Assistant Land Consultant, Belfast

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This is an exciting opportunity based in our Belfast office to become part of our multi-disciplinary service line within the WSP Land Team in the delivery of land referencing, land acquisition, land access, formal consents, statutory orders and compensation agreements and landowner management. We are the largest Land Referencing business in the UK and Ireland, delivering high profile projects such as the A5WTC, North South Interconnector, A9 Dualling and HS2.
Our clients develop major highway, rail, energy and renewable infrastructure and projects all of which impact privately owned land. You will work as part of a team of Land Consultants assisting in the liaison with landowners that may be affected by development, obtaining the appropriate consent, gaining access and where necessary compensating them for the impact caused by the scheme.
As part of our team you will support the delivery of land access and land acquisition projects through the identification of land ownership, consultation with landowners, undertaking property valuation, assessing and negotiating compensation, combining skills in GIS, data management and landowner engagement.
The role would ideally suit someone wanting to develop their skills in the Land sector as they will gain experience across significant infrastructure projects in energy and road sectors and consent regimes including Vesting Order, Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) and Strategic Infrastructure Development planning applications. We will support your professional development with a relevant professional organisation such as Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) or the Royal Geographical Society (RGS).
Responsibilities
As an Assistant Land Consultant based in our Belfast office, you will be directly supporting the Land team who work alongside engineers, environmental specialists and planners on high profile infrastructure projects providing the level of diligent inquiry needed for the submission of Statutory Orders and the successful acceptance of planning submissions
Undertake land referencing activities including Land Registry, and Property Registration Authority research, desktop research, questionnaire analysis, landowner liaison, site visits, archival investigations to identify all legal land interests and rights in land and managing information in databases and GIS
Carry out site visits to landowners and those people and organisations whose property or rights are affected by development and infrastructure delivery
Negotiate access to land so that environmental and other surveys can be carried out
Attend and contribute to internal and external project meetings
You will contribute to the WSP Land Team delivery and success of high-profile infrastructure projects within Ireland and the wider UK business. You will be supporting projects in multiple sectors, including the energy sector, where the team supports the development of critical infrastructure that is crucial for the “net zero” economy
Support the team in securing and acquiring appropriate land rights for large scale development projects as well as negotiation of Heads of Terms to secure land for projects in a timely fashion, utilising the appropriate mechanism
Your work will also support our teams in the delivery of land access, land agreements, landowner engagement, stakeholder engagement, and supporting projects through to the consenting stages.
Utilise statutory powers and the relevant statutory process to acquire land (Vesting Order, CPO, TWAO, Hybrid Bill, DCO) on behalf of WSP clients across the electricity, highway, rail, water, telecoms, gas and renewable energy sectors
Qualifications
A degree in geography or another relevant discipline, which has provided you with an understanding of the complexities of land-use and/or landownership in Ireland/UK.
Experience of landowner engagement or working with members of the public.
A good understanding of Land Referencing and/or the land acquisition process, including researching and identifying landowners/occupiers, land interests and rights in land to keep stakeholders informed of project development (desirable).
The role will require visits to sites as part of a team, to engage with landowners and stakeholders. This will involve temporary periods staying away from home (accommodation and expenses are provided).
Provide evidence of working under tight timeframes as part of a busy professional working environment.
Be an active and collaborative team member, working closely with colleagues and fit seamlessly into a delivery team.
To provide support to projects by undertaking technical elements of projects on time, within budget and to the agreed standards.
Ability to undertake and manage tasks independently on multiple projects.
A degree of comfort in reading and using maps in a technical way.
Excellent verbal and written communication and organisational skills, with demonstrable experience in managing and quality checking data.
Experience using MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams).
A full drivers’ licence is essential
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