on consenting strategy for authorising proposed development works.

• Advising on all aspects of required applications for Development Consent Orders (DCOs) for major infrastructure projects under the Planning Act 2008, including the required scope of powers, application documentation, interface with interested parties and landowners and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) and Water Framework Directive issues, amongst other aspects.

• Advising on all aspects of required applications for planning permission under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, including all statutory processes and procedures such as (as necessary) planning appeals and planning inquiries.

• Advising on permitted development rights; general EIA, HRA and WFD issues; discharge of planning conditions and DCO requirements/obligations; Environmental Permitting and Abstraction Licensing regimes

• Advising on highway law-related matters (eg under the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991)

• Related planning legal agreements (e.g. s106 agreements)

• General ancillary consent requirements, including those needed from Natural England and other statutory bodies.

• Advising on compulsory acquisition related matters including the application of the Water Industry Act powers

What does it take to be a Planning and Consenting Solicitor?

• A UK qualified solicitor or barrister with significant relevant planning experience either in private practice or industry
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills required to communicate at all levels within the organisation and externally.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to absorb complex information quickly.
• Ability to find innovative solutions to problems for the business and provide great customer service
• Provide a practical and flexible approach to business challenges
• Strong team player with flexible approach

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

• Strong analytical skills

• Flexible, practical and collaborative working style

• IT literate (MS Word, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint)

• Full clean driving licence and access to a vehicle

As a valued employee you'll be entitled to:

• Competitive pension scheme – Anglian Water double-matches your contributions up to 6% (to a maximum 18% combined)

• Personal private health care

• Annual bonus scheme

• 26 days leave, rising with service + Bank Holidays, with the option to swap Christmas and Easter holidays for those celebrated by your religion

• Life cover at 8x your salary

• Personal accident cover – up to 5x your salary

• A range of flexible benefits to support your wellbeing and lifestyle

Inclusion at Anglian Water:

Join us and make a difference. Our customers come from a wide range of backgrounds, and we think our workplace should reflect that. We are committed to making sure all our colleagues feel they belong and are supported to succeed. Together with our fellow water companies, we are committed to the Social Mobility Pledge; we are also a signatory to Business in the Community's Race at Work charter; we hold the Armed Forces Gold Covenant for Employers; we are an accredited Disability Confident employer, and we play a leading part in the Women's Utility Network.

Closing date: 30/11/25