THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF ARUNA’S DEDICATION TO TRANSFORMING LIVES

The Bi-Borough Legal Services Department at Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories. Where people like Aruna work on projects that are helping to regenerate our borough and transform residents’ lives.

The Church Street Estate is an exciting, vibrant area and home to a diverse range of people, but it has a number of issues that have led to social and economic exclusion for many. So a few years ago, we decided to create a master plan with the aim of improving the lives of everyone who lives and works here, while building on the unique qualities of the neighbourhood.

Our ambition is to improve the quality of life for everyone in the area, and we aim to do this by building 1,750 high-quality homes, creating new green spaces and playgrounds, and providing services that will support the community’s health and well-being.

But such massive changes bring worry and conflict. Flats and houses will have to be demolished to make way for the new, and as many people have lived in their homes for decades, they don’t want to say goodbye to cherished memories and familiar surroundings. Which is where Aruna and her team came into their own.

In the summer of 2024, a public inquiry was held into the compulsory purchase order made for Site A of Church Street, and it was her role to support the development team as they put forward the case for regeneration. Many of the people who objected were understandably afraid of the prospect of losing their homes, but Aruna was passionate in her defence of the project and stressed the fact that everyone in the area deserves better. And she was reassuring too, as she explained that compulsory powers would only be used as a last resort and anyone who is moved out of their current home has a range of options to remain in the area should they wish to, and the regenerated Church Street will offer unique opportunities, new jobs and an exciting feeling of optimism.

Aruna’s commitment to a positive world of renewal for our residents is Westminster City Council’s commitment too, and the Church Street of the future will hopefully be a blueprint for progressive regeneration throughout our city.

The Role:

As a Development and Property Solicitor, you can make your own powerful contribution to Westminster’s success. This is an opportunity to provide high-quality legal advice and support on a diverse range of residential and general property matters, working as part of a fast-paced and highly supportive bi-borough legal team. Serving both Westminster City Council and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, you’ll deliver legal services that support the councils’ complex operational and strategic property priorities.

You will provide clear, professional legal advice on conveyancing, residential property leases, and local authority matters, identifying legal risks and supporting clients to make informed decisions. You will take a proactive approach to managing a routine to complex caseload, drafting and negotiating legal documents, advising on compliance and governance, and helping to ensure successful project and programme delivery.

As a trusted legal adviser, you’ll translate complex legal principles into accessible, solution-focused advice, respond quickly to instructions, and support clients in meeting their service priorities. You’ll review and prepare decision reports when required, advise on governance queries, and attend meetings with councillors, officers, developers, government departments, and other stakeholders as needed.

The role will also involve negotiating legal terms, managing sensitive or high-value transactions, and presenting clear, strategic recommendations to senior officers, Cabinet Members and Committees. Where appropriate, you may instruct Counsel or external solicitors in accordance with departmental protocols.

You will maintain accurate legal records and ensure compliance with procedural requirements and time targets. You’ll track legal developments, keep client teams informed of changes in legislation and best practice, and ensure legal advice is aligned with current regulatory frameworks. You may also be required to support legal work for other councils under shared service arrangements.

As a key member of the legal team, you will mentor junior colleagues, share knowledge, and contribute to a culture of collaboration, service excellence, professional development and continuous improvement. You’ll also help improve and maintain legal precedents and know-how, supporting a more efficient and consistent service across the team.

You will be expected to demonstrate strong commercial acumen, apply a value-for-money mindset, and help ensure that legal services are both impactful and cost-effective. And while no two days will be the same, your work will always be focused on delivering meaningful outcomes for our communities, in a team that supports your development and values your contribution.

About You:

You have strong experience advising on residential property law, ideally within a UK local government context, and are confident managing a wide range of property transactions. You bring the ability to communicate legal issues effectively to both clients and colleagues, offering clear, cogent advice and options to support decision-making.

You have experience handling sensitive matters and understand how to navigate issues with political nuance in a constructive and solution-focused way. Your property law knowledge includes advising on due diligence, drafting reports on title, and responding to general property queries. You are familiar with (amongst other matters) lease extensions, right to buy, SDLT returns, land registry requisitions, licences to alter, and deeds of variation, and you can lead or support on property asset transfers, acquisitions, and disposals involving multiple or linked properties.

You’re comfortable advising on the property aspects of subsidy control, when required, and have experience instructing external lawyers and barristers, including managing those relationships and overseeing procurement processes such as raising purchase orders. It’s desirable that you may have experience providing legal comments on decision-making reports (Cabinet, Executive Director or Member-level), and an awareness of property litigation risks, with the judgement to bring in litigation expertise when appropriate.

You have in-depth knowledge and experience of legislation and the law relating to property law and practice, and are confident using digital systems and spreadsheets in a fast-paced legal environment. You demonstrate strong negotiating skills and have a commitment to fostering a positive team culture through developing your own skills and supporting those around you.

While not essential, knowledge of local government law, particularly around how decisions are made, is desirable. Additional understanding of housing, commercial property, procurement or planning law would also be welcomed.

Westminster City Council is committed to supporting Care Leavers into the workplace. Care Leavers seeking their first job and who wish to be considered under our scheme, will automatically be invited to interview should they meet the essential criteria for the role.

What We Offer:

Westminster is an amazing place. We are home to more than 200,000 residents from all backgrounds, over 50,000 vibrant and vital businesses and three-quarters-of-a-million people work in Westminster. Westminster City Council’s strategy is to work towards a Fairer Westminster. A Fairer Westminster is one in which our communities are at the heart of our decision-making and help to determine the city’s future. By working directly with our communities and other partners, we can build a more inclusive city that celebrates our diverse communities, and where residents, workers and visitors from all backgrounds will feel welcome and safe.

At Westminster City Council, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive workplace and employer of choice. We encourage and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that, at all levels, represents the communities we serve. We champion equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, has a sense of belonging and is empowered to be their best, that is the Westminster Way.

As a forward-thinking Council we appreciate that people work in different ways, therefore our staff benefit from working a range of flexible working patterns as well as Agile working.

The Council is a Disability Confident Employer. If you have declared a disability in your application, we guarantee an interview if you meet the essential criteria of the job. If you are invited for interview, you will be asked if you need any reasonable adjustments in order to attend, and we will make these wherever possible.

We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning subject to the volume of suitable applicants.