Overview
Paralegal / Legal Executive – Highways and Environment
Permanent, Full Time
£32,858 to £38,656 per annum
Location: Chelmsford
Working Style: Anywhere worker
Essex Legal Services (ELS) provide high quality, professional, legal advice across the council and to increasing numbers of external clients, providing a client facing legal service which proactively embraces change.
As a paralegal, you will be able to prepare court bundles, fix listing appointments for hearings and provide a professional legal service that is valued by our clients and improves their business.
Educated to degree level, with experience of working within a legal environment, the successful applicant will have the ability to build strong working relationships both with colleagues and clients and a proven track record in delivering excellent customer service.
The Opportunity
You will be responsible in assisting with the delivery of all aspects of routine legal work. Work will be continuous in nature and will cover the Council’s legal highways and environment function, including public rights of way and processing legal orders for the Definitive Map from start to finish. This includes investigating, drafting reports and carrying out the statutory processes following applications for changes to the Definitive Map. Where orders are objected to, you will be responsible for submitting them to the Planning Inspectorate and arranging local public inquiries.
You will be predominantly based within the Essex Legal Services Highways and Environment team, with the ability to work from home and an expectation that you will be in the office or undertaking site visits around 2 to 3 days a week.
Accountabilities
- Manage a caseload of applications to change public rights of way.
- Investigate claims for public rights of way (definitive map modification orders).
- Undertake site visits, research historic documents and statements provided by the public and landowners.
- Draft reports considering council policies, consultation responses and relevant legislation.
- Consult and negotiate with the public, organisations and developers on proposed changes to public rights of way.
- Work with and interpreting plans including electronically on GIS.
- Manage applications for town and village greens.
- Respond to commons and village green register enquiries.
The Experience You Will Bring
- Educated to degree level or equivalent.
- Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area.
- Experience of working within a legal setting in a public service or private sector environment, providing routine legal advice is desirable although not essential.
- Proven track record of delivering excellent customer service.
- Works collaboratively with colleagues and the client base, to understand customer needs with a strong focus on delivering positive outcomes.
- Ability to develop working relationships across a large, complex organisation and with internal and external partners/ stakeholders and clients to maintain and develop business streams.
- Possess strong map reading and interpretation skills, with experience of digital mapping.
To read more about our business area, please visit: Corporate Services and Transformation
Why Essex?
As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone’s Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.
In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) on our careers site.
Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.
Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.
At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.
As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service
Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.
If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community
If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk
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